vroeg

Forms

vroeg (comparative vroeger, superlative vroegst)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch vroech, beside the older vroe, inherited from Old Dutch fruo, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *frō (“early”), inherited from Proto-Germanic *frō.^[2][1][3][4] The same word is Middle Low German vrō and Old High German fruo, an adverb beside the adjective fruoji (modern German früh).^[2][5][4]

Outside Germanic it matches Ancient Greek πρωΐ (prōḯ, “early in the morning”) and Sanskrit प्रातर् (prātár, “early”), from Proto-Indo-European *proh₁-, an instrumental form of *pro (“forward, before”), which is also the source of Latin prō and of the Dutch prefix ver-.^[2][5][1] The Germanic word for “before”, the source of voor, fits in meaning but is not thought to be related.^[2]

Middle Dutch had both ⟨vroe⟩ and ⟨vroech⟩; at first the difference was regional: in the 13th century the form with a velar was found only in Brabant and Limburg, but it gradually replaced the regular ⟨vroe⟩, which survives only in dialects.^[2] Some explain the final consonant from a glide /j/ in an inflected adjective like fruoji, but Franck–Van Wijk object that both Middle Dutch forms were only adverbs, which were not inflected.^[6][2] De Vries thinks the objection less certain, pointing to the Greek adjective πρώϊος (prṓïos).^[5] The Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands suggests hypercorrection after pairs such as hoo beside hooch “high”.^[2] vreugde shows the same puzzling ⟨g⟩.^[6][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

In a 10th-century gloss from the southern Lower Rhine fruo renders Latin mane “in the morning”.^[3][7] Around 1100 a paraphrase of the Song of Songs from Egmond says stewir fruo uph ze then wingardon, “let us rise early to go to the vineyards”.^[3][2] The first Middle Dutch record, about 1200 in Limburg, is vru ende spade, “early and late”, that is “always”.^[2][8]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used the word as an adverb meaning “early in the day”, “at a young age” and “soon”, often paired with spade “late”: vroech ende spade meant “always” and noch vroech noch spade “never”.^[8] Franck–Van Wijk regard the adverb as the older use; an adjective is recorded in a proverb of 1550, vroe engelkens worden jonge duvelkens, “early angels become young devils”.^[6][9] Pluim describes the meaning as first the front part of the day, the morning, and later “before the set time”.^[10]

Early rising runs through the proverbs: hij moet vroeg opstaan die God bedriegen zal, “he must rise early who would deceive God”, that is it is not easily done (1552), and die den naam heeft van vroeg op te staan, mag wel lang slapen, said of someone with a good name whose faults go unnoticed (1606).^[11][12] Modern phrases include vroeg of laat “sooner or later”, te vroeg juichen “to cheer too soon” and vroeg rijp, vroeg rot, said of children who grow up too fast.^[13] The comparative vroeger became an adverb meaning “formerly”.^[11]

The word travelled to the colonies: Sranan Tongo has fruku (older frugu), Negerhollands had vroe, fru and vrue, Berbice Dutch fruku, Papiamentu vruvru “very early”, and Manado Malay frug.^[14][1]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Old Dutch fruo glosses Latin mane “in the morning”.^[3][7]
• c. 1100 – Stewir fruo uph “let us rise early” in a text from Egmond.^[3][2]
• c. 1200 – Vru ende spade “always” in Limburg.^[2][8]
• 1240 – Uruch glosses Latin mane in a Limburg word list.^[8][15]
• 1265–1270 – Vroech in Brabant.^[2][16]
• 1503 – Vrouch opstaen “to rise early”.^[11]
• 1550 – Adjective use in vroe engelkens “early angels”.^[9]
• 1552 – Hy muet vruech up staen de god bedrieghen sal.^[11]

Meanings

Adjective

1. early, at or near the beginning of a period, especially of the day: Ze staat elke dag vroeg op.^[13][1][17]
2. Earlier than expected or than usual: De bus was vijf minuten te vroeg.^[13][17]
3. Belonging to the first part of a period: het vroege werk van de schilder.^[17]

Word family

• vervroegen
• vroeger
• vroegte
• vroegbloeiend
• vroeggeboorte
• vroegrijp
• vroegwijs
• vroegchristelijk

Related words

• ver-
• German früh

Usage notes

Saxon dialects and the Zaan dialect have a form with a short vowel.^[18] Verdam records Overijssel vrogge and Gelderland vrog in vrogjaar “spring”.^[9] The older vroe lives on in dialects.^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f 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 Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
4. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
5. ^ a b c d Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ a b c Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ 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
8. ^ 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
9. ^ a b c Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
10. ^ Pluim, T. (1911), Keur van Nederlandsche woordafleidingen, Purmerend: Muusses
11. ^ 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
12. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
13. ^ a b c Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
14. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
15. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
16. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 421
17. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
18. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff