twee

Forms

twee (numeral; as a noun de twee, plural tweeën, diminutive tweetje)^[1] Middle Dutch kept the inflected genitive tweer and dative tween for a long time.^[2] The old masculine twene is rare and occurs mainly when the numeral stands alone.^[3][4] Some dialects, among them those of Goeree-Overflakkee and Maastricht, have a form matching the Gothic masculine rather than the neuter.^[5]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch twee, inherited from Old Dutch twē, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *twai-, inherited from Proto-Germanic *twai, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ (“two”).^[2][1][6] The numeral was inflected for gender and case: for West Germanic the nominative and accusative are reconstructed as masculine ⟨twēne⟩, feminine ⟨twā⟩ and neuter ⟨twē⟩, a division still visible but no longer kept consistently in Old Dutch.^[2][7] Middle Dutch generalised the neuter, while the old masculine survives in twintig.^[2][8][9]

The same numeral is Old Saxon twēne, Old High German zwēne (neuter zwei, modern German zwei), Old Frisian twēne (modern West Frisian twa), Old English twēgen (modern English two), Old Norse tveir and Gothic 𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌹 (twai).^[2][6][10] Outside Germanic it is Latin duo, Ancient Greek δύο (dúo), Lithuanian dù and Old Irish dáu.^[2][11][10] The Indo-European word was a dual, and Germanic remodelled its endings on those of the pronouns.^[10][8][9]

A root variant ⟨*dui-⟩ appears in compounds and derivatives: Germanic ⟨*twi-⟩ in twist and tussen, bi- and δι- (di-), and another variant ⟨*duei⟩ in twijfel and twijg.^[2][10]

Earliest recorded meaning

The name of Twente is recorded as Tuihanti in a Latin inscription of 222–235, literally “two sides, two parts”, but that form still counts as West Germanic.^[2][11][12] In Old Dutch the Wachtendonck Psalms (10th century) have tuene thia gehorda ik, “I heard two things”.^[2][13] Middle Dutch twe glosses Latin duo around 1240.^[3][9]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used twee both on its own and with a noun, in pairings such as twee ende twee “two by two”, and in vague counts such as en par tortelduuen ochte twe, “a turtle-dove or two”, the source of modern een stuk of twee.^[3] From 1503 twee of drie expresses an approximate number.^[5] The numeral could strengthen a word for something worthless, as in twee nieten in een bodemloos mandje (1617), “two blanks in a bottomless basket”.^[5]

Stoett finds met twee maten meten, to judge alike cases differently, only from the 19th century.^[14] Twee onder één kap, a pair of houses under one roof, appears among late 20th-century neologisms.^[15] In mild oaths twee stands in for French Dieu, as in nondetwee.^[16]

The numeral passed into Negerhollands, Berbice Dutch, Skepi Dutch and Sranan Tongo, into the Trió language of Suriname, and into Buginese and Makassarese as tûwi, a pair of identical cards in a Chinese card game.^[17][1] Afrikaans has twee.^[1]

Timeline

• 222–235 – The name Tuihanti (Twente) appears in a Latin inscription.^[2][12]
• 901–1000 – Old Dutch tuene appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[2][11]
• 1027–1054 – The region name is written Tuente.^[2][13]
• 1181 – The Zeeland place name Tuagemet “two measures (of land)” is recorded.^[13][2]
• c. 1240 – Middle Dutch twe is recorded in Limburg.^[3]
• 1503 – Twee of drie is used for a rough number.^[5]
• 19th century – Met twee maten meten comes into use.^[14]

Meanings

Numeral

1. two, one more than one: op elkaar lijken als twee druppels water, to be as alike as two peas.^[18][1]
2. Second in a series: hoofdstuk twee.^[18][19]

Noun

1. The figure 2.^[18][19]
2. A pair, a group of two; in rowing twee zonder, a boat for two without a cox.^[18]

Word family

• tweede
• tweeling
• tweetal
• tweemaal
• ontwee
• getweeën
• tweedracht
• tweespalt
• tweesprong
• tweeklank
• tweekamp
• tweehuizig
• tweedelig

Related words

• twintig
• twist
• tussen
• twijfel
• twijg
• English two
• German zwei

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 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 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
4. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
5. ^ a b c d 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 Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
7. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
8. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
9. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 394
10. ^ a b c d Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
11. ^ a b c Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
12. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
13. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
14. ^ a b Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
15. ^ Coster, Marc de (1999), Woordenboek van neologismen: 25 jaar taalaanwinsten, Amsterdam: Contact
16. ^ Sterkenburg, P. G. J. van (2001), Vloeken: een cultuurbepaalde reactie op woede, irritatie en frustratie, 2nd ed., Den Haag: Sdu
17. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
18. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
19. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org