Etymologically
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politie

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Pronunciation

  • /poː.ˈli.(t)si/[1]
  • Colloquial: /pə.ˈli.(t)si/[1]

Forms

politie f (uncountable, no diminutive)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch policie, borrowed from Middle French policie, an old variant of French police, with the modern sense taken again from French at the end of the 18th century.[2][1][3][4] The French word is a learned loan of Late Latin polītīa (“established order, government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeía, “government, the state; citizenship”), formed from Ancient Greek πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”), from Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis, “city”).[2][3][5] The word politiek has the same Greek source.[2]

The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal notes forms with stress on the last syllable, ⟨policij(e)⟩, that match the French, while the spelling with ⟨t⟩ follows Medieval Latin.[6] Franck and Van Wijk thought the word was probably taken from Latin.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch policie, policy first appears in the Teuthonista of 1477 in the sense “town government”, and in 1487 for the town's regulations.[2][8][9]

Semantic evolution

For three centuries the word meant government, policy and good order.[2][6] In 1563 it is “regulation” (goede reghele, ordene ende pollicie), in 1580 the order of the state, in 1651 “supervision”, and in 1763 still “policy”.[2][6] At the end of the 18th century, under French influence, the meaning shifted to the government body that enforces the law and public order: Luitenant Generaal van Politie in 1766, Justitie en Politie in 1772 and the plain modern sense from 1798.[2][10][3][5] The 19th century added the national police (1851) and the municipal police (1856), and the 20th the military police (1922).[2]

Informally politie is also a single police officer, and the pronunciation /pə'li(t)si/ is colloquial.[11][1] Dutch gave the word to many languages of Indonesia (Indonesian polisi, Javanese pulisi) and to West Frisian plysje.[12]

Timeline

  • 1477 – Middle Dutch policie “town government” in the Teuthonista.[2]
  • 1487 – “Town regulations”.[2][9]
  • 1580 – “The order of the state”.[2][6]
  • 1766 – Luitenant Generaal van Politie, a law-enforcing body.[2]
  • 1798 – The modern sense “police force”.[10][3]
  • 1851 – Rijkspolitie “national police”.[2]
  • 1922 – Militaire politie “military police”.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The police, the public service that keeps order and tracks down lawbreakers: de politie zocht de hele nacht naar de vermiste wandelaar.[11][13][1]
  2. (informal) A police officer: er stond een politie bij de ingang.[11]
  3. (obsolete) policy, government.[1][6]

Word family

  • bospolitie
  • gemeentepolitie
  • havenpolitie
  • milieupolitie
  • oproerpolitie
  • politie-eenheid
  • politieagent
  • politieauto
  • politiebond
  • politiebureau
  • politiechef
  • politiehond
  • politiekapitein
  • politioneel

Usage notes

Een bekende van de politie is someone who has had dealings with the police before.[11] Politie is also the name of a children's chasing game in which one side plays the police.[13]

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 j k l m n 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 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. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
  5. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  8. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  9. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  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 Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  12. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  13. ^ a b Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org