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meester

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Etymology and origin of the Dutch word meester

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
c. 1100 Old Dutch, in the compound listmeyster More words from the 11th century
Borrowed from
Latin *maester via Middle Dutch, Old Dutch
Ultimate origin
Latin magnus

Pronunciation

  • /ˈmeːstər/[1]

Forms

meester m (plural meesters, diminutive meestertje n)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch meester, inherited from Old Dutch meister, borrowed from Vulgar Latin *maester, which developed from Latin magister (“superior, leader, teacher”).[2][1] The Latin word is formed on magis (“more”), the adverb of maior (“greater”), comparative of magnus (“great”), and stood opposite minister, first “the lesser one, servant”.[2][3]

The sources differ on the route.[3][4][5] Van Veen & Van der Sijs, and Van der Sijs's dating and loanword dictionaries, give the immediate source as Old French maistre.[3][6][7] De Vries & De Tollenaere see an early Germanic borrowing of the Latin accusative ⟨magistrum⟩, later influenced by the Old French word.[4] De Vries and Franck–Van Wijk start from Vulgar Latin *majestru, a Romance form.[5][8]

The other West Germanic languages borrowed the word as well: Old Saxon mēstar, Old High German meistar (modern German Meister), Old Frisian māster and Old English mægester.[2][5][8] Old Norse meistari was borrowed from Middle Low German.[5][8] The EWN derives English master and mister from the Old English word;[2][8][5] Franck–Van Wijk and De Vries derive them from Old French.[2][8][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch meister “skilled person” is first found around 1100 in the compound listmeyster “craftsman, artist”, whose first part is list “skill”.[2] Middle Dutch mester appears in Ghent in 1236, where the wisest are to choose their mester, their head or leader.[2][9] Van der Sijs 2001 files this record under the sense “teacher”.[6]

Semantic evolution

In 1240 Middle Dutch meister glosses Latin magister and scriba, a scholar.[9][2] In 1285 Plato is called Aristotle's meester, and meyster jacobe die fysikere “master Jacob the physician” shows its use as a title of the learned.[2][9] In 1285–1286 knapen ende meesters are the journeymen and masters of a craft.[2] From 1287 a man's meester is his superior.[2] It is also the title of Christ in relation to his disciples, and of a physician or surgeon.[10][9]

The WNT adds the head of a public service, as meester van den schepe (1540), now mostly a historical term; the schoolmaster and then any teacher of the young, no longer a title but still the everyday word; and the university degree of magister, which survives in meester in de rechten, the title of a law graduate.[11] A meester is also an artist or scholar whose skill makes him a model for others, as in de Hollandse meesters, the great painters of the Dutch school.[11][12] Since 1982 the word has been used of the dominant partner in a sadomasochistic relationship.[13] In the 1990s pupils began to call any secondary-school teacher meester.[14]

Dutch spread the word abroad: Danish and Norwegian mester come from Dutch or Low German, Indonesian mester meant a teacher or a lawyer, and Javanese mèstri a master, surgeon or ship's engineer.[15][1] Papiamentu has meester, Afrikaans meester, and South African English took meester through Afrikaans.[1][15]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Old Dutch meister appears in the compound listmeyster “craftsman”.[2]
  • 1236 – Middle Dutch mester “head, leader” is recorded in Ghent.[9][2][6]
  • 1240 – Meister glosses Latin magister in Limburg.[9][2]
  • 1254 – The spelling meester appears.[4]
  • 1285 – Meester is used of a teacher and as a title.[2][9]
  • 1285–1286 – Meesters are the masters of a craft.[2]
  • 1287 – Meester means a superior.[2]
  • 1540 – Meester van den schepe “master of the ship” is recorded.[11]
  • 1652 – Meester is used of a schoolmaster.[11]
  • 1982 – The sense “dominant partner” appears in a personal advertisement.[13]
  • 1997 – A secondary-school teacher is called meester.[14]

Meanings

Noun

  1. One who has power or authority; a master.[12][1]
  2. A virtuoso, a great artist;[12][16] de oude meesters, the famous painters of the past.[12][16]
  3. A primary-school teacher, especially as a form of address.[12][16][1]
  4. One who has taken the degree in law; the title mr.[12][16][1]
  5. A player of a mind sport such as chess or draughts who holds a title for his results.[12]
  6. (history) A guild craftsman entitled to work independently after making his masterpiece.[12][16]
  7. (Belgium) A petty officer in the navy.[12]
  8. The dominant partner in a sadomasochistic relationship.[12][13]

Word family

  • burgemeester
  • leermeester
  • grootmeester
  • rentmeester
  • penningmeester
  • heelmeester
  • wachtmeester
  • meesterwerk
  • meesterproef
  • meesterlijk
  • meesterschap
  • meesteres
  • vermeesteren
  • overmeesteren

Usage notes

The proverb zo heer, zo knecht “like master, like man” was earlier also zo meester, zo knecht.[17] Heer en meester zijn is to be in full command, and brand meester is the signal that a fire is under control.[12]

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 l m n o p q 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 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 c Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 244
  5. ^ a b c d e f Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b c Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  7. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
  8. ^ a b c d e Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  9. ^ a b c d e f g 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
  10. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  11. ^ 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
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  13. ^ a b c Reinsma, R. (1984), Neologismen, Utrecht: Spectrum
  14. ^ a b Reinsma, R. (1999), Neologismen, Den Haag: Sdu
  15. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  16. ^ a b c d e Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
  17. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme

Related etymologies

  • ezel · also from Latin
  • kool · also from Latin
  • kruis · also from Latin
  • wijn · also from Latin
  • poot · also from Latin
  • ons · also from Latin
  • proberen · also from Latin
  • zeker · also from Latin
Cite this entry

“Meester.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/nl/meester. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·