kruisen

Forms

kruisen^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch crucen, formed from Middle Dutch cruce + -en, the noun being the modern kruis “cross”, an old Germanic borrowing from Latin crux.^[2][3][1][4] The same verb is Old High German krūzōn, Middle High German kriuzen (modern German kreuzen) and Middle Low German krūzen.^[3][5]

The oldest sense, “to crucify”, passed to kruisigen, a derivative of the noun, which replaced the verb in that sense during the 17th century; the more general senses “to form a cross” and “to move crosswise” developed into the more specific ones.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch crucen first appears around 1240 in a Limburg glossary, translating Latin crucifigere “to crucify” and cruciare “to torment”.^[6][2]

Semantic evolution

In 1284 a Bruges cloth ordinance uses the verb for marking cloth with a cross, and Middle Dutch also used it for making the sign of the cross over someone and, reflexively, for taking the cross as a crusader.^[6][2][5] The weakened sense “to torment, plague” is still current in the south.^[3][7]

From the early 17th century the verb means to go across something, as in nu kruysse ik 't bosch “now I cross the wood” (1620), and to place things crosswise, as in de degens kruisen “to cross swords”.^[2][3] At sea it meant to sail back and forth, especially of warships and privateers lying in wait for other ships: a text of 1624 sends a captain to the Strait of Malacca to cruise against the enemy there, and kruyssende schepen “cruising ships” are mentioned in 1643.^[3][2] Hence the agent noun kruiser for such a ship.^[2][8] The sense “to crossbreed” was in use before 1838.^[2][9]

The nautical sense was borrowed into German as kreuzen (from 1627) and into English as cruise (from 1651); De Vries also traces French croiser and Spanish and Portuguese cruzar in this sense to it.^[8][10][11] English cruise has since come back into Dutch as cruisen.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 1240 – Middle Dutch crucen “to crucify” is first recorded, in Limburg.^[6][2]
• 1284 – The sense “to mark with a cross” appears in Bruges.^[6]
• 1555 – The weakened sense “to torment” is quoted.^[3]
• 1620 – The sense “to go across” is recorded.^[2]
• 1624 – The verb is used of a ship cruising against the enemy.^[3]
• 1627 – German borrows the nautical sense as kreuzen.^[8]
• 1651 – English cruise is first recorded.^[8]
• before 1838 – The sense “to crossbreed” is recorded.^[2][9]

Meanings

Verb

1. (intransitive) To move back and forth crosswise; of a ship, to cruise to and fro.^[12][3]
2. (intransitive) To tack, to sail against the wind in a zigzag.^[12][3]
3. (intransitive) To travel at normal cruising speed.^[12][13]
4. (transitive) To place crosswise: Hij kruiste zijn armen.^[12][1]
5. (transitive) To cross, go across;^[12][1] elkaar kruisen, to pass each other going opposite ways: Onze brieven hebben elkaar gekruist.^[12][1]
6. (transitive) To crossbreed a plant or animal with one of another kind or breed.^[12][1]

Word family

• kruiser
• aankruisen
• bekruisen
• doorkruisen
• kruising
• kruisraket
• kruissnelheid

Related words

• kruis
• kruisigen
• cruisen
• English cruise
• German kreuzen

Usage notes

De degens kruisen means to fight a duel with swords, and figuratively to argue with someone.^[12] In the south kruisen still means to torment someone.^[3][7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
4. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
5. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b Debrabandere, Frans (2010), Brabants etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van de woordenschat van Antwerpen, Brussel, Noord-Brabant en Vlaams-Brabant, Zwolle: Wbooks
8. ^ a b c d Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
10. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
11. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
12. ^ a b c d e f g h Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
13. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org