niets

Forms

niets (indefinite pronoun)^[1] The colloquial form is niks, recorded from 1784.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch niets, inherited from Old Dutch niewihts, the partitive genitive of Old Dutch niewiht (“nothing”), the word that became niet.^[2][1][4] It is formed from Dutch niet + -s.^[2][1] The Old Dutch niewiht was a noun, ⟨ni⟩ “not” + ⟨ie⟩ “ever” + wiht (“thing, creature”);^[4][5] Gothic has a form without ⟨ie⟩, Gothic 𐌽𐌹 (ni) 𐍅𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃 (waihts, “thing”).^[4][5]

At first the genitive form was used only where the grammar required a genitive, for example with verbs such as lusten or with the adjective waard.^[2][4] Middle Dutch also often had ⟨niets niet⟩ “nothing at all”.^[2][6] When the case system disappeared, ⟨niets⟩ became an independent word, and ⟨niets niet⟩ was reduced to it.^[2] Middle High German nihtes niht and modern German nichts are the same formation.^[2][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch nieuuehte “nothing” is in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century.^[4] The genitive niewehtes is in Williram's paraphrase of about 1100: mich nelustet niewehtes, “nothing pleases me”.^[2] The Middle Dutch form niets first occurs in a Rhineland text of 1270–1290: die en sin niets weert, “they are worth nothing”, still as a genitive after weert.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch niets was also an adverb, mostly to strengthen niet: niets niet meant “nothing at all” or “not at all” (1384–1395).^[2][6] This was still used in the 16th and early 17th centuries, and in Belgium Vercoullie found hij en heeft niets niet still in daily use.^[8][7] In the 17th century niets stands alone in the modern way, as in waer niets te crijgen is (1651).^[2]

The spoken form niks is recorded from 1784; it was probably taken from German, where nix is a common dialect form, perhaps through soldiers.^[2][9][10] From it came niksen “to do nothing”, from 1951.^[2] The proverb waar niets is, verliest de keizer zijn recht, “where there is nothing, the emperor loses his claim”, means that nothing can be recovered from someone who has nothing.^[11]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Old Dutch nieuuehte “nothing” appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[4]
• c. 1100 – The genitive niewehtes in Williram's paraphrase.^[2]
• 1270–1290 – Middle Dutch niets is first recorded.^[2][3]
• 1384–1395 – Niets niet “nothing at all”.^[2]
• 1651 – Waer niets te crijgen is, with niets used independently.^[2]
• 1784 – The colloquial form nix (niks from 1789).^[2]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. nothing, not a single thing: Ik heb vandaag niets gegeten.^[12][1][13]

Noun

1. het niets: nothingness, the void.^[12]

Word family

• nietsbetekenend
• nietsdoen
• nietszeggend
• nietszeggendheid
• niksen

Related words

• niet
• iets
• niks
• German nichts

References

1. ^ a b c d e 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 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 Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
4. ^ a b c d e f Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
7. ^ a b Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
8. ^ 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
9. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
10. ^ Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
11. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
12. ^ a b Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
13. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org