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na

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Pronunciation

Forms

na[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch na, inherited from Old Dutch nāh, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nāhw, inherited from Proto-Germanic *nēhw (“near”), an adverb formed from the adjective Proto-Germanic *nēhwaz (“near”).[2][1][3] The same word is Old Saxon nāh, Old High German nāh (modern German nach and nahe), Old Frisian nēi (modern West Frisian nei), Old English nēah (modern English nigh), the first part of Old Norse nábúi (“neighbour”) and Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈 (neƕ, “near”), all meaning “near”.[2][4][3] A form with another suffix, Germanic ⟨*nēhw-ia-⟩, gave Old Dutch nāio (“almost”) and nāho (“near”).[2][5]

Since the meaning “near” is found in every Germanic language, it is probably the original one.[2] Dutch and German developed from it the senses “directly after”, “towards” and “according to”, all of which Old Dutch already has.[2] Kroonen explains the adjective as a lengthened-grade formation from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”), the root he also finds in genoeg.[3][1] Van Veen and De Vries call the origin uncertain, and De Vries lists other comparisons, such as Lithuanian nókti (“to overtake, to ripen”).[6][4][5]

Middle Dutch naer began as the comparative of the word, but the two were nearly synonyms.[2][7] Grammarians of the 17th century tried to keep them apart, and after 1730, under the influence of the scholar Balthazar Huydecoper, the written language settled on the present division: ⟨na⟩ for what follows in time, naar for direction and for “according to”.[2][5] The superlative survives as naast, and nader is a newer comparative.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch nāh is first recorded as a preposition around 1100 in the Leiden Willeram, already with three senses: nah themo bluothe “after the blossoming”, her neyget sich nah uns “he bends towards us” and nah sinemo willan “according to his will”.[2][8] The derivative nāio “almost” is older, from the 10th-century Wachtendonck Psalms.[2]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch the word was a preposition and an adverb: it meant “afterwards” in a Brabant life of Saint Lutgard of 1265–1270, where the evangelists songen na “sang afterwards”, and “near” in na of verne “near or far” (1250).[2][9] As an adjective it described kinship, and a Zeeland charter of 1254 speaks of nephews, nieces and narre “nearer” relatives.[2][9] Middle Dutch na still combined the senses of modern na and naar, the MNW notes, and the spoken language of both north and south long used na for naar.[7][10]

Joined to verbs it always expresses following, in space or in time: nacomen “to obey, to carry out” is recorded in 1240, na te segghen “to repeat someone's words” in the 13th century, and in the 15th a counterfeiter naslaet “copies” a lord's coin.[2] Later verbs in na- express checking, such as nakijken, or imitation, such as nabootsen, and the prefix is still productive.[2] Middle Dutch enen te na gaen meant to come too close to someone with hostile intent, the source of the modern iemand te na komen “to offend someone”.[11][12]

The preposition passed into Negerhollands as na and a, which handed it on to the English Creole of the Virgin Islands;[13][1] Afrikaans has na.[13][1]

Timeline

  • 901–1000 – Old Dutch nāio “almost” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.[2]
  • c. 1100 – The preposition nāh in the Leiden Willeram.[2][8]
  • 1151–1200 – Nā “after; towards; according to” in the Rhineland Rhyming Bible.[2]
  • 1200 – The Middle Dutch preposition, in the Limburg life of Saint Servatius.[14][9]
  • 1240 – Nacomen “to obey”.[2]
  • 1254 – The comparative narre of near kinship, in Middelburg.[2][9]
  • 1265–1270 – The adverb “afterwards” in a Brabant life of Saint Lutgard.[2][9]
  • After 1730 – Written Dutch begins to separate na (time) and naar (direction).[2]

Meanings

Preposition

  1. after, later than: Na het eten gingen we wandelen.[12][1][15]
  2. After, behind, in order or position: Hij kwam als laatste na zijn broers binnen.[12][15]
  3. (op … na) Except, bar; with a number, marking a rank below the first: Dat is op één na de hoogste toren.[1]

Adverb

  1. near, close by; mostly in fixed phrases: iemand te na komen “to offend someone”, ei zo na “very nearly”.[12][10]
  2. Afterwards, after the rest: Er kwam nog een toetje na.[12]

Adjective

  1. (dated) Close, near, especially of kinship: een naë verwant.[10][5][1][15]

Word family

  • nadat
  • nabootsen
  • naast
  • nader
  • nabuur
  • bijna
  • nabij
  • nadruk
  • nazaat
  • najaar
  • daarna
  • naar
  • naderhand
  • nadenken
  • nagerecht
  • achterna
  • English nigh
  • German nach

Usage notes

In older Dutch and in dialects na is also used for naar “to, towards”, as in na huys “home” (1582).[10][1] Jewish Dutch has an unrelated na or naa “no”, from Yiddish.[16] The superlative of the adjective is naast and its comparative nader.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 r s t u v 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 Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  6. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  7. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  8. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  9. ^ a b c d e 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 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
  11. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
  12. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  13. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  14. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  15. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  16. ^ Kamp, Jacob van de; Wijk, Jacob van der (2006), Koosjer Nederlands: Joodse woorden in de Nederlandse taal, Amsterdam: Contact