schrijven

Forms

schrijven^[1] It is a strong verb, in Middle Dutch with the past screef and the participle gescreven, sometimes schreven.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch scrîven, inherited from Old Dutch skrīvan, borrowed from Latin scrībō (“to write”), an early loan made when the Germanic peoples took over the Roman way of writing.^[4][5][1] The EWN dates it to Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic *skrīban-, as the other Germanic languages have it too: Old Saxon skrīƀan, Old High German scrīban (modern German schreiben) and Old Norse skrifa mean “to engrave, write”, while Old Frisian skrīva meant “to fix the penalty for a wound” and Old English scrīfan “to impose a penance; to hear confession” (modern English shrive).^[4][6][5] Except in Old Norse the borrowed verb joined the strong verbs of the first class.^[4] Old Irish scrībaim is a borrowing of the same Latin verb.^[5][7]

The Latin verb is related to Greek words for “to scratch, sketch” and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *skreibʰ- (“to scratch, incise”).^[4][5] Because the Dutch verb is strong and Germanic has words such as West Flemish ⟨schribbelen⟩ “to scratch lightly”, the Middle Dutch dictionary and later W. de Vries thought a native verb “to scratch” might lie behind it, with only the meaning taken from Latin.^[2][6] Van Haeringen found the plain borrowing the most likely account.^[8] The old Germanic verb for cutting runes, Proto-Germanic *wrītaną, survived in write and Dutch rijten (“to tear”).^[4][5][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The verb is first found in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century: in mit rehtlicon ne uuerthon gescriuona, “and let them not be written with the righteous”, of the book of the living.^[9][4][10] By the mid-12th century it also meant “to report in writing”, in formulas citing written sources such as St Paul.^[9][4]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch the verb is found from about 1200 (me sal di rede schriuen, “one shall write down those words”, Limburg), and it appears from 1236 in charters that close with the formula “we had this letter written”.^[3][4] It could also mean “to draw, paint, embroider”, a use the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal still finds for drawing lines in the 20th century but no longer usual.^[6][5][11] Since the 16th century the infinitive is also a noun meaning “a letter”, now only in official style (1596).^[11][12]

Met dubbel krijt schrijven, to put down twice what is owed, was said of innkeepers chalking up debts, and is recorded from the 16th century.^[13] Schrijven en wrijven first described busy writing back and forth, the wrijven being the arm rubbing over the table, for which scribes wore loose sleeves;^[14] wie schrijft, die blijft meant that whoever keeps good accounts does not go under.^[14]

Danish skrive may come from Dutch or Low German, and the verb went into Negerhollands (skriev, skrif), Sranan Tongo skrifi, Aukan sikiifi and Saramaccan sikífi.^[15][1] Afrikaans has skryf.^[1]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Gescriuona “written” appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[9]
• c. 1100 – Willeram's paraphrase uses the verb for what is written in a text.^[9][10]
• c. 1200 – A Limburg text has me sal di rede schriuen.^[3][4]
• 1236 – A Ghent charter says daden wi desen brief scriuen.^[3][4]
• 1596 – Schryven is used as a noun for a letter.^[11]
• 1641 – Godewyck writes of an innkeeper who chalks up debts met dubbel krijt.^[13]

Meanings

Verb

1. (transitive, intransitive) to write, to put letters or other signs on paper or another surface with a pen, pencil or chalk: Hij schrijft met zijn linkerhand.^[12][1]
2. (transitive) to write, to compose (a letter, book, essay): Ze schreef drie romans.^[12][1]
3. (transitive) to represent in writing, to spell: Hoe schrijf je jouw achternaam?^[12]
4. (transitive) to note down, to write down.^[12]
5. (transitive, intransitive) to communicate in writing: Hij schreef dat hij later kwam.^[12][16]
6. (transitive, finance) to write, to sell (options).^[12]
7. (intransitive) to be fit for writing, of a pen or paper: Deze pen schrijft niet meer.^[12][11]
8. (transitive, computing) to write (data).^[1]

Noun

1. (het schrijven, formal) a letter, especially an official one: Wij hebben uw schrijven van 4 mei ontvangen.^[12][11]

Word family

• aanschrijven
• handgeschreven
• ongeschreven
• schrijfletter
• schrijfmachine
• schrijfster
• schrijver
• afschrijven
• beschrijven
• bijschrijven
• inschrijven
• schrift
• voorschrijven
• toeschrijven

Related words

• rijten
• English shrive
• German schreiben

Usage notes

Het is niet om over naar huis te schrijven means that it is not very good.^[12][1] Er staat geschreven refers to the Bible.^[12]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
3. ^ a b c d 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
4. ^ 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
5. ^ a b c d e f Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
6. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 335
8. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
9. ^ a b c d Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; 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 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
12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
13. ^ a b Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
14. ^ a b Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
15. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
16. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org