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redden

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈrɛ.də(n)/[1]

Forms

redden[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch redden, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hraddjan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *hradjaną (“to save, rescue”).[2][1] The same verb is Middle Low German redden, Old High German retten (modern German retten), Old Frisian hredda (modern West Frisian rêde) and Old English hreddan (dated modern English redd), all meaning “to save, deliver”;[2][3][4][5] Franck–Van Wijk and De Vries also set rid beside them.[2][3][4][5] Swedish rädda was borrowed from Middle Low German.[2]

The verb is found only in West Germanic, which suggests that it is fairly young.[2][6] Kroonen, De Vries and Van Veen take it as a verb formed from the adjective *hraþa- (“quick”), the source of rad2 “quick”, so that it first meant “to snatch away quickly” or “to be quick”.[7][6][8][3] The Philippa dictionary also allows a causative of Proto-Indo-European *ḱreth₂- (“to free oneself”), but the only related words would then be in Sanskrit, such as श्रथ् (śrath, “to be loosened”);[2][4][1] Franck–Van Wijk find that link less likely.[2][4][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb appears late: in 1471 a text from the east of the Middle Dutch area uses redden with loissen of redeeming a pledge, and the Teuthonista of 1477 glosses it “to free, protect”.[2][9][10] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal explains the late start by its absence from the southern dialects;[3][6][9] Kiliaan marks it as Saxon, Frisian and Gelderland, and the Middle Dutch examples come from North Holland and Gelderland.[3][6][9]

Semantic evolution

In early modern Dutch the verb meant both “to help, deliver” (1573) and “to set in order”: in 1602 sailors who had escaped the enemy put their ship back in order as well as they could.[2][3] From the second sense came schulden redden, to settle debts (1609), and de boel redden, to settle a dead man's estate and then any awkward situation (1625).[3] From these the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal derives het redden, “to manage, to succeed”, found from the early 19th century.[3] Winschoten wrote in 1681 that a ship stuck on a bank was niet te redden and called a dismasted one reddeloos.[11]

Modern fixed phrases are de eer redden, to save one's honour, and zijn gezicht redden, to save face.[12] Iemand uit de brand helpen or redden, to get someone out of trouble, was new in Stoett's day.[13]

Danish and Norwegian redde were borrowed from Dutch or Low German, and Negerhollands had red;[14][1] Afrikaans has red.[14][1]

Timeline

  • 1471 – Middle Dutch redden “to redeem” a pledge, in an eastern text.[2][10][9]
  • 1477 – The Teuthonista glosses redden “to free, protect”.[2][9]
  • 1573 – Redden “to help, deliver” in the Thesaurus of Plantin.[2]
  • 1602 – Sailors redden “put in order” their ship.[2][3]
  • 1625 – Den boel redden “to settle an estate”.[3]
  • 1681 – Winschoten uses redden and reddeloos of ships.[11]
  • 1807 – Het redden “to manage” is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To save, to rescue: to get someone or something out of danger or a difficult situation.[12][1]
  2. (reflexive) zich redden, to cope, to manage on one's own.[1][3]
  3. het redden: to make it, to manage, to succeed; also to survive.[3][1]
  4. (no longer general) To set in order, to arrange.[3]

Word family

  • reddeloos
  • redder
  • redding
  • redmiddel
  • redster
  • redzaam
  • redzaamheid
  • redderen
  • ontredderd
  • rad2
  • German retten

Usage notes

The Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek gives redden “to set in order, to settle a dispute” an article of its own and thinks it more probably a variant of reden than the same word, a sense continued by redderen and ontredderd.[9] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal treats both under one heading.[3]

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 l m 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 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
  4. ^ a b c d Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  5. ^ a b Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 306
  6. ^ a b c d Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  8. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  9. ^ a b c d e f 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 Winschoten, Wigardus à (1681), Seeman: behelsende een grondige uitlegging van de Neederlandse konst- en spreekwoorden, voor soo veel die uit de seevaart sijn ontleend, Leiden
  12. ^ a b Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  13. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
  14. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)