Etymologically
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ontmoeten

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Pronunciation

  • /ˌɔntˈmu.tə(n)/[1]

Forms

ontmoeten[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch ontmoeten, in the east ⟨entmuten⟩ and ⟨untmuten⟩, formed from Middle Dutch ont- + moeten (“to meet”): the prefix ont-, which here marks the start of an action, on Middle Dutch moeten (“to meet”).[2][3][1] That verb was mostly (north)eastern; western Middle Dutch said ghemoeten (see gemoeten).[2] Both are now obsolete, but the noun survives in tegemoet.[2][4]

The simple verb is inherited from Old Dutch *muoten, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mōtijan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *mōtijaną (“to meet”), made from a noun Proto-Germanic *mōtą (“meeting”).[1][2][5] The same verb is Old Saxon mōtian, Old Frisian mēta, Old English mētan (modern English meet), Old Norse mœta and Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐍉𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gamōtjan), all “to meet”.[2][6][4] With the prefix there are Middle Low German entmōten, the source of Middle High German entmuoten (“to attack”), and onmētan (“to find”).[5][7][8]

The Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands tentatively compares Armenian and Hittite verbs meaning “to approach”.[2][7] It finds a link with moeten “must” or with meten “to measure” improbable.[2][9][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest records are glosses in a Limburg word list of 1240, where entmuten and untmuten translate Latin obviare and occurrere “to meet, run into”.[3] In a story from East Flanders of 1260–1280 three riders come to a forest where they meet a charcoal burner and greet him.[2][3][10]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used the verb for meeting by chance and, as a mystical term, for being united with Christ (1401).[11] It also meant going to meet someone on purpose, as a friend or as an enemy, and so “to attack”: a Flemish text of 1301 tells someone to set a day and place where the other may meet him in battle.[11] With a thing as subject it meant “to befall”: any misfortune that mag ontmoeten a man (1399).[11]

The verb was first intransitive, with a dative, and only gradually became transitive; the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal noted in 1891 that it was still rarely used in the passive.[12] Geometry took it up for a line that touches another at one point.[12][13] In the south ontmoeten was much used, after French rencontrer, where northern Dutch says aantreffen “to come across” of things, and De Vreese listed this as a gallicism in 1899.[14] The proverb wie goed doet, goed ontmoet means that good deeds are rewarded.[13]

The verb passed into Negerhollands as ontmuet, and Afrikaans has ontmoet.[15][1]

Timeline

  • 1240 – Entmuten and untmuten gloss Latin obviare and occurrere in Limburg.[3]
  • 1260–1280 – Ontmoeten in a narrative from East Flanders.[2][3][10]
  • 1301 – The hostile sense “to meet in battle”.[11]
  • 1401 – The mystical sense “to be united with Christ”.[11]
  • 1626 – An officer meets the enemy unexpectedly.[12]
  • 1850 – Fully transitive: people die elkander nooit ontmoet hebben “who have never met”.[12]
  • 1899 – De Vreese calls the southern use for things a gallicism.[14]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To meet someone, by chance or by arrangement: Ik ontmoette mijn oude leraar op het station.[13][1][16]
  2. To encounter, meet with, experience: Het plan ontmoette veel verzet.[13][1]
  3. (geometry) Of a line: to have one point in common with another line while lying on one side of it.[13][12]

Word family

  • ontmoeting
  • ontmoetingsplaats
  • gemoeten
  • tegemoet
  • English meet

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 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
  4. ^ a b Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  5. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  7. ^ a b c Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  8. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  9. ^ Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
  10. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  11. ^ a b c d e Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  12. ^ a b c d e 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
  13. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  14. ^ a b Vreese, Willem de (1899), Gallicismen in het Zuidnederlandsch, Gent: Siffer
  15. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  16. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org