krimpen

Forms

krimpen^[1] It is a strong verb; the occasional weak forms of older texts, mostly in transitive use, belong to the causative Middle Dutch crempen.^[2][3] Antwerp dialect has a rounded form krumpen.^[2][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch crimpen, also crempen, inherited from Old Dutch *crimpan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *krimpan- (“to shrink, contract”).^[5][1][6] The ⟨e⟩ of ⟨crempen⟩ may be a dialect ⟨e⟩ for ⟨i⟩, or the form may partly continue a causative *krampian, as in Middle High German krempfen (“to make shrink”) and Old Norse kreppa (“to press together”).^[7][3]

The same verb is Middle Low German krimpen, Old High German krimfan (modern German krimpen is borrowed from Low German), West Frisian krimpe and Middle English crimpen (“to shrink, wrinkle”);^[5][7][3] Old Norse has only the past participle Old Norse kroppinn (“shrivelled”).^[5][7][3] The noun kramp is formed from it with ablaut, as is the Kempen dialect word ⟨kromp⟩ “crooked”.^[5][7][3]

The EWN places it under a root Proto-Indo-European *gremb- (“to shrink”), a nasalised form of *gerb- (“to contract”), which also gave Icelandic korpa (“wrinkle”).^[5][7] Outside Germanic the sources compare Lithuanian grùbti (“to become bumpy, hard”) and Latvian grumbt (“to get wrinkles”).^[7][8][9] Kroonen sees in it a nasal present to Proto-Indo-European *grebʰ- (“to be crooked”), influenced by an iterative *krumpōn-, and Wiktionary reconstructs an older *krimbaną whose ⟨p⟩ came from that iterative.^[6][1] Beside ⟨krimpen⟩ stand the rhyming rimpel and schrompelen, from roots *kremb- and *skremb- of the same sense;^[5][7] Kuhn suggested in 1960 that the whole group came from a pre-Germanic substrate, with an unshifted /k/ in the Dutch verb.^[5][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch crempen is first recorded in 1285 in West Flanders, in the phrase tegader crempen “to shrink together, cower”, said of people in fear; a West Flemish text of 1287 uses it transitively of an animal that draws its head and limbs in “as the hedgehog does”.^[10][5]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch the verb meant both “to shrink, contract” and, transitively, “to make shrink”: a Flemish text of about 1301 says a cloak “shrank” to mid-leg, a Flemish recipe of 1435 lets a liquid boil down, and a Holland text of 1444 pays for cloth to be shrunk and shorn.^[11] Shrinking in fear also led to the sense “to shrink back, retreat”.^[11]

From the 16th century the WNT records it of cloth shrinking in water (1573), of fish twitching as they are cut (1671), and of people and animals cringing with pain, fear or cold; the heart “shrinks” at a cruel sight (1781).^[2] In 1681 Winschoten notes it as a sailors' word for the wind backing, and the krimpvis, fish killed with a knife or not yet stiff.^[12] Brabant dialects use it for “to sulk, complain”.^[4]

The Dutch word was borrowed into English (crimp, since 1398 according to De Vries), German, Papiamentu (krimp, now kremp) and Sranan Tongo krempi.^[7][13][1]

Timeline

• 1285 – Middle Dutch crempen is first recorded, in West Flanders.^[10][5]
• 1287 – A West Flemish text uses it transitively;^[10][14] Van der Sijs dates the word to this year.^[10][14]
• 1435 – A Flemish text uses it of a liquid that boils down.^[11]
• 1444 – A Holland text pays for cloth to be shrunk.^[11]
• 1573 – Dat laken krimpt int water “the cloth shrinks in the water”.^[2]
• 1681 – Winschoten records the sailors' use of the wind backing.^[12]

Meanings

Verb

1. To shrink, contract through losing or taking up moisture, or through a change of temperature.^[15][1]
2. To cringe, double up from pain, fear, cold or another unpleasant feeling.^[15][2]
3. Of the moon: to wane.^[15]
4. Of the wind: to back, turn against the sun, from north to west or from west to south.^[15][16]
5. To grow smaller in general, decrease.^[16][2]

Word family

• bekrimpen
• krimping
• verkrimpen
• krimpkous
• krimpvrij
• ineenkrimpen
• inkrimpen
• krimp
• krimper

Related words

• kramp
• rimpel
• schrompelen
• English crimp

Usage notes

The noun krimp also meant “shortage”: Winschoten records daar is krimp “there is a shortage”, and Pluim nergens krimp aan hebben “to lack nothing”.^[12][17]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
3. ^ a b c d e Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
4. ^ a b Debrabandere, Frans (2010), Brabants etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van de woordenschat van Antwerpen, Brussel, Noord-Brabant en Vlaams-Brabant, Zwolle: Wbooks
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
6. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 211
9. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
10. ^ a b c d Pijnenburg, W. J. J., et al. (2001), Vroegmiddelnederlands woordenboek: woordenboek van het Nederlands van de dertiende eeuw in hoofdzaak op basis van het Corpus-Gysseling, Leiden: Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie; gtb.ivdnt.org
11. ^ a b c d Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
12. ^ a b c Winschoten, Wigardus à (1681), Seeman: behelsende een grondige uitlegging van de Neederlandse konst- en spreekwoorden, voor soo veel die uit de seevaart sijn ontleend, Leiden
13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
14. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
15. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
16. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
17. ^ Pluim, T. (1911), Keur van Nederlandsche woordafleidingen, Purmerend: Muusses