Etymologically
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soms

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Pronunciation

Forms

soms[1]

Etymology

It is Middle Dutch soms, formed from the pronoun som (“some, a certain”) with the adverbial -s.[2][1][3] The pronoun is also the base of sommig, and it could already be used as an adverb, mostly meaning “partly”, but sometimes also “at times”, as in ⟨some uliegen si hare uarde⟩ “sometimes they fly about” (1287).[2][4] It continues sum and *sumaz, the source of Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌼𐍃 (sums), Old English sum (modern English some) and Old High German sum.[1][5][6]

Other scholars have derived the adverb from sommels, from older sommaels “now and then”, a compound of the pronoun with maal “time”, through a shortened ⟨sommes⟩.[7][8][9] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal notes that ⟨sommes⟩ occurs once, in Huygens, and lives on in Antwerp and Brabant dialect.[10][7] The Philippa dictionary thinks this derivation unlikely, because it finds no attested ⟨sommes⟩.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Philippa dictionary quotes Middle Dutch soms from 1400–1420: laghen si soms te bedde .III. daghen, “they sometimes lay in bed for three days”.[2] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal starts with Huygens's sommes of 1661, and Van der Sijs dates soms “now and then” to 1777.[10][11]

Semantic evolution

Soms became a common word only in modern Dutch.[2] Before that Middle Dutch said somtijt or somtijts, somtiden, somwile, sommaels and somstont for “now and then”, compounds of som with a word for “time”; somtijds and somwijlen survive as formal words.[2][3]

From “at some moments” the adverb came to mean “by chance, perhaps” (1844), and in questions it expresses a suspicion that things are not as they seem (1860).[10] Soms niet in a question shows that the speaker expects the answer “yes” (1889).[10]

The adverb was taken into German dialects (soms, zoms) and Negerhollands (som), and West Frisian borrowed soms;[12][1] Berbice Dutch has somtiti “sometimes, perhaps”, from somtijds.[12][1]

Timeline

  • 1287 – The pronoun some used as an adverb “sometimes”.[2][4]
  • 1400–1420 – Middle Dutch soms.[2]
  • 1661 – Sommes in Huygens.[10][7]
  • 1777 – Soms “now and then”.[11][8]
  • 1844 – The sense “perhaps”.[10]

Meanings

Adverb

  1. sometimes, at some moments, now and then: soms regent het hier dagenlang.[13][1][14]
  2. In some cases: soms helpt een pil, soms niet.[13]
  3. In questions: perhaps, by any chance: heb jij soms mijn sleutels gezien?.[13][1][10]
  • sommig
  • somtijds
  • somwijlen
  • English some

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