slim

Forms

slim (comparative slimmer, superlative slimst)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch slim (also slem, slimp, slemp) “slanting, askew”, inherited from Old Dutch *slimp, inherited from Proto-Germanic *slimba- (“slanting”).^[2][1][3] The Old Dutch form is reconstructed from its loans into Old French and Old Norman: Old French esclem “askew”, recorded from 1101, and esclame (“in bad condition”) (1192).^[3][2] The change of /mb/ to /mm/ and /m/ probably took place in Old Dutch.^[3]

The same word is Middle Low German slim (“slanting, crooked; poor, worthless”), Old High German slimb (“slanting, crooked”) with slimbī (“slant”), and Middle High German slimp (modern German schlimm “bad”).^[2][4][5] With ablaut there is late Middle Dutch slom (“askew, clumsy”), which Kiliaan calls Flemish, beside dialect English ⟨slamber⟩ “slender”;^[4][6][7][8] Van Haeringen thought ⟨slom⟩ could also have arisen under the influence of krom “crooked”.^[4][6][7][8]

The further origin is unknown: it may be a nasalised form beside slijpen in its old sense “to glide, slide”, as Kluge proposed, or be related to Latvian slìps (“slanting, steep”).^[2][4][7] De Vries thought of a word from house-building, the slanted hewing of roof beams.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Around 1240 a Limburg glossary renders Latin lepidus “witty” as sclemp; the VMNW takes this as the same word, but the EWN notes that the sense does not fit the period and that two glosses may have been confused.^[9][2][3] The sense “askew” is found in 1315–1335, where a monster's mouth stood slem, wide open upwards.^[2][10]

Semantic evolution

Because what is crooked contrasts with what is straight and good, the word came to mean “wrong, bad”, in Dutch as in German.^[2] In 1557 Zijn wy niet slimmer als die Heydes? asks “are we not worse than the heathens?”, and in the 17th century slim said of people meant “dishonest, wicked”.^[2][5] From “sly, cunning” the sense moved to “clever”, first in 1602: Sy zijn seer slim in coopmanschap “they are very shrewd in trade”.^[2][11][12]

The old sense “askew” survived for a time in compounds such as slimbeen “crooked leg” and slimhals “crooked neck”, and “bad, serious” lives on in northern and eastern dialects.^[13][5][14] English slim “thin, slight” was borrowed from Dutch or Low German, from 1657.^[6][4][15] Danish and Swedish slem “bad” come from Dutch or Low German, and the creoles have Negerhollands slim “very bad, cunning” and Berbice Dutch slem “clever”.^[15][1] In recent use the word also describes devices with chips and software.^[16][17]

Timeline

• c. 1240 – Sclemp glosses Latin lepidus in Limburg.^[9]
• 1315–1335 – Slem “askew” is recorded.^[2]
• 1477 – The Teuthonista has slym “askew”.^[2][10]
• 1557 – Slimmer “worse” is recorded.^[2][5]
• 1602 – Slim “shrewd, clever” is first recorded.^[2][11]
• 1610 – Een slimme hals “a crooked neck”.^[5]
• 1657 – English slim is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Quick-witted, intelligent, clever.^[16][17][1]
2. Shrewd, sly; crafty.^[17][1]
3. Of devices: fitted with chips, electronics and software; smart.^[16][17]
4. (dialectal, northern and eastern) Bad, serious; wrong.^[14][1][5]

Word family

• allerslimst
• slimheid
• slimmerd
• slimmerik
• slimmigheid
• slimpie
• slimmeling

Related words

• German schlimm
• English slim

Usage notes

Wie niet sterk is, moet slim zijn “who is not strong must be clever” and iemand te slim af zijn “to outwit someone” are common phrases.^[16] Stoett records een slimme vocativus “a sly customer” from the 18th century.^[18]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g 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 Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
4. ^ a b c d e Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
5. ^ a b c d e f 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
6. ^ a b c d e Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ 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
8. ^ a b Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
9. ^ a b 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
10. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
11. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
12. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
13. ^ Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
14. ^ a b Weijnen, A. A. (2003), Etymologisch dialectwoordenboek, 2nd ed., Den Haag: Sdu
15. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
16. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
17. ^ a b c d WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
18. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme