wachten

Forms

wachten^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch wachten, inherited from Old Dutch *wahton, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wahtwēn, a verb formed from the noun wacht “watch, guard”.^[2][1][3][4] The Old Dutch verb is inferred from the noun ⟨wahteri⟩ “watchman” in the Egmond Williram of about 1100.^[2] The same verb is Middle Low German wachten, Old High German wahtēn (“to keep watch”) and Old Frisian wachtia (“to vouch for”).^[3][4] Old Norse vakta (“to guard, heed”) was borrowed from Low German.^[3][4]

The noun is Old Saxon wahta and Old High German wahta, from Proto-Germanic *wahtō, beside Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍅𐍉 (wahtwo) from *wahtwō.^[2][1] It is formed from the root of waken “to be awake”, with Germanic *-kt- becoming *-ht-.^[2] The Frankish form of the noun gave Old French guaite (“watchman”), and the verb that became modern guetter (“to watch for”).^[2][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first Middle Dutch record is from Ghent in 1236, in the sense “to take care”: mar wachten hem wel dat dit niet te dicke ne geschie, “but let them take care that this does not happen too often”.^[2][6] In a Limburg glossary of 1240 wagten translates Latin observare, and in 1285 shepherds hadden haer scape ghewacht, “had kept watch over their sheep”.^[6][2]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch used the verb for guarding, watching, tending and taking care, and for waiting: xviii daghe waest ghewacht, “eighteen days were waited”, in 1285.^[2][6][3] The senses of watching have died out in the standard language, though tending sheep and sitting up with the sick are still Flemish.^[7] The old meaning lives on in wachter “guard” and in the warning wacht u voor de hond, “beware of the dog”, while “to stay until something happens” became the main sense.^[2] German warten “to wait” went the same way from “to keep watch”.^[2]

Dutch or Low German gave Swedish vakta and Norwegian vakte “to guard”, and Dutch gave Sranan wakti, Berbice Dutch wakti and Negerhollands wacht “to wait”.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Old Dutch wahteri “watchmen”, implying the verb.^[2]
• 1236 – Middle Dutch wachten “to take care”, in Ghent.^[2][6]
• 1240 – Wagten “to guard, observe” in a Limburg glossary.^[2][6]
• 1285 – “To tend sheep” and “to wait”.^[2][6]
• 1530 – Schapen te wachtene “to tend sheep”.^[7]

Meanings

Verb

1. To wait, stay in the same place or situation until someone comes or something happens, usually with op “for”: we wachten al een uur op de trein.^[8][1][9]
2. Of things: to be in store for someone: thuis wachtte haar een groot feest.^[8]
3. (reflexive, zich wachten voor) To beware of, guard against.^[9][2]

Word family

• wachter
• afwachten
• wachtkamer
• wachttijd
• wachtzaal
• wachtlijst
• wachtperiode
• wachtverbod

Related words

• wacht
• waken
• wakker

Usage notes

Wacht even! asks someone not to start yet, or expresses scornful surprise.^[8] Dat kan wel wachten says that something is not urgent.^[8]

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 c d Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b c Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
5. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
6. ^ a b c d e f 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
7. ^ a b 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
8. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
9. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org