spuwen

Forms

spuwen^[1] Middle Dutch also had spiën (spîen), with the original vowel, and dialects have spouwen and spijen.^[2][3][4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch spuwen, inherited from Old Dutch *spīwan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *spīwan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *spīwaną (“to spit”).^[2][1][5] The modern form is the regular outcome of the Old Dutch verb, as huwen is of *hīwan: the /w/ turned the long /ī/ into /u/, while spîen, where the /w/ was lost, kept the old vowel, as the sailors' word spiegat still does.^[2][6][7]

The same verb is Old Saxon spīwan, Old High German spīwan (modern German speien), Old Frisian spīa, Old English spīwan (modern English spew), Old Norse spýja and Gothic 𐍃𐍀𐌴𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌽 (speiwan).^[2][5] Outside Germanic it is related to Latin spuō, Ancient Greek πτύω (ptúō), Sanskrit ष्ठीवति (ṣṭhīvati), Lithuanian spiáuti, Old Church Slavonic пльвати (plĭvati) and Old Armenian թուք (tʻukʻ, “spittle”), all meaning “to spit” or “spittle”.^[2][1] The EWN reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *spti(e)uH- (“to spit”), whose initial cluster was simplified in each branch, and thinks the root was probably sound-imitative;^[2][5][8] Kroonen gives *sptiHu- or *stpiHu-, and Van Haeringen holds that no exact form can be reconstructed, since the word was reshaped by imitation from early on.^[2][5][8]

The form spugen grew out of the past tense: Middle Dutch ⟨spîen⟩ had a strong past ⟨speech⟩, ⟨speghen⟩, made after verbs such as tiën, and ⟨spuwen⟩ took the past ⟨spooch⟩, ⟨spoghen⟩ of another class; from these a new infinitive ⟨spuigen⟩ arose in Early Modern Dutch, whose vowel was later fitted to that of ⟨spuwen⟩.^[2][6][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch spuwen, spuen is first recorded about 1240, meaning “to vomit, to spit out”.^[2][7] The form spien “to vomit” follows in 1253.^[2][7]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch the verb meant to spit and to vomit, and was also used of blood that spurted from a wound, as in a Flemish text of 1490.^[9] Early Modern Dutch wrote it spouwen: venom is spat out in 1528, and in 1600 a dragon “spits water” when someone treads on a certain stone.^[2][4] Spitting fire and flame stood for fury (1620), spitting into one's hands for setting to work (1570), and spitting in someone's face for contempt (1648).^[4]

At first spuwen and spugen meant the same.^[2] In modern Dutch spugen became the everyday word for bringing up spittle or vomit, while spuwen is used more in figurative senses: spitting blood, fire or water (of fountains), or one's gall.^[2][4] Dutch lent the verb to Saramaccan as pío.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 1240 – Middle Dutch spuwen is first recorded.^[2][7]
• 1253 – The form spien “to vomit” is recorded.^[2]
• 1285 – The past tense spuden is recorded.^[2]
• 1409 – The strong past spogen appears.^[2]
• 1528 – Spouwen is used of spitting venom.^[2]
• 1561 – The variant spugen is first recorded.^[2]
• 1570 – In de handt spouwen “to spit into one's hand”, i.e. to set to work, is recorded.^[4]
• 1600 – A dragon “spits water”: Een draeck, die water spuwt.^[2][4]
• 1620 – Vier en vlam spouwen “to spit fire and flame” is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To spit.^[10][1][11]
2. To vomit.^[10][4]
3. To send out with force, of water, fire and the like.^[11][4]

Word family

• bespuwen
• spuwer
• bloedspuwing
• waterspuwer

Related words

• spugen
• spuiten
• spui
• speeksel
• English spew

Usage notes

Zijn gal spuwen is to vent one's anger, venijn spuwen to say spiteful or slanderous things, and vuur spuwen to be furious.^[10] Ergens niet in spuwen means to be fond of something, especially of drink.^[4][12]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 q r s t 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 c d e f g h i j 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
5. ^ a b c d Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b c d Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 362
8. ^ a b Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
9. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
10. ^ a b c Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
11. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
12. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme