slijk

Forms

slijk n (uncountable, no diminutive)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch slijc, inherited from Old Dutch *slīk, inherited from Proto-Germanic *slīka-, from older *sleika-.^[2][1][3] The same word is Middle Low German slīk, Old High German slīh (Middle High German slīch) and West Frisian slyk.^[2][4] Beside it stands the ablaut form *sliki- with the same meaning, which gave slic, modern slik, and a Middle Low German form of the same shape.^[2][5]

It is probably related to *slīkan- (“to glide, creep”), which gave Middle Low German slīken and slīhhan (modern German schleichen), and with other ablaut grades to slecht and sleec (“smooth”); the central meaning of the family is “smooth, slippery”.^[2][4][3] Outside Germanic the EWN compares Greek, Old Church Slavonic and Russian words for “touching the surface” and “slippery”, and Old Irish fo-sligim (“to smear”), all from Proto-Indo-European *sleiǵ- (“to smear, make slippery”).^[2][4] This is an extension of the root of slijm, and slak belongs to the same family.^[2][5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A Limburg glossary of 1240 renders Latin lutum “mud” as slic and illimis “without mud” as sunder slijc.^[6][7][2] The ablaut form slick had appeared earlier, in a Latin record of 1212–1214 that names newly emerged land que slick vocatur, “which is called slik”.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch slijc meant mud and dirt, and also muddy land; it became a field and place name, as dat slike in a Holland register of 1284.^[6][7] The mud of hell, der hellen slijc, stood for hell itself.^[7] From the 16th century the WNT records the word for soaked clay or peat ground, and in peat digging for the dredged wet peat; later also for the sludge in a steam boiler.^[9] Outside figurative use the general language came to prefer slik.^[9]

As the type of something dirty and worthless, slijk was compared with gold and money: het aardsche slijk “the earthly mud” means money (1855), and someone who rose uit het slijk rose from the lowest station (1832).^[9] Iemand met slijk werpen “throw mud at someone”, to blacken his name, is recorded in 1658, and door het slijk sleuren in 1883.^[9] Danish slik and Swedish slick “mud” come from Dutch or Low German.^[10]

Timeline

• 1240 – Middle Dutch slic, slijc “mud” glosses Latin lutum in Limburg.^[6][2][8]
• 1284 – Dat slike appears as a field name in Holland.^[6]
• 1511 – Slijk is recorded for soaked muddy ground.^[9]
• 1618 – Gold is compared with slijck.^[9]
• 1658 – Met slijck werpen “throw mud”, to slander, is recorded.^[9]
• 1832 – Uit het slijk “from the mud”, from a low station, is recorded.^[9]
• 1855 – Het aardsche slijk means money.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. Mud, wet, sticky, slippery ground.^[11][12][1]
2. (in het slijk der aarde) Money.^[11][12]
3. Silted land, silt.^[11]

Word family

• slijkbord
• slijkgeus
• slijkmossel
• slik

Usage notes

Geld als slijk verdienen is to earn a great deal of money, and iemands naam door het slijk halen to damage someone's reputation badly.^[11][12] In Bree (Flanders) children answer a taunt with met je kop in de slijk, a curse that expresses dislike.^[13]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 343
4. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
6. ^ 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
7. ^ a b c Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
8. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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
10. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
11. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
12. ^ a b c Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
13. ^ Sterkenburg, P. G. J. van (2001), Vloeken: een cultuurbepaalde reactie op woede, irritatie en frustratie, 2nd ed., Den Haag: Sdu