mens

Forms

mens m (plural mensen, diminutive mensje n)^[1] As a neuter noun, het mens, it means a woman, usually disparagingly.^[2][1] The older spelling was mensch.^[1][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch mensche, inherited from Old Dutch mennisko, inherited from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”): the weak form of an adjective meaning “human” used as a noun.^[4][5][6][1] The adjective was formed from Proto-Germanic *mann-, the ancestor of man, with the suffix Proto-Germanic *-iskaz (Dutch -s), whose ⟨i⟩ caused umlaut of the ⟨a⟩.^[4][7][8] The same noun is Old Saxon mennisko, Old High German mennisco (modern German Mensch) and Old Frisian menneska (modern West Frisian minske), while Old English mennisc meant “mankind, people” and Old Norse mennska “human nature”.^[4][5] The adjective itself survives in mennisc and Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌹𐍃𐌺𐍃 (mannisks, “human”).^[4][8]

Kluge, cited in the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, held that the adjective first meant “descended from Mannus”, the forefather of the Germanic peoples in Tacitus.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch mennisko first appears around 1100 in the Egmond Williram, in thaz tu mennisco werthes “that you become man”, said of Christ.^[4][7] The Middle Dutch form mensche “person” is recorded in Ghent in 1236.^[4][9][10]

Semantic evolution

Mens gradually took over the general sense of man, “human being”, so that it covers men and women alike.^[4] The gender was masculine and neuter from the start.^[4][11] In German the neuter came to be used from the 15th century for women, especially servants, since the 18th century mostly in contempt, and Dutch went the same way: het mens for a woman is recorded in 1784.^[4][10]

Many sayings have mens as their subject.^[12][13] De mens wikt, God beschikt, “man proposes, God disposes”, translates a Latin proverb.^[12] Bergen en dalen ontmoeten elkaar niet, maar mensen wel is used at an unexpected meeting and is found in the 17th century.^[13] Through Yiddish Dutch also has mensj, a decent, trustworthy person.^[14] The word lives on in Afrikaans mens and in Negerhollands.^[15][1]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Old Dutch mennisco in the Egmond Williram.^[4][7]
• 1236 – Middle Dutch mensche “person”, in Ghent.^[4][10]
• 1240 – Menscheit “human nature”.^[4]
• 1548 – Meynschen en beesten, people and animals.^[3]
• 1784 – Neuter mensch for a woman.^[4][10]

Meanings

Noun

1. A human being, a member of the species that is set apart from the animals by reason and language.^[2][1]
2. A person.^[1][4]
3. (neuter, pejorative) A woman.^[2][1]

Word family

• goedmens
• medemens
• mensdom
• menselijk
• menselijkheid
• menseneter
• mensenhandel
• mensheid
• mensonterend
• menswaardig
• natuurmens

Related words

• man
• German Mensch

Usage notes

Een mens is geen aardappel means that people need some fun now and then.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
3. ^ a b c 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. ^ 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
5. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
8. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill
9. ^ 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. ^ a b c d Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
11. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
12. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
13. ^ a b Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
14. ^ Kamp, Jacob van de; Wijk, Jacob van der (2006), Koosjer Nederlands: Joodse woorden in de Nederlandse taal, Amsterdam: Contact
15. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)