ranten

Forms

Older and regional forms are randen and rannen.^[1] Middle Dutch has ranten.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch ranten.^[2][1] The WNT explains it as a Germanic derivative with a ⟨t⟩-suffix of the stem ⟨ran-⟩ that is also found in rennen, with an original sense “to run wildly to and fro”; it gives Middle High German ranzen, modern German ranzen, Norwegian ranta and Swedish ranta as related forms.^[1] The MNW instead calls ⟨ranten⟩ the purely Low German form of ransen, which corresponds to Middle High German ⟨ranzen⟩.^[2] Etymonline, on the English side, calls the Dutch word of unknown origin.^[3]

According to the WNT, the word was borrowed as Old French randir; from this Old French formed randon, which was taken over as Middle English randon, the source of the English word random.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is a Brabant text of 1340, in which the people of Ghent let someone ranten, rave on, as he pleased; the MNW gives the sense “talk nonsense, chatter”.^[2] A Brabant text of about 1390 uses it without any bad sense, for telling a little about the mendicant friars.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The WNT derives the later senses from “run wildly about”: the barking of dogs, hostile attacks on a person and going away came directly from it, the senses of raving and chattering from a vaguer “making undirected movements”.^[1] The sense “rave, chatter” is not found after the 16th century.^[1] Kiliaan's dictionary, as the MNW quotes it, gives randen and randten as Flemish for raving and talking nonsense.^[2] In 1599 randen is also recorded for stopping work one is busy with, and for a hen that skips a day of laying.^[1]

In the south the word lived on in dialects: West Flemish ranten “go away, leave” (hij is gisteren gerant, recorded 1873), and southern randen or rannen of a dog barking loudly.^[1][4] Debrabandere derives the West Flemish sense from “run to and fro” and connects it with rennen.^[4]

English rant, recorded from about 1600 as “be jovial and boisterous” and “talk bombastically”, was taken from Dutch randten, earlier ranten, “talk foolishly, rave”.^[3][5] Around 2000 Dutch borrowed the English verb back, as ranten “to rave, complain loudly”.^[6]

Timeline

• 1340 – Ranten “rave, talk nonsense” is first recorded, in Brabant.^[2]
• c. 1390 – A Brabant text uses it for simply telling about something.^[2]
• 1561 – Randen appears paired with panden, of hostile action against someone.^[1]
• 1562 – The last record of ranten “rave, chatter”.^[1]
• 1599 – Randen is glossed as stopping one's work, and of hens, skipping laying.^[1]
• c. 1600 – English rant is first recorded, from Dutch.^[3]
• 1873 – West Flemish gerant “gone away” is recorded.^[1]
• 1903 – Southern randen is recorded of a barking dog.^[1]
• 2000 – Ranten “to rant” is borrowed from English.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. (colloquial) To rant, to rage and complain loudly at someone or about something; borrowed from English.^[6]
2. (West Flanders) To go away, leave.^[4][1]
3. (obsolete) To rave, talk nonsense, chatter.^[2][1]

Word family

• aanranden
• rantel

Related words

• rennen
• English rant
• English random

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Debrabandere, Frans (2002), West-Vlaams etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van de West-Vlaamse woorden, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Atlas
5. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
6. ^ a b c Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org