Etymologically
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water

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Pronunciation

  • /ˈʋaː.tər/[1]
  • Belgium: [β̞aːtər][1]
  • Netherlands: [ʋaːtər][1]

Forms

water n (plural waters or wateren, diminutive watertje n)[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch water, inherited from Old Dutch watar, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *watar, inherited from Proto-Germanic *watōr (“water”).[2][1][3] The same word is Old Saxon watar, Old High German wazzar (modern German Wasser), Old Frisian weter and Old English wæter (modern English water); Old Norse vatn and Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉 (watō) (genitive ⟨watins⟩) show the stem with ⟨n⟩.[2][4][5] The Germanic noun continues an old ⟨r⟩/⟨n⟩ stem, Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥, genitive ⟨*wédn̥s⟩, and the adjective Proto-Germanic *wēta- (“wet”) (English wet) was formed from the same root.[2][5][1] Kroonen notes that the Germanic forms point to a paradigm with ⟨*wod-⟩ throughout.[5]

It is one of the few nouns found in every major branch of Indo-European.[2] Its relatives include Umbrian utur, Latin unda (“wave”), Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr), Sanskrit उदन् (udán), Lithuanian vanduõ, Old Church Slavonic вода (voda), Old Irish uisce, Old Armenian գետ (get, “river”), Albanian ujë and Hittite wātar.[2][4][6] Dutch otter belongs to the same root.[2][4] A strikingly similar stem in Finno-Ugric, as in Finnish vesi, has been noted;[2][4] De Vries asks whether it points to an old link between the families.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The word first appears inside a compound, watrischafo “spring, watering place for cattle”, in a charter of 709; as a simple noun it occurs in a charm of the late 9th century, “a fish swam over the water”.[2][3] The Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century use it both for the liquid and for bodies of water: fan diopithon uuatiro “from the depths of the waters”.[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Old Dutch already had both the substance and the sense “sea, lake, river”, and the noun formed the first part of place names such as Watermaal (1162).[3] In Middle Dutch it also meant drinking water, washing water, groundwater, a stream, the surface of the water, tears and bodily fluid; in the old theory of the four elements water stood beside fire, air and earth.[7][8] By 1520 zijn water maken meant to urinate, and doctors looked at a patient's water to make a diagnosis.[9]

From the 16th century water was also the clarity and lustre of a precious stone: a text of 1596 says that a perfect diamond must be van goede wateren.[9] From that comes van het zuiverste water, “of the purest kind”, later used of rogues and frauds as well.[9][10][11] Proverbs are many: geld als water “money like water”, quoted in 1798, and een storm in een glas water, after Cicero's fluctus in simpulo.[9][12] In finance, water names a bond without collateral or a share on which nothing has been paid.[10]

The word passed into Negerhollands, Skepi Dutch and Javindo, into Sranan Tongo (watra, from Dutch or English) and on into Saramaccan, and Afrikaans has water.[13][1] Danish borrowed vater “level, horizontal” from Dutch or Low German.[13]

Timeline

  • 709 – The compound watrischafo “watering place” in a charter.[2][3]
  • 891–900 – Uuatare in a charm: “a fish swam over the water”.[2][3]
  • 901–1000 – The Wachtendonck Psalms have uuatar and uuatiro.[3][14]
  • 1162 – The place name Watermale (Watermaal).[3]
  • 1236 – Middle Dutch water in a Ghent text.[2][7]
  • 1240 – The Bernardus glossary gives water for Latin aqua.[7]
  • 1520 – Zijn water maken “to urinate”.[9]
  • 1596 – A diamond should be van goede wateren.[9]
  • 1798 – Geld als water “money in floods”.[9]

Meanings

Noun

  1. water, the colourless liquid made of hydrogen and oxygen: Doe nog wat water in de soep.[10][1][15]
  2. A body of water, such as a sea, river, lake or canal: Het huis staat vlak aan het water.[10][1]
  3. Bodily fluid, especially urine or the fluid in a joint.[10][1][9]
  4. The clarity of a diamond.[10][15]
  5. (finance) A bond without collateral, or a share on which nothing has been paid.[10][15]

Word family

  • spraakwater
  • waterstof
  • waterzooi
  • waterglas
  • waterkers
  • afvalwater
  • bronwater
  • drinkwater
  • waterig
  • wateren
  • watering
  • regenwater
  • zeewater
  • grondwater

Usage notes

As a mass noun water has no plural; the plurals wateren and waters are used for kinds or bodies of water.[9] De Vreese counted Belgian tussen twee waters zwemmen (to keep in with both sides) and dienst der waters as gallicisms, after French nager entre deux eaux and service des eaux.[16] Geld als water verdienen is to earn a great deal of money.[12][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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 f g h Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  4. ^ a b c d e Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  5. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  6. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j 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
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  11. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  12. ^ a b Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
  13. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  14. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  15. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  16. ^ Vreese, Willem de (1899), Gallicismen in het Zuidnederlandsch, Gent: Siffer