stoom

Forms

stoom m (uncountable, no diminutive)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch *stôom, inherited from Old Dutch *stōm, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *staum, inherited from Proto-Germanic *staumaz (“steam, vapour”), forms reconstructed because the word is not recorded before the 17th century.^[1][2][3] The WNT holds that, given its form and the older senses in English, the word must have existed in popular Dutch and Low German before 1600.^[4] The same word is Low German stōm, West Frisian steam (now obsolete beside ⟨stoom⟩ from Dutch) and Old English stēam (modern English steam), all “vapour”;^[2][5] De Vries adds the Zaan dialect word stiem (“fumes”) and stīem (“vapour”).^[2][5] It is found only in part of West Germanic.^[4][5]

The EWN, Franck–Van Wijk and De Vries take the Germanic form to be simplified from *staubma- and so an ablaut form of the root of stuiven, “to fly up as dust”;^[2][3][5][6] Kroonen states the same, deriving it from Proto-Indo-European *stoubʰ-mo- with the loss of /b/ before /m/ in a heavy syllable.^[2][3][5][6] The WNT thought this possible but unproven, and pointed instead to the Mecklenburg verb stîmen, stümen, used of driving snow;^[4][7] Orel calls the word unclear.^[4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Early Modern Dutch stoom is first recorded in 1669, meaning “vapour, reek, fumes”.^[2][8] The WNT says that these senses were hardly kept apart, though “vapour” prevailed: a quotation of 1724 has a flame with its stom, the smoke of the fire, rising sky-high.^[4]

Semantic evolution

In the 18th century the word took on its scientific sense.^[2][9] In 1751 the heat needed to boil water is said to bring forth Stoom, and in 1788 a writer separates Damp, Stoom and Waassem and names the Stoom-Machine, the steam engine.^[2][4] De Vries and the WNT hold that this technical use came into Dutch under English influence.^[9][4] The everyday sense “water vapour” appears in 1805, with potatoes cooked in steam.^[2]

Steam power coloured the language of the 19th century: de eeuw van den stoom “the age of steam” (1885), met stoom or als met stoom “at full speed” (1886), and a ship onder stoom “under steam, ready to sail or sailing”.^[4][10] Today one blows off steam with stoom afblazen.^[10]

The word was borrowed into West Frisian (stoom), Indonesian (setom, setum), Javanese and Sundanese, and Papiamentu (stoom, now obsolete).^[11][1]

Timeline

• 1669 – Early Modern Dutch stoom “vapour, fumes” is first recorded.^[2][8]
• 1724 – The flame and its stom rise sky-high.^[4]
• 1751 – Boiling water is said to bring forth Stoom.^[2]
• 1788 – Stoom is separated from Damp and Waassem, and the Stoom-Machine is named.^[2][4]
• 1805 – Potatoes are cooked in stoom of wasem.^[2]
• 1885 – De eeuw van den stoom, “the age of steam”.^[4]
• 1886 – Als met stoom, “at full speed”.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. steam: the hot vapour into which water turns when it boils.^[10][1][12] De keuken stond vol stoom.^[10][1][12]

Word family

• stomen
• stoomboot
• stoomschip
• stoomketel
• stoommachine
• stoomtram
• stoomfluit
• stoombad
• stoomgemaal

Related words

• stuiven
• English steam

Usage notes

Stoom afblazen is to let off steam, to give vent to one's feelings, and de stoom kwam uit zijn oren says that someone was furious.^[10] A ship that onder stoom ligt is ready to leave.^[10][4]

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 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 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 k l m 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 e Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill
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 Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 370
10. ^ a b c d e f Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
11. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
12. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org