welk

Forms

welk^[1] Dialects have many forms such as wek, wi(l)k, wu(l)k and wuk, arising from changes of the vowel or vocalisation of the ⟨l⟩.^[2] Northeastern huk probably owes its form to hoe and zuk “such”.^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch welc, inherited from Old Dutch wilik, inherited from Proto-Germanic *hwilīkaz (“what kind of”).^[4][1][5] The same word is Gothic 𐍈𐌹𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 (ƕileiks), Old Norse hvílíkr (modern Swedish vilken), Old English hwilc (modern English which), Old Saxon hwilīk, Old High German welīh (modern German welch) and Old Frisian hwelik (modern West Frisian hokker).^[4][6][7]

It was formed in Germanic from the stem of the interrogative pronoun, *hwa-, *hwe-, *hwi- (see wie and hoe), and *-līka- (“body, shape”) (see -lijk and lijk), so that it first meant “having what shape”.^[4][5][2] The pronoun stem goes back to Proto-Indo-European *kʷo-.^[8][2] zulk and elk are formed in the same way.^[4][7]

Forms such as Old English ⟨hūlic⟩ and Old Frisian ⟨hulk⟩, ⟨hok⟩ are best taken as later developments, with the ⟨w⟩ vocalised and the following vowel rounded.^[6][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century have in so uuilikin dage ic ruopen, “on whatever day I shall call”.^[4][9] About 1100 the Egmond Williram asks Welic is ther thin drut uone drute, “what kind of beloved is your beloved, compared with other beloveds?”^[4][5] Middle Dutch welc is recorded from 1236.^[10]

Semantic evolution

Old Dutch already used the word in direct and indirect questions, both for “which” and for “of what kind”, and with sō for “whichever”.^[5][4] Middle Dutch also used it as a relative pronoun, and welc van desen tween asked “which of these”, as in the Gospel parable of the father and his sons (1291).^[10][11]

The word was once declined like an adjective, but most of its case forms have gone out of use.^[2] The genitives welks and welker lasted longer in the relative pronoun, and the neuter relative welk was gradually replaced by hetwelk, as the masculine was by dewelke.^[2] In modern Dutch the relative welke is formal, while the interrogative is common.^[1][12]

Dutch passed the pronoun to Negerhollands (welk, welleke, welli) and Berbice Dutch (weleke).^[13][1]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Old Dutch so uuilikin “whichever” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[4][9]
• c. 1100 – Welic “of what kind” in the Egmond Williram.^[4][5]
• 1236 – Middle Dutch welc.^[10]
• 1265–1279 – Op welken tijt, “whenever”.^[4]
• 1291 – Welc van desen tween, “which of these”.^[10]

Meanings

Pronoun

1. (interrogative) which, what: welke trein neem je?^[12][1]
2. (relative, formal) Which, who: de regels welke hier gelden.^[1][2]
3. (with ook) Whichever, whatever: welke keuze je ook maakt.^[12]
4. (archaic) In exclamations of surprise or dismay: what!^[12]

Word family

• dewelke
• hetwelk
• welkdanig

Related words

• wie
• hoe
• zulk
• elk
• English which
• German welch

Usage notes

An adjective welk “withered, faded” has another origin: the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal derives it from the Indo-European root of words for “wet”.^[2] Kiliaan lists it in 1588, and it came back into use in the 18th century through German; it is now literary, and the verb welken “to wither” belongs with it.^[2][11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. ^ a b 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 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 d e Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
6. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
8. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
9. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
10. ^ 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
11. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
12. ^ a b c d Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)