Etymologically
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wat

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Pronunciation

Forms

wat[1] Regional forms include Flemish wa, eastern wet and the emphatic watte.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch wat, inherited from Old Dutch wat, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hwat, inherited from Proto-Germanic *hwat.[4][1] The same word is Old Saxon hwat, Old High German hwaz (modern German was), Old Frisian hwet, Old English hwæt (modern English what), Old Norse hvat and Gothic 𐍈𐌰 (ƕa), which lost its final ⟨-t⟩.[4][5][6]

It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *kʷód, the neuter of the interrogative stem Proto-Indo-European *kʷo- that also gave wie and hoe.[4][1][2] Outside Germanic it matches Latin quod, Sanskrit कद् (kád, “what?”) and Old Prussian ka (“what, which”).[6][5][7] Old Low Franconian sometimes wrote it wad, with ⟨d⟩ from the sound that followed.[6][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest record is a gloss of 891–900, uuatte ine (that is uuat thanne) “what then?”, rendering Latin quid tunc.[4][8] The Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century ask uuad duo mi man, what can a man do to me?[4][8]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch also used wat to mean “which, what kind of” (1200), as a relative pronoun (1236), and with so for “whatever” (1237).[4][9] It could mean “why” and “how” as well.[9]

In the modern language wat is also an indefinite pronoun, “something, a little”, and an adverb, “somewhat”.[10][11] Phrases built on it include voor wat hoort wat, one good turn deserves another, and heel wat, a good deal.[10] The exclamation wat heet!, “and how!”, was noted as a new idiom in 1977, and en wat! in the same sense is recorded in Jewish Amsterdam speech in 1905.[12][13] The curse krijg nou wat! expresses anger or surprise.[14]

Dutch wat passed into Negerhollands, Berbice Dutch (wa, wati), Javindo and Petjo.[15][1]

Timeline

  • 891–900 – Uuat “what” is recorded in an Old Dutch gloss.[4][8]
  • 10th century – Uuad appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.[4][16]
  • 1200 – Middle Dutch wat in the sense “which” is recorded.[4][9]
  • 1236 – Wat is used as a relative pronoun.[4]
  • 1237 – Wat so “whatever” appears.[4]
  • 1977 – The exclamation wat heet! is noted as a new idiom.[12]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. (interrogative) what: Wat ga je morgen doen?[1][2]
  2. (relative) What, that, which, after alles, iets, a superlative or a whole clause: Dat is het beste wat ik kon vinden.[1]
  3. (indefinite) Something: Ik wil je wat laten zien.[10][1]
  4. A small amount: Doe er nog wat zout bij.[10][1]
  5. A small number, in phrases like een dag of wat, a few days.[10]

Determiner

  1. Some: Ze kocht wat appels.[1]
  2. (exclamative) What, such: Wat een herrie![1]

Adverb

  1. Somewhat, rather: Het is wat laat geworden.[11][1]

Usage notes

Je kunt me wat! means “get lost”, expressing contempt or indifference.[14] In parts of Belgian Brabant, especially Antwerp, wat has also been used as a conjunction meaning “because” or “if”, perhaps a form of want.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ a b c 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. ^ 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 Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  9. ^ a b c 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
  10. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  11. ^ a b WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  12. ^ a b Reinsma, R. (1984), Neologismen, Utrecht: Spectrum
  13. ^ Kamp, Jacob van de; Wijk, Jacob van der (2006), Koosjer Nederlands: Joodse woorden in de Nederlandse taal, Amsterdam: Contact
  14. ^ a b 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. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen