plan

Forms

plan n (plural plannen, diminutive plannetje n)^[1] In the 17th and 18th centuries the word was also written plaan, and the plural was formerly also plans.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French plan (“ground plan; design”), recorded in Dutch from 1674.^[3][4][5] According to the Philippa dictionary, the French word arose in the 16th century as a variant of plant (“ground surface of a building”), under the influence of plan (“flat surface”) from Latin plānus (“flat”); the Middle French word probably comes from planter (“to plant”), from Latin plantō (“to plant, set”), originally “to tread the ground firm with the sole of the foot”, from planta (“sole of the foot”).^[3] Others take the French source to be Italian pianta (“plant; sole; ground plan”), itself from the Latin noun.^[3]

The older dictionaries derive the French word directly from plānum (“level ground”), so that the first sense was “flat surface”, then “ground plan”.^[5][6][7][8] Franck and Van Wijk note that the French word is also explained otherwise, and compare the development of projet (“design, plan”).^[7] The same French word gave German Plan, borrowed on into plan and plan, and English plan.^[6][7]

Middle Dutch already had a loan plaen (“level; plain, field”) from Old French plane or Latin, the same word as plein.^[9][7] The modern word was at first sometimes spelled like it.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record, from 1674, is the spelling plaan: a writer carefully examines a certain plaan ofte kaartjen, a plan or small map of some islands.^[2][3][4] By 1714 the word is used for the worked-out design of a building, in a list of Bestekken, Plans, Uytreekeningen, specifications, plans and calculations.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal has plan for a scheme setting out how something is to be organised from 1737, and for the outline of a book or work of art from 1785.^[2] The general sense “intention, the way one means to act to reach a goal” is first found in 1784–85, used both of God's plan and of human plans.^[3][2] The sense “design for spatial planning”, as in town extension plans, dates from 1930–31.^[3]

Plan also took over from French the painter's sense of a plane in perspective (foreground, middle ground); De Vreese counted this among the gallicisms.^[10][11] In Surinamese Dutch plan also means a works site or project area, perhaps because large projects kept the name they had while planned.^[12]

Dutch passed the word on to Indonesian plan “intention”, Negerhollands, Papiamentu, Sranan Tongo and Caribbean Javanese.^[13][1]

Timeline

• 1674 – Plaan “map, ground plan” is first recorded.^[2][3][4]
• 1714 – Plans of buildings in a list of specifications and calculations.^[3][2]
• 1737 – A Plan for organising five companies of invalids: a scheme of arrangements.^[2]
• 1784–85 – The sense “intention, way of acting” is first recorded.^[3][2]
• 1930–31 – Plan for a design in spatial planning.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A plan, a worked-out scheme of how one intends to proceed: Zonder goed plan begin je niet aan zo'n verbouwing.^[11][1]
2. An idea, an intention;^[11][14] van plan zijn is to intend.^[11][14]
3. A design for spatial or economic planning.^[11]
4. A level: iets op een hoger plan brengen, to raise something to a higher standard.^[11]
5. A plane of the perspective in a painting or a view.^[11][14]
6. A ground plan, map or sketch.^[11][1]

Word family

• plannen
• planloos
• planmatig
• planbureau
• planologie
• planoloog
• actieplan
• bouwplan
• grondplan
• leerplan
• lesplan
• stadsplan
• stratenplan
• studieplan
• uitbreidingsplan
• plannenmaker

Related words

• plein
• plant
• English plan

Usage notes

Plan B is the fallback when the first plan fails, and plannen in de ijskast zetten is to shelve plans for the time being.^[11]

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 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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
4. ^ a b c Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
5. ^ 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
6. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b c d Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
8. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 289
9. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
10. ^ Vreese, Willem de (1899), Gallicismen in het Zuidnederlandsch, Gent: Siffer
11. ^ a b c d e f g h i Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
12. ^ Donselaar, J. van (1989), Woordenboek van het Surinaams-Nederlands, Muiderberg: Coutinho
13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
14. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org