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slecht

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Pronunciation

Forms

slecht (comparative slechter, superlative slechtst)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch slecht, inherited from Proto-Germanic *slihta- (“smooth, flat”).[2][1] The same word is Old High German sleht (modern German schlecht), Middle Low German slicht, Old Frisian sliucht, Old Norse sléttr (“flat, smooth”) (modern Swedish slät), Gothic 𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃 (slaihts, “smooth”), and Middle English slight, the source of English slight.[2][3][1] It is formed with ablaut from the root of slijk, meaning “smooth, slippery”, with /kt/ becoming /ht/.[2][3] Outside Germanic, Franck–Van Wijk and Van Veen compare Ancient Greek λισσός (lissós) and Ancient Greek λισπός (lispós), both “smooth”;[4][5][3] Kern's link with slaan is unlikely.[4][5][3]

The old meaning “smooth, flat” has disappeared from the West Germanic languages, but survives in slechten “to level” and slechts “only”.[2][6] In Dutch and German the sense moved from “flat, not rising above” to “simple, ordinary”, which then turned to “honest” on the one hand and “bad” on the other.[2] The German variant schlicht kept the meaning “simple”.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch slegt glosses Latin planus “flat, level” in a Limburg glossary of about 1240.[2][7][6] In 1265–1270 a body is described as slecht ende onbeulect, smooth and unblemished.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch slecht meant flat and level, of land and of a calm sea (alse slegt als die see, 1270–1290), smooth, and plain in colour.[2][7][8] Of people and things it meant simple and plain, van slechten woerden, with simple words (1340–1360).[2][8] As a noun, slecht was a simpleton (1434).[8]

In the 16th century the meaning sank, as it did in gemeen and ordinair: “of little value, inferior” (about 1528, of corn and cloth), “foolish” (1539), and in 1573 een slecht man, a man of low standing.[2][3] Van der Sijs dates “not good” to that 1573 record.[9] The old “simple” lives on in slecht en recht, plainly and honestly.[10]

In Surinamese Dutch slecht haar was said of frizzy hair.[11] The word passed into Negerhollands as slegt and sle, and Indonesian jelek “ugly, bad” comes from it.[12][1] Afrikaans has sleg.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 1240 – Slegt glosses Latin planus in Limburg.[2][7]
  • 1270–1290 – Alse slegt als die see, as smooth as the sea.[2]
  • 1340–1360 – Van slechten woerden, in simple words.[2]
  • c. 1528 – Slicht coorne, inferior corn.[2]
  • 1573 – Een slecht man, a man of low standing; the sense “not good” begins.[2][9]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. bad, of poor quality: Het eten was slecht.[13][1]
  2. Unpleasant: slecht weer.[13][14]
  3. Unfavourable: Het gaat slecht met de zaak.[13][14]
  4. Morally bad, wicked: Hij is geen slecht mens.[13][14]
  5. Unhealthy, weak: slechte ogen hebben.[13]
  6. Unskilled, not good at something: Ik ben slecht in rekenen.[13]
  7. (dialectal, otherwise obsolete) Simple, plain, ordinary.[1][15]

Adverb

  1. Badly; with difficulty, hardly: slecht ter been zijn, to walk with difficulty.[13][14]

Word family

  • slechten
  • slechts
  • slechtheid
  • slechterik
  • verslechteren
  • slechthorend
  • slechtziend
  • inslecht
  • slechtvalk

Usage notes

In een slecht blaadje staan bij iemand, to be in someone's bad books, is found in Roemer Visscher's in 't qua blaedtken staen, on the bad page, the one on which poor payers were written down.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p 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 Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  4. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ a b Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 342
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ a b c Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  10. ^ Pluim, T. (1911), Keur van Nederlandsche woordafleidingen, Purmerend: Muusses
  11. ^ Donselaar, J. van (1989), Woordenboek van het Surinaams-Nederlands, Muiderberg: Coutinho
  12. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  13. ^ a b c d e f g Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  14. ^ a b c d WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  15. ^ 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
  16. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme