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pas

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Pronunciation

Forms

pas m (noun; plural passen, diminutive pasje n); adverb and predicative adjective pas[1]

Etymology

The noun is inherited from Middle Dutch pas, borrowed from Old French pas (“step”), Latin passus (“step, pace”), literally the spreading of the legs, from the past participle of Latin pandō (“to spread out”).[2][1][3] The same French word gave Middle Low German pas, Pass in German and pace in English.[4][5] Already in Medieval Latin and French it meant a pace, a track or path, a hard passage and a mountain pass, and the measure of length goes back to classical Latin.[2] In Middle Dutch it gained the sense “a certain place”, which led to “a certain time, the right moment”, perhaps helped by the verb passen “to fit”.[2][4]

The adverb meaning “just, only” is the same word, shortened from phrases such as ⟨op dit pas⟩ “at this moment” (1440) and ⟨van passe⟩ “at the right time”.[2][6][5] The predicative adjective “fitting” also belongs here, though Wiktionary derives it from the verb.[5][1]

The noun “passport” may be the same word in the sense “free passage”, shortened from ⟨pasbrief⟩ or ⟨brief van pas⟩ (1532), as Van Haeringen argued, or a shortening of paspoort (1488), from French passeport.[7][8][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The noun is first recorded in Brabant in 1265–1270, in ginc hi wech al sinen pas, “he went away as fast as he could”; the same text speaks of a woman ouer haren pas, past her prime.[2][9][10] In 1285 pas is a measure of five feet.[9]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch pas meant a step and a pace, a road and a person's way of life, a mountain pass (1300–1325), a passage or entrance, a fixed place and a fixed time.[2][11] The phrase pas over pas “step by step” is from 1486.[11]

The adverb is first recorded around 1660, dit had hy pas gesproken, of …, “hardly had he said this when …”, and in 1669 a newly built house is said to have only just begun its life.[2][5][10] In older Dutch it could also look forward, meaning “soon, presently” (1616).[5] The sense “passport” appears at the end of the 17th century.[10][6] At the end of the 19th century pasje “tram ticket” was formed separately, shortened from French passe-partout.[6][4]

Te pas komen and van pas komen, to come in handy, keep the old sense “the right moment”;[12][5] Stoett dates in iemands kraam te pas komen to the 17th century.[12][5] Dutch pas “passport” spread to Danish and Indonesian, and the adverb to Frisian and Negerhollands.[13]

Timeline

  • 1265–1270 – Middle Dutch pas “pace” in Brabant.[2][10]
  • 1285 – Pas as a measure of length.[9]
  • 1440 – Op dit pas “at this moment”.[2]
  • 1488 – Passeport is first recorded.[6][8]
  • c. 1660 – The adverb pas “just, hardly”.[2]
  • 1688–1696 – Pas “passport”.[10]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A step, a pace; also the length of one step: Hij deed een pas achteruit.[14][1]
  2. A passport or other pass giving access or identity.[14][6]
  3. A mountain pass.[14][2]
  4. (Belgium, sports) A pass of the ball.[14]

Adverb

  1. just, only a moment ago: Ze is pas thuis.[1][15][5]
  2. Only, not until: De winkel gaat pas om tien uur open.[1][15]
  3. Hardly, scarcely.[1][5]
  4. Really, now indeed: Dat is pas lekker![1][15]

Adjective

  1. (predicative) Fitting, of the right size.[1][5]

Interjection

  1. Pass: said by a player who gives up a turn.[15]

Word family

  • passen
  • paspoort
  • pasgeboren
  • pasgetrouwd
  • pasfoto
  • bankpas
  • bergpas
  • looppas
  • danspas
  • pasmunt
  • onpas
  • passeren
  • passage
  • English pace

Usage notes

Iemand de pas afsnijden is to block someone's way, and uit de pas lopen is to be out of step with the others.[14] Eastern Middle Dutch had a different noun pasch “meadow”, borrowed from Latin pascua, which survives in place names such as Passendale (961).[9][16][17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  4. ^ a b c Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
  6. ^ a b c d e f Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  8. ^ a b Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 281
  9. ^ a b c d 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 e Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  11. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  12. ^ a b Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
  13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  14. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  15. ^ a b c d WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  16. ^ Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  17. ^ Berkel, Gerald van; Samplonius, Kees (2018), Nederlandse plaatsnamen verklaard, Utrecht: Spectrum