van

Forms

van^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch van, inherited from Old Dutch fan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *fanā, inherited from Proto-Germanic *fanē (“from”).^[2][1][3] The same preposition is Old Saxon fan, Old High German fona (modern German von) and Old Frisian fon, but it is found only in continental West Germanic: English, Scandinavian and Gothic lack it.^[2][4][5] The Oudnederlands Woordenboek therefore takes it for a new formation of after about 500, which displaced the older Old Dutch af still found a few times in Old Dutch.^[5]

It probably goes back to Proto-Indo-European *po-n-, with Proto-Indo-European *h₂po, the zero grade of Proto-Indo-European *h₂epo (“away from”), from which af also comes.^[2][6] The same element is in Latin positus (“put away”), Lithuanian pa-, Old Church Slavonic по (po) and Albanian pa (“without”).^[2][3] Kroonen and others explain the ending as the suffix Proto-Indo-European *-neh₁, marking direction, so Proto-Indo-European *h₂poneh₁.^[2][3]

An older explanation, defended by Van Ginneken and adopted by De Vries, joins the preposition meaning “off” and aan, like the later tot from toe and te.^[2][4][7] The Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands finds the assumed weakening of the first vowel hard to explain, since no West Germanic language has a form with it.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest record is an Old Dutch charm of 891–900: Gang ut fan themo flesgke an thia hud, “go out from the flesh to the skin”.^[2] The Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century use fan for “from, out of”, as in a bridegroom coming fan his bedchamber, for “since”, fan iuginde minro “since my youth”, and for the agent, “by”.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The preposition first expressed removal, but before the first records it had already gained a great many uses and senses.^[2] Middle Dutch shows them all: separation, origin, material, cause and possession.^[8][9]

In names, van first marked noble titles, naming the place a lord held (1635), and then any family name beginning with van (1570), and by extension a surname in general.^[10] This noun was borrowed into Danish and Norwegian for the first part of Dutch names, and into Ambonese, Kupang and Manado Malay as fam, “family name”.^[11] The preposition itself passed into Negerhollands, Berbice Dutch and Javindo.^[11] In colloquial speech van introduces quoted words, like English “like”.^[1][12][13]

Timeline

• 891–900 – Old Dutch fan appears in a charm against a worm.^[2]
• 901–1000 – Fan is used for “from” and “since” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[2][14]
• c. 1100 – The Leiden Willeram has uan and uone.^[2]
• 1570 – Van as a noun refers to a family name beginning with van.^[10]

Meanings

Preposition

1. from, marking a starting point in place or time: van Amsterdam naar Utrecht, “from Amsterdam to Utrecht”.^[13][1]
2. of, marking possession: de fiets van mijn zus, “my sister's bicycle”.^[13][1]
3. Of, out of, marking material: een tafel van eiken, “a table of oak”.^[13][1]
4. From, with, marking a cause: trillen van de kou, “to shiver with cold”.^[13][1]
5. By, marking the maker: een roman van Mulisch, “a novel by Mulisch”.^[13][1]
6. Of, among, part of a whole.^[13][1]
7. Off, from, marking removal.^[13][1]
8. (colloquial) Introducing quoted words or thoughts: like.^[1][12]

Noun

1. The word van in a surname; a family name.^[10][15]

Word family

• vandaag
• vaneen
• vanaf
• vandaar
• vanuit
• vanwege
• vanzelf
• daarvan
• hiervan
• waarvan
• vanachter
• vanavond
• vanbuiten
• vandaan

Related words

• German von

Usage notes

Van is the commonest particle (tussenvoegsel) in Dutch family names.^[12]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ a b c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
6. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum
8. ^ 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
9. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
10. ^ a b c 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
11. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
12. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
13. ^ a b c d e f g h Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
14. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
15. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org