neus

Forms

neus m or f (plural neuzen, diminutive neusje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch nuese (also nose), inherited from Old Dutch *nosa, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nosu, inherited from Proto-Germanic *nusō.^[1][2][3] The same form is Middle Low German nose, Old Frisian nose and Old English nosu (modern English nose).^[2][3] Beside it stood the ablaut variant *nasō, which gave Old Dutch nasa, Middle Dutch nase and, with umlaut, nese, and Old High German nasa (modern German Nase), Old English nasu and Old Norse nǫs “nostril”.^[2][3][4] The u-form, shared with Frisian and English, is the source of the modern Dutch word.^[2][5]

The umlaut in ⟨neus⟩ and in Middle Low German nese is striking, since nothing in the word would cause it.^[2] The EWN suggests a trace of an old dual, as in deur, the nose being seen as the two nostrils.^[2] Franck–Van Wijk and the WNT derive the umlauted forms from the plural, Proto-Germanic *nasiz or with a weak stem *nusiz;^[6][7][8] De Vries also considers a rounding of ⟨nese⟩ after /n/.^[6][7][8]

Outside Germanic it is related to Latin nārēs (“nostrils”) beside nāsus (“nose”), Lithuanian nósis and Latvian nãss, all from Proto-Indo-European *neh₂s-, *nh₂es-.^[2][3] Kroonen, following Kortlandt, sets up an ablauting s-stem; how Germanic came by its own alternation of /a/ and /u/ is unclear, and the root with /u/ probably arose as a secondary zero grade.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch nasa is recorded around 1100 in Egmond, in thin nasa is samo wighus uffen Libano “your nose is like the tower of Lebanon”.^[4] Middle Dutch nase appears in a Lower Rhine text of 1220 and glosses Latin nasus in Limburg in 1240;^[9][2] nese is found in 1237, in a rule that a man's nose shall be cut off.^[9][2] Van der Sijs 2001 dates the word to 1236.^[10]

Semantic evolution

The oldest records of the form nose are bynames, Margarethen Nose and Willem Noes (1248–1271), and in 1287 a remedy stops a nosebleed, ter nose bloet.^[2][9] The spelling neus is found from 1535, and Kiliaan (1599) gives nose and neuse;^[2][7] noos was still written in 1615 and is now obsolete.^[2][7]

Already in Middle Dutch the word could mean a nostril, an elephant's trunk, the point of a ship's bow, and pointed objects of iron or stone; the headland sense lives on in the place name Ter Neuzen.^[11] Today it also means the sense of smell, the point of an object such as a shoe, and the bouquet of a wine.^[12][1]

The phrase niet verder zien dan zijn neus lang is, to have no foresight, is recorded in 1644, and een lange neus trekken, to look ashamed or disappointed, in 1817.^[7] Tussen neus en lippen “in passing” first described food or drink in the moment between nose and lips.^[13][14] Wie zijn neus schendt, schendt zijn aangezicht warns that speaking ill of one's own family disgraces oneself.^[12][7] The curse krijg een dikke neus! has weakened to “I couldn't care less”.^[15]

Negerhollands had naes and nees, and Ambonese Malay nois-nois.^[16][1] Afrikaans has neus.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Old Dutch nasa is recorded in Egmond.^[4]
• 1220 – Middle Dutch nase appears on the Lower Rhine.^[9]
• 1236 – Van der Sijs's first record of the word.^[10][14]
• 1237 – The form nese appears.^[2]
• 1248–1271 – Nose and Noes are recorded as bynames.^[2]
• 1287 – Ter nose bloet “nosebleed” is recorded.^[2][9]
• 1535 – The spelling neus appears.^[2]
• 1615 – The old form noos is still used.^[7]
• 1644 – The phrase niet verder zien dan zijn neus lang is “to have no foresight” is recorded.^[7]
• 1817 – Een lange neus “a long face” is recorded.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. The nose, the projecting part of the face between mouth and forehead, the organ of smell.^[12][1]
2. The sense of smell; a feel for something.^[12][17]
3. The front point of an object, such as a shoe.^[12][17]
4. The bouquet of a wine or other alcoholic drink.^[1]

Word family

• neusgat
• neushoorn
• neusvleugel
• neuswijs
• neuzen
• neusaap
• bloedneus
• snotneus
• wipneus
• haakneus

Related words

• nes
• English nose
• German Nase

Usage notes

Het neusje van de zalm, “the very best”, is properly the pointed part of a salmon just below the head.^[18] For iemand bij de neus nemen “to fool someone”, Van Veen & Van der Sijs point to animals led by a nose-ring, while Van der Sijs 2005 calls it a loan translation of French mener par le nez.^[14][19]

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 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 Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
5. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
6. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
8. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
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 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 c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
13. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
14. ^ 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
15. ^ Sterkenburg, P. G. J. van (2001), Vloeken: een cultuurbepaalde reactie op woede, irritatie en frustratie, 2nd ed., Den Haag: Sdu
16. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
17. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
18. ^ Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
19. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale