trekken

Forms

trekken^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch trecken, inherited from Old Dutch *trecken, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *trakkjan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *trakjaną (“to drag”).^[2][1] The same word is Middle Low German trecken, Middle High German trecken and Old Frisian trekka.^[2][3] It was originally a weak causative beside a strong verb *trekan-, continued in trēken and trechen (“to pull, push, shove”).^[2][4][3] In Middle Dutch ⟨trecken⟩ took over most forms of the strong verb, and with them its strong past forms: the participle ⟨getrocken⟩ is already found in 1237.^[5][6]

The origin is unknown.^[2] A comparison with Latvian dragāt (“to tear, pull, shake”) and with dragen, which seems to have meant “pull” at first, leaves the initial /t/ unexplained.^[2][3] De Vries wonders whether it is a substrate word, since the people who built the megalithic tombs must have had a word for dragging the stones.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest records are from Ghent in 1237: getrocken bi den hare “pulled by the hair”, and a rule on a man who draws a knife to do harm.^[2][7] In 1240 a Limburg glossary renders Latin trahere as trecken.^[7][8]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch already used the verb for pulling and dragging, drawing a sword, tearing one's hair in grief and drawing to oneself, and also intransitively for going or moving somewhere: ende es in Vrancrike getrect “and has moved into France” (1300–1325).^[7][2][9] Its forms varied between weak and strong; the past trak was still used in the 16th and 17th centuries and survives in southern dialects, and trokken and trukken were regional forms.^[5][9]

Many modern uses are figurative.^[10][11] Stoett explains dat kan de bruine niet trekken “I can't afford that” as “the brown horse can't pull that”, and aan het langste eind trekken as “to come off best”.^[10] De aandacht trekken “to attract attention” is a gallicism after French attirer l’attention, according to De Vreese.^[12] Reinsma records een project trekken “to lead a project”, after the image of a drudging cart horse.^[13] In Jewish usage trekken is said of a cantor who drags out the service, a loan translation of Yiddish tsien.^[14][15] In Belgium the verb also means “to take a photograph”.^[11][1]

The noun trek gave English track “to tow a boat” (1727) and trackboat (1632).^[3] Afrikaans trek “journey by ox wagon” gave English trek (1849), and Danish trække comes from Dutch or Low German.^[16][17][1]

Timeline

• 1237 – Getrocken bi den hare “pulled by the hair” is recorded in Ghent.^[2][7]
• 1240 – A Limburg glossary renders Latin trahere as trecken.^[7][8]
• 1300–1325 – Ende es in Vrancrike getrect shows the sense “to move, go”.^[2]
• 1632 – English trackboat is recorded, from Dutch.^[3]
• 1727 – English track “to tow a boat” is recorded.^[3]
• 1849 – English trek is recorded in South Africa.^[16]

Meanings

Verb

1. To pull, to exert force towards oneself.^[11][1]
2. To go, travel or migrate to or through a place.^[11][1]
3. Of a chimney or stove: to draw, to let air through.^[11]
4. Of wood: to warp.^[11]
5. Of tea or herbs in water: to steep, grow stronger by standing.^[11][1]
6. To extract a tooth.^[11]
7. To receive regularly, as a benefit.^[11]
8. To lead or be responsible for a project.^[11][13]
9. To draw a line or a conclusion; to make faces.^[11]
10. To attract.^[11]
11. (Belgium) To photograph.^[11][1]

Word family

• aantrekken
• aftrekken
• betrekken
• intrekken
• onttrekken
• optrekken
• omtrek
• vertrekken
• voltrekken
• terugtrekken
• trekker
• lijsttrekker
• trek

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 d e f g Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
5. ^ a b 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. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum
7. ^ a b c d e 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
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 Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
10. ^ a b Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
12. ^ Vreese, Willem de (1899), Gallicismen in het Zuidnederlandsch, Gent: Siffer
13. ^ a b Reinsma, R. (1999), Neologismen, Den Haag: Sdu
14. ^ Kamp, Jacob van de; Wijk, Jacob van der (2006), Koosjer Nederlands: Joodse woorden in de Nederlandse taal, Amsterdam: Contact
15. ^ Beem, H. (1974), Uit Mokum en de mediene: Joodse woorden in Nederlandse omgeving, Assen: Van Gorcum
16. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
17. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)