vrijbuiter

Forms

vrijbuiter m (plural vrijbuiters, diminutive vrijbuitertje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is probably formed from Dutch vrijbuit + -er, from the noun vrijbuit, booty that becomes the property of whoever takes it, as in ⟨ten vrybeuyte varende⟩ “going out on a plundering voyage” (1575); that noun is made of vrij (“free”) and buit (“booty”).^[2][1] De Vries & De Tollenaere and the WNT derive it instead from the rare verb vrijbuiten (“to go plundering”) (1581), itself formed on ⟨vrijbuit⟩, and the EWN does not rule this out.^[3][4][2] A third possibility the EWN mentions is ⟨vrij⟩ with ⟨buiter⟩ “(sea) robber” (1588), an agent noun of ⟨buiten⟩ “to take booty, to rob” (1573).^[2]

Kiliaan has the form ⟨vrijbueter⟩, and Franck–Van Wijk and De Vries point out that the phrase ⟨op vrijbuit gaen⟩ may be older than the noun.^[5][6] The same word is Middle Low German vrîbûter, which De Vries takes to be borrowed from Dutch.^[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word is first recorded in 1572, in the phrase vuter Vrijebuijters handen “out of the hands of the robbers, plunderers”.^[2][7][4]

Semantic evolution

The first sense was a privateer or sea robber, and more generally a plunderer or robber; the WNT also records a roaming soldier who belonged to no unit, drew no pay and lived from plunder.^[4] A text of 1574 speaks of die vribeuters ofte Geusen “the freebooters or Beggars”, and one of 1609 of the damage done at sea by freebooters.^[2] From 1602 the word could also name a privateering ship, and a feminine vrijbuitster was used figuratively in 1644, in Vribuitster mijner zin “robber of my mind”.^[4]

The sense “adventurer” appears by 1861, in a phrase about the dissolute freebooters of the literary world.^[2] The WNT first found the sense of a nonconformist with a strong urge for freedom only in 1946, but notes that the derivative vrijbuiterig already existed in 1903.^[4] Modern dictionaries give the historical pirate, the adventurer and the person who ignores rules and conventions.^[8][9]

Dutch lent the word to many languages: German Freibeuter (1579), Swedish fribytare (1559), Danish fribytter and English freebooter, recorded in 1598 and earlier as frebetters (1570).^[2][6][10] English also had fleebooters or flibutors (before 1587), perhaps influenced by vlieboot, a kind of small ship.^[2] From it came French flibustier (1666), the source of Spanish filibustero and English filibuster.^[2][1][11]

Timeline

• 1572 – Vrijebuijters “robbers, plunderers” is first recorded.^[2][7]
• 1574 – Freebooters are equated with the Beggars (Geusen).^[2]
• 1575 – The phrase ten vrybeuyte varende “going out plundering” is recorded.^[2]
• 1581 – The verb vrijbuiten is first recorded.^[2][3]
• 1598 – English freebooters is recorded.^[2]
• 1602 – The word is used of a privateering ship.^[4]
• 1861 – The sense “adventurer” appears.^[2]
• 1903 – The derivative vrijbuiterig is recorded.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (history) A pirate or privateer, a sea robber who raided enemy ships.^[8][9][1]
2. An adventurer.^[8][9]
3. Someone with a strong urge for freedom who goes their own way and ignores rules and conventions.^[8][9]
4. A classic wooden sailing boat.^[12]

Word family

• vrijbuiterig

Related words

• vrijbuit
• vrijbuiten
• buit
• English freebooter
• English filibuster
• German Freibeuter

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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 Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 421
4. ^ a b c d e f g 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
5. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
6. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
8. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
9. ^ a b c d Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
10. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
11. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
12. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org