schets

Forms

schets f (plural schetsen, diminutive schetsje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian schizzo (“sketch, rough draft”), first recorded in Dutch in 1617.^[2][3][4] The Italian noun meant a splash of paint before it meant a draft, and it is derived from schizzare (“to splash, squirt”), perhaps an imitative word.^[2][5] An older explanation, which the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, De Vries and Franck–Van Wijk follow, takes the Italian word back to Latin schedium (“improvised poem”), from Ancient Greek σχέδιος (skhédios, “done off-hand, improvised”), itself from σχεδόν (skhedón, “near”).^[6][7][8][9] The Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands gives this as the other possibility, through a Vulgar Latin *schediō (“to improvise”).^[2]

The same Italian word gave German Skizze (from 1630) and French esquisse.^[7][10] The English sketch was borrowed from the Dutch word, first as ⟨scetch⟩ in 1668.^[2][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first Dutch record, from 1617, uses schets for a design or first draft: a poem addresses a goddess born as soon as van dit groot heelal de schets beworpen was “the sketch of this great universe had been drawn up”.^[2][6]

Semantic evolution

The word came into Dutch as a painters' term and kept that concrete sense of a drawing that gives only the main lines, either as a study for a finished work or as a work in its own right.^[7][6][11] Almost at once it was also used for an outline in words: a 1650 introduction to Dutch poetry calls itself drafted gelijck een ruwe schets “like a rough sketch”.^[2][6] From the 19th century a schets is also a literary genre, a short descriptive piece without a plot.^[6][11] Older senses, a sculpted likeness (1618) and a foretaste of something (1670), have gone out of use.^[6]

The verb schetsen “to sketch” followed in 1697, and by 1772 it also meant to describe in words.^[2] Dutch passed the word to English as sketch, which later spread with the sense of a short comic stage scene to German, the Scandinavian languages, French and Italian;^[12][13] German dialects also have Schetz for the written outline of a sermon.^[12][13] Indonesian sketsa, Papiamentu schets and West Frisian skets were borrowed from the Dutch word.^[1]

Timeline

• 1617 – Schets is first recorded, for the design of the universe.^[6][3]
• 1618 – A record of the obsolete sense of a sculpted likeness.^[6]
• 1650 – Een ruwe schets “a rough sketch” is used of a written outline.^[2][6]
• 1668 – English scetch, borrowed from Dutch, is first recorded.^[2][7]
• 1697 – The verb schetzen “to draw” appears.^[2]
• 1841 – Schetsen appears as the name of a literary genre.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A sketch: a drawing, painting or modelled piece that gives only the main lines of its subject, as a draft or as a work in itself.^[11][14][6]
2. An outline in words: a description of the main features of something, without detail.^[11][6]
3. (literature) A short descriptive story without a plot.^[11][6]
4. A brief overview.^[11]

Word family

• houtskoolschets
• potloodschets
• schetsen
• schetsmatig
• schetsboek

Related words

• English sketch
• German Skizze

Usage notes

West Flemish has an unrelated schets “gleam, glimpse”, derived from schetteren, schitteren “to glitter”.^[15]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
4. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
5. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 328
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 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. ^ a b c d e Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
9. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
10. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
11. ^ a b c d e f Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
12. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
13. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
14. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
15. ^ Debrabandere, Frans (2002), West-Vlaams etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van de West-Vlaamse woorden, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Atlas