Etymologically
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wij

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Pronunciation

  • Stressed: /ʋɛi̯/[1]
  • Unstressed: /ʋə/[1]

Forms

wij[1] The unstressed form is we, recorded in Middle Dutch from about 1240.[2][3] Regional forms include veer and wie, and unstressed me, ve and ver.[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch wi, inherited from Old Dutch wī, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, inherited from Proto-Germanic *wīz (“we”).[2][1][4] Old Dutch also has the eastern form wir, which is frequent.[2] The same pronoun is Old Saxon wī, Old High German wir (modern German wir), Old Frisian wī (modern West Frisian wy), Old English wē (modern English we), Old Norse vér (modern Swedish vi) and Gothic 𐍅𐌴𐌹𐍃 (weis).[2][5][4]

De Vries explains the Germanic form as built with a plural ending in s on the stem Proto-Indo-European *wei- of Sanskrit वयम् (vayám, “we”) and Avestan vaēm (“we”);[6][2] Tocharian A was and Tocharian B wes have the same plural marker.[6][2] Orel takes the final z to be secondary, after other plural forms, and adds Hittite wēš.[7][2] Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Indo-European *wéy as the plural of the pronoun “I”.[1] The dual “we two”, Old Saxon wit and Old Norse vit, is explained as Proto-Indo-European *we-dwo, with the word for “two” as its second part, like Lithuanian vedù.[6][8]

The object form ons has its own source, the zero grade Proto-Indo-European *n̥s- that also gave Latin nōs (“we, us”).[3][4][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Wachtendonck Psalms (10th century) have Uui lithon thuro fuir in thuro uuathir “we went through fire and through water”.[2] An early Middle Dutch text of 1220–1240 has al went wi alle síjn geuaen “until we are all caught”.[2][9] In 13th-century charters the pronoun is often followed by the title of those issuing the document, as in Wi vinderen “we, the inspectors” (Ghent, 1253).[9]

Semantic evolution

The pronoun has kept its meaning from Old Dutch on.[2][3] Besides the plain plural, it can stand for ik when speakers or writers want to keep themselves in the background, and it is the royal plural of a ruler.[10] In Flanders, North Brabant and Zeeland the pronoun can be repeated after the verb, as in a quotation of 1851: wij eten wij 's maandags keernmelkpap “we eat buttermilk porridge on Mondays”.[3]

Afrikaans has wy.[1] Dutch also gave Negerhollands wellie, and Sranan Tongo wi comes from Dutch or English;[11] Indonesian once had wéi, mainly as a royal “we”.[11]

Timeline

  • 901–1000 – Old Dutch wi appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.[2][12]
  • 1220–1240 – Middle Dutch wi is first recorded.[2][9]
  • c. 1240 – The unstressed form we appears, in Limburg.[2][9]
  • 1266–1267 – The spelling wij appears in wij scepenen “we, the aldermen”.[2]
  • 1851 – A writer records the Flemish doubled pronoun wij eten wij.[3]

Meanings

Pronoun

  1. we: the subject form of the first person plural;[10][1] wij tweetjes, the two of us.[10][1]
  2. Used instead of ik by someone who does not want to put themselves forward.[10]
  3. The royal we of a monarch (pluralis majestatis).[10]

Word family

  • wijzelf
  • wij-gevoel

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n 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 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
  4. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  5. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  6. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  7. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  8. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  9. ^ 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
  10. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  11. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  12. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen