lucht

Forms

lucht f (plural luchten, diminutive luchtje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch lucht (also locht, logt), inherited from Old Dutch *luft, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *luftu, inherited from Proto-Germanic *luftu-.^[2][1] The /ft/ became /cht/ as in achter.^[2][3] The same word is Old Saxon luft, Old High German luft (modern German Luft), Old Frisian luft (modern West Frisian loft), Old English lyft, Old Norse lopt “air”, also “upper room”, and Gothic 𐌻𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌿𐍃 (luftus).^[2][4][5] The English word loft comes from the Norse one.^[2]

The further origin is uncertain, and no sure cognates outside Germanic are known.^[2][6] The Norse sense “upper room” is either a development of “that which is above”, or the older one: the EWN and De Vries report the view that “air” grew from “roof of the world”, a roof of bark, which would link the word with loof.^[2][4] Kroonen takes it as a tu-stem from the root of Proto-Germanic *lauba- “foliage”, from Proto-Indo-European *lubʰ-tu-, originally “roof”, compare Russian луб (lub, “bast”).^[5][1] Van Veen and Van der Sijs likewise think the basic meaning was “covering”, the vault of the sky.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch logt is first recorded in 1240 in Limburg, as the gloss of Latin aer “air”; the adjective logteg appears in the same text.^[7][2] By 1285 a West Flemish text speaks of hoghe in de lucht “high in the air”, and in 1287 lucht also means a smell: hare soete lucht “their sweet scent”.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used lucht for air as one of the four elements, for the atmosphere and the sky, as the domain of the birds, for a draught and for a smell.^[7][8] In die lucht hangen was already used of an undecided matter in 1357.^[8] From lucht were formed luchten, first “to smell” (1564), later “to air” (1729) and “to give vent to” (1793), and luchtig “airy; light-hearted”.^[2] Lucht krijgen van iets “to get wind of something” (1642) is taken from the game that hounds scent.^[6]

Een gat in de lucht slaan first meant to throw up one's arms in astonishment; in the 17th century one said een gat in den hemel slaan.^[9] Danish lugt “smell” and Swedish lukt come from Dutch or Low German, and the word also went into Sranan Tongo as loktu.^[10][1] Afrikaans has lug.^[1]

Timeline

• 1240 – Middle Dutch logt glosses Latin aer in Limburg.^[7][2][11]
• 1285 – Hoghe in de lucht “high in the air” is recorded.^[2]
• 1287 – Lucht is used for a sweet scent.^[2]
• 1357 – Hanghende in de lucht is said of a fief.^[8]
• 1564 – The verb luchten “to smell” is recorded.^[2]
• 1642 – Lucht krijgen “to get wind of” is recorded.^[6]
• 1729 – Luchten “to air clothes” is recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. air, the mixture of gases, mainly oxygen and nitrogen, that surrounds the earth.^[12][13][1]
2. The atmosphere, the space above the earth.^[12][13]
3. The sky.^[12][1]
4. A smell, odour.^[12][1]

Word family

• luchten
• luchtig
• luchtballon
• luchtdruk
• luchthaven
• luchtkasteel
• luchtmacht
• luchtvaart
• luchtschip
• buitenlucht
• verluchten

Related words

• English loft
• German Luft

Usage notes

Lucht is a common word in curses: hij kan de lucht in! means “he can get lost”.^[14] The southern form locht was often used in rhyme by older poets.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
4. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b c d 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
7. ^ a b c 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
8. ^ a b c Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
9. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
10. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
11. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
12. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
13. ^ a b Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
14. ^ Sterkenburg, P. G. J. van (2001), Vloeken: een cultuurbepaalde reactie op woede, irritatie en frustratie, 2nd ed., Den Haag: Sdu