verlof

Forms

verlof n (plural verloven, diminutive verlofje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch verlof, probably borrowed from Middle Low German vorlōf (“permission to leave; dismissal”).^[2][3] The Middle Low German noun is derived from the verb vorlōven (“to permit, allow”), which probably arose when the prefix vor- took the place of the rarer er- in erlōven, of the same meaning; the Dutch counterpart of that older formation is oorlof.^[2] The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal weighs the alternatives: a derivation from a verb verloven (“to permit”) is unlikely because that verb appears only from about 1480, later than the noun, and a native formation ver- + lof would hardly give the oldest sense “dismissal”; the north-eastern origin of the oldest text also points to Low German.^[3] The EWN likewise rejects a link with Middle Dutch verloven (“to promise solemnly”) because the meanings do not fit.^[2] Van Veen and Van der Sijs, by contrast, take the word as probably formed from ⟨ver-⟩ and Middle Dutch lof (“praise, permission, approval”).^[4]

The same Low German word lies behind German Verlaub (“permission”), and Danish forlov is a cognate.^[3][1] In early modern Dutch the word was occasionally written with a long vowel, ⟨verluef⟩ (1556) and ⟨verloof⟩ (about 1610), as Low German and ⟨oorlof⟩ also show.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The only known Middle Dutch record is from 1361, in a text from the north-east of the Netherlands: the aldermen give a man named Wilhelm of Zutphen his verlof, meaning his discharge from service, together with twenty shillings.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The oldest records, of 1361 and 1504, both mean “dismissal”: in the 1504 text a servant is given verlof before the winter and driven out of the house.^[2][3] From about 1540 the word has the wider sense “permission”, as in sonder enich verlof “without any permission”.^[2] From 1561 it also means an official licence granted by an authority.^[2] At first a release from service was usually more or less permanent, so that verlof could mean much the same as ontslag; today leave is in principle temporary, and in Belgium the word also means “holiday”.^[2][1]

The polite formula met verlof “with your permission, if I may say so” was in use by 1602.^[3] Many compounds name kinds of leave, such as studieverlof, ouderschapsverlof and zwangerschapsverlof.^[3][1]

English borrowed the word in the 17th century as furlough, first in military use;^[6][7] De Vries dates it from 1625, Etymonline to the 1620s, with the spelling vorloffe.^[6][7] Through Dutch rule in the East Indies it passed into Indonesian as perlop “leave, exemption from duty”, and it lives on in Negerhollands verloov and Papiamentu ferlòf “holiday”.^[8][1]

Timeline

• 1361 – The only Middle Dutch record, in the sense “discharge from service”, from the north-eastern Netherlands.^[2][5][9]
• 1504 – A servant is given verlof and sent away before the winter.^[2]
• c. 1540 – Sonder enich verlof “without any permission” shows the general sense.^[2][3]
• 1561 – The sense “official licence” is recorded.^[2]
• 1602 – The polite formula met verlof “if I may say so” appears.^[3]
• 1620s – English borrows the word as vorloffe, later furlough.^[7][6]

Meanings

Noun

1. permission, authorization; also an official licence.^[10][1][3]
2. leave of absence, permission to stop working for a time: Ze neemt drie weken verlof.^[10][1][11]
3. The period during which one is on such leave.^[10]
4. (Belgium) holiday, vacation.^[2][1]

Word family

• bouwverlof
• ouderschapsverlof
• vaderschapsverlof
• zwangerschapsverlof
• studieverlof
• verlofdag
• verloftijd

Related words

• oorlof
• lof
• English furlough
• German Verlaub

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 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 e f g h i j 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
4. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
5. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
6. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
9. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
10. ^ a b c Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
11. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org