Etymologically
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praat

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Pronunciation

Forms

praat m (uncountable, no diminutive)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch praet, a noun formed from the verb praten “to talk”.[1][2] The verb is itself of unclear origin: the EWN calls it possibly imitative, and Van Veen and Van der Sijs take it as a sound-imitating formation.[3][4] The verb has a close match only in Middle Low German prāten; Middle English praten (modern English prate) and Swedish prata were probably borrowed from Middle Low German or Dutch.[3][5] De Vries notes forms without ⟨r⟩, Old Norse pati (“chatter, rumour”) and the German dialect verb pfattern (“to mumble”), and his idea that the ⟨r⟩ was inserted for emphasis is mentioned by the EWN as a possibility.[5][3] A comparison with Polish bredzić (“to drivel, babble”) is doubtful for so young and so West Germanic a word.[5][6]

The Middle Dutch dictionary notes that the old genitive ⟨praats⟩, first a partitive genitive like ⟨moois⟩ and ⟨lekkers⟩, became a new nominative in phrases such as ⟨praats hebben⟩.[7] The family names Praet and Van Praet have nothing to do with the word: they come from a Flemish field name, prātum (“meadow”).[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch praet is first quoted in Reinaert (version of 1451), where the fox, facing a duel with a strong opponent, says nu ben ic teinden minen praet, “now I am at the end of my talk”, that is, at a loss.[7] Kiliaan glosses praet with Latin words for idle tales and trifles.[7]

Semantic evolution

In early modern Dutch praat meant talking in general and also a manner of speaking: a text of 1610 praises a man “wise in counsel, sparing of talk”, and in 1691 a wagoner holds the writer up with his long-winded talk.[2] Op de praat geraken (1624) was to become the subject of gossip.[2] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal also finds a few 17th-century uses of Praat as a nickname for a chattering woman, perhaps a separate formation, a weak noun for the person who talks.[2]

Today the word is uncountable and is used mostly in phrases: praats hebben is to brag or talk big, and iemand aan de praat houden is to keep someone talking.[9] Its diminutive praatje “chat; rumour” forms many compounds.[2][9] The noun went abroad with Dutch: German dialects have Praat “chatter”, Norwegian has prat “friendly talk”, and Negerhollands had praat, which passed into the English Creole of the Virgin Islands.[10][1]

Timeline

  • 1451 – Reinaert has nu ben ic teinden minen praet.[7]
  • 1610 – Praat “talk” appears in a description of a man sparing of words.[2]
  • 1624 – Op de praat geraken “to become the talk of the town” is recorded.[2]
  • 1645 – A list of gossiping women includes Aeltje Praets.[2]
  • 1691 – Praat is used for someone's way of talking.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. talk, talking; chatter: Hij had veel praat, maar deed weinig.[9][1][11]
  2. (in phrases) praats hebben, to brag, talk big.[9] Iemand aan de praat houden, to keep someone talking and so hold them up.[9]

Word family

  • praatje
  • prietpraat
  • praatjesmaker
  • borrelpraat
  • oudewijvenpraat

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 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 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. ^ 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 c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 296
  7. ^ a b c d e Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  10. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  11. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org