nieuw

Forms

nieuw (comparative nieuwer, superlative nieuwst)^[1] Dialects have nij or nie in the east, in Friesland and Groningen, and nuw or nouw in North Holland;^[2][3] nieuw has spread from the south.^[2][3] A form with final -t, nuut or nuwt, occurs in South Flemish and Limburg dialects.^[4][2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch nieuwe, inherited from Old Dutch niuwi, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *niwi, inherited from Proto-Germanic *niwjaz (“new”).^[5][1][6] The same word is Old Saxon niuwi, Old High German niuwi (modern German neu), Old Frisian nī, Old English nīwe (modern English new), Old Norse nýr (modern Swedish ny) and Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌿𐌾𐌹𐍃 (niujis), all meaning “new”.^[5][2][6] It goes back to Proto-Indo-European *néwyos, as do Lithuanian naujas, Old Irish núe and Ancient Greek νεῖος (neîos), built on *néwos (“new”), the source of Latin novus, νέος (néos) and Hittite newa-.^[5][2][1] Kroonen thinks the adjective was derived from the adverb meaning “now”, the ancestor of nu; the Philippa dictionary calls the exact relation uncertain.^[6][5]

The Middle Dutch forms differ by region.^[5][2] In the uninflected form the Germanic diphthong ⟨eu⟩ became ⟨io⟩ and then ⟨ie⟩, but in the inflected forms it became ⟨iu⟩ and then ⟨u⟩, usually with a glide, ⟨uw⟩.^[5][3] Analogy later evened the vowel out in different ways in different places, so that Holland had ⟨nuwe⟩ beside ⟨nieuwe⟩, and northern dialects developed ⟨nij⟩.^[5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch niuwi first appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century, of a young animal: calf nuuui “a new calf”.^[5][7] About 1100 the Egmond Williram speaks of ouaz niwa ande ald, fruit new and old.^[5][7] The place name Neuuehoua, now Nieuwenhove in East Flanders, is recorded about 1040.^[8][9]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used the word for newly built things, te sinen nuwen werke “for his new building” (1200), new coins and de nieuwe brigghe “the new bridge” (1297).^[5] Of land it meant newly reclaimed, and the niewe tiende was the tithe on such land.^[10] Early modern texts add new songs (1510), news not yet known (1657), and things not yet worn, een paer nie schoenen “a pair of new shoes” (1612).^[3] The word is common in place names such as Nijkerk and Nieuwpoort.^[11][3]

The proverb nieuwe bezems vegen schoon is old: 16th-century collections have nieuwe bessemme veeghen wel and nye bessemen veghen schoone, and medieval Latin proverbs say the same of new brooms.^[12] Er is niets nieuws onder de zon comes from Ecclesiastes 1:9.^[8] In 1976 Herman Vuijsje coined de nieuwe vrijgestelden for well-paid professionals with much freedom in their work.^[13]

Afrikaans has nuwe and nuut, Negerhollands nieuw and niw, and Javindo nuwe;^[1][14] Sranan Tongo njun is from Dutch or English.^[1][14]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Old Dutch nuuui “new, young” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[5][7]
• c. 1040 – The place name Neuuehoua (Nieuwenhove).^[8][9]
• c. 1100 – Niwa “fresh” of fruit in the Egmond Williram.^[7]
• 1200 – Middle Dutch nuwen “new”.^[5]
• 1297 – De nieuwe brigghe “the new bridge”.^[5]
• 1510 – Nyen liedekens “new songs”.^[3]
• 1976 – De nieuwe vrijgestelden is coined by Herman Vuijsje.^[13]

Meanings

Adjective

1. new: recently made, come into being or brought into use: Ze hebben een nieuw huis gekocht.^[15][16][1]
2. Coming after something or someone else, often replacing it: de nieuwe directeur.^[15]
3. Not used before, in its original state, unworn.^[16][3]
4. Not known before, unfamiliar or surprising.^[16][3]
5. Recently arrived or discovered.^[16]

Word family

• nieuws
• nieuwbakken
• nieuwerwets
• opnieuw
• fonkelnieuw
• gloednieuw
• splinternieuw
• nieuweling
• nieuwheid
• nieuwigheid
• nieuwtje
• benieuwen
• vernieuwen
• nieuwsgierig

Related words

• nu
• English new
• German neu

Usage notes

Het nieuwe is eraf means that something has lost its charm now that one is used to it.^[15]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
3. ^ 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
4. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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
6. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b c d Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
10. ^ 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
11. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
12. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
13. ^ a b Reinsma, R. (1984), Neologismen, Utrecht: Spectrum
14. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
15. ^ a b c Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
16. ^ a b c d WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org