Etymologically
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tussen

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈtʏsə(n)/[1]

Forms

tussen[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch tusschen, beside western twisschen, and is probably shortened from the older Old Dutch intwiskan (“between”), a phrase of the preposition in with a dative plural of the adjective Proto-Germanic *twiska- (“twofold, double”).[2][1][3] In the related languages too the simple preposition is younger than the combined forms: Old Saxon undartwisk, Old High German in zwiskēn and Old High German untar zwiskēn, Old English betweox (modern English betwixt), Old Frisian twiska, all meaning “between”, while zwischen and twischen arose by the same shortening.[2][4] The adjective survives in Old Saxon twisk and Old High German zwisc (“twofold”).[2][3]

The Germanic adjective is a derivative of the word for twee, or of the adverb meaning “twice”, Proto-Indo-European *dwís, which also gave Ancient Greek δίς (dís), Latin bis and Sanskrit द्विस् (dvís), “twice”.[4][3][1] Kroonen compares Old Armenian կից (kicʻ, “associate”), built with the same suffix.[3]

The form with ⟨u⟩ shows the change of ⟨wi⟩ to ⟨u⟩ also seen in zuster and zulk.[2] It was usual in most of the Dutch area, while ⟨twisschen⟩ belonged to Holland and Utrecht; the change did not happen everywhere, as dwingen and twist show.[2][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch intwiskan “between” is recorded around 1100 in the Leiden Williram, a paraphrase of the Song of Songs, where the beloved is a bundle of myrrh that rests between the breasts.[6][2] Middle Dutch tusgen glosses Latin intercutaneus as tusgen vel ende vlesg, “between skin and flesh”, in Limburg around 1240.[7][8] Van der Sijs dates the preposition to 1249, in a charter.[9][10]

Semantic evolution

By the 13th century the word already expressed place, time and relations: a meeting is held tusschen aluondertiid ende vespertiid in Bruges in 1280, and texts speak of friendship or enmity tusschen two parties.[7] Middle Dutch also had tusschen tiden “in the meantime, now and then” and tusschen doot ende leven, for as long as one lives.[11]

In early modern Dutch the western forms twisschen and twisken still appear in Holland regulations of the early 16th century, and the village name Twisk keeps them.[5] Many fixed phrases grew round the word: tussen de hamer en het aambeeld (1552), tussen deur en dorpel, and the colloquial iemand ertussen nemen, to make a fool of someone.[5][12]

The preposition passed into Negerhollands as tyssen and Berbice Dutch as tosn, and Afrikaans keeps tussen.[13][1]

Timeline

  • c. 1100 – Old Dutch intwiskan in the Leiden Williram.[6][2]
  • c. 1240 – Middle Dutch tusgen in a Limburg glossary.[7]
  • 1249 – Tus(s)chen in a charter, the date Van der Sijs gives.[9][10]
  • 1510 – Western twisken in a Holland water-board text.[5]
  • 1552 – Tusschen den hamer ende aenbeeld is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Preposition

  1. between: in the space with one person or thing on each side: Het station ligt tussen de kerk en de markt.[14][15][1]
  2. Between two points in time: Ik bel je tussen negen en tien.[14][15]
  3. Between two values, amounts or limits.[15]
  4. among, in the middle of: Tussen de papieren lag een oude foto.[14][1]
  5. Expressing a relation between people or things: het verschil tussen beide talen.[7][5]

Word family

  • intussen
  • ondertussen
  • tussenbeide
  • tussendoor
  • tussenin
  • tussentijd
  • tussentijds
  • tussenpersoon
  • tussenpoos
  • tussenwerpsel
  • tussendeur
  • tussenjaar

Usage notes

Tussen haakjes means “by the way”, and tussen de middag is the lunch break.[14]

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 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 Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  4. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  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 Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  7. ^ a b c d 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. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 394
  9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  10. ^ 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
  11. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  12. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
  13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  14. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  15. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org