Etymologically
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vier

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Pronunciation

  • /vir/, [viːr], [viər][1]

Forms

vier (numeral); as a noun de vier (plural vieren, diminutive viertje)[1] An older long form is viere, like tiene beside tien.[2] Regional forms are veer, which Kiliaan calls Saxon and which survives in Drenthe and Limburg, and Groningen vaier.[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch vier (also ⟨viere⟩), inherited from Old Dutch *fiuwar, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *feuwar, inherited from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr (“four”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwṓr (“four”).[3][1] The same numeral is Old Saxon fiuwar, Old High German fior (modern German vier), Old Frisian fiūwer, Old English fēower (modern English four), Old Norse fjórir and Gothic 𐍆𐌹𐌳𐍅𐍉𐍂 (fidwōr).[3][4][5] Outside Germanic it is Latin quattuor, Ancient Greek τέσσαρες (téssares), Sanskrit चत्वारः (catvā́raḥ), Lithuanian keturì, Old Irish cethair and Tocharian B śtwer.[3][5][6]

The Germanic ⟨f-⟩ for an expected ⟨hw-⟩ from Indo-European ⟨*kʷ-⟩ has no regular explanation.[3][1] The EWN mentions a change like the British Celtic one of ⟨*kʷ⟩ to ⟨*p⟩, but finds analogy with the initial of vijf more likely, as do Kroonen and Franck and Van Wijk.[3][4][6] De Vries preferred a dissimilation within the numeral.[5] Kroonen also finds it unclear how the West Germanic form ⟨*fewar-⟩ came from ⟨*fedwar-⟩, and suggests that the first dental was lost in the ordinal.[4] Van Haeringen called attempts to analyse the Indo-European word further “extremely daring and fantastic”.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The numeral is probably first found in the Old Dutch glosses of the Lex Salica of the 8th century, in fitter thusunde “four thousand”.[3][8] It also appears in place names: Uiuuuarflet (918–948, in a copy of the late 11th century) and Vierackeren, now Vierakker in Gelderland (1139–1150).[3][9] Middle Dutch has viere in 1236 and die uiere cnapen, “the four boys”, in Aiol (1220–1240).[10][3]

Semantic evolution

From the 16th century the WNT records vier in measures, prices and times of day: te vier uren “at four o'clock” appears in 1603.[2] Bij vieren and na vieren still mean “around four” and “after four o'clock”.[11] As a noun, een vier is the figure 4 and the value four, as a score or mark.[11][1]

Onder vier ogen, “in private”, is found in Huygens and Tuinman, and German, French and Frisian have the same phrase.[12] Veel vieren en vijven hebben, “to make many objections”, goes back to the 17th-century oath bij gans vier en vijven: there vier was a form of vuur “fire”, later taken for the numeral, and vijven was added as a joke.[13][14]

The numeral went into Negerhollands (vier, veer, fi), Berbice Dutch and Skepi Dutch (firi) and Sranan, and Trió has the loan pirë.[15][1] Afrikaans has vier.[1]

Timeline

  • 701–800 – Fitter thusunde “four thousand” in the Lex Salica glosses.[3][8]
  • 918–948 – The place name Uiuuuarflet.[3][9]
  • 1139–1150 – The place name Vierackeren.[3][9]
  • 1236 – Middle Dutch viere.[10][13]
  • 1264 – The short form vier.[10]
  • 1516 – Vier grauen “four counts”.[2]
  • 1603 – Te vier uren “at four o'clock”.[2]

Meanings

Numeral

  1. four, one more than three: ze hebben vier katten.[11][1]
  2. Fourth in a series; four o'clock: na vieren.[11]

Noun

  1. The figure 4.[11][1]
  2. The value four, for example as a score or mark: hij haalde een vier voor Frans.[1][16]

Word family

  • vierde
  • veertien
  • veertig
  • vierling
  • vierhoek
  • vierdaags
  • vierdelig
  • vierduizend
  • vierhonderd
  • vierbenig

Usage notes

In West Flemish and Zealandic vier is also the local form of vuur “fire”, with its own compounds such as viermande “fire basket”.[17][1] In Suriname the vierde rang was the lowest teaching grade in primary education.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e 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
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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
  4. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  6. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  7. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  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 c Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  10. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum
  11. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  12. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
  13. ^ 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
  14. ^ Sterkenburg, P. G. J. van (2001), Vloeken: een cultuurbepaalde reactie op woede, irritatie en frustratie, 2nd ed., Den Haag: Sdu
  15. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  16. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  17. ^ Debrabandere, Frans (2007), Zeeuws etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van de Zeeuwse woorden, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Atlas
  18. ^ Donselaar, J. van (1989), Woordenboek van het Surinaams-Nederlands, Muiderberg: Coutinho