wijd

Forms

wijd (comparative wijder, superlative wijdst)^[1] Middle Dutch had wijt and, under the influence of side (as in wide ende side) and perhaps enghe, a form wide; the undiphthongised wied is common in dialects, and inflected forms such as wije are usual in speech.^[2]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch wijt, inherited from Old Dutch wīdo (“far and wide”) (an adverb), inherited from Proto-Germanic *wīdaz.^[3][1][4] The same word is Old Saxon wīd, Old High German wīt (modern German weit), Old Frisian wīd, Old English wīd (modern English wide) and Old Norse víðr.^[3][5]

The EWN presumes a source Proto-Indo-European *ui-h₁itó- (“gone apart”), formed from *ui- (“apart”) and a past participle of Proto-Indo-European *h₁ei- (“to go”), or else a direct derivative of *h₁ui- (“away”), itself probably from a form meaning “in two”.^[3][6] Kroonen and Wiktionary instead derive it from a formation “to set apart” with *dʰeh₁- (“to put”), whose first part was dissimilated from Proto-Indo-European *dwi- (“two”), as in Latin dīvidō (“to separate”) and the Germanic word for “widow”, Proto-Germanic *widuwǭ.^[7][1] Franck–Van Wijk found the comparison with a Sanskrit word for “straight” much less likely, and De Vries reports Trier's hypothesis of a root meaning “to plait, bind”, from the fenced space of an assembly.^[8][5][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Around 1100 the Old Dutch adverb wido appears in the Willeram: “your name is spread far and wide”.^[3][4][9] About 1200 it is found as an adjective in a word for a pike of large size.^[3] Middle Dutch wijt is recorded about 1240, and breed ende wijd “broad and wide” in 1287.^[3][10]

Semantic evolution

The pair wide ende side “far and wide” is found from 1265.^[11] In Middle Dutch the word also meant “far” and was used of loose clothing, such as shoes that should not sit wide (1301), and of gaping wide.^[12][11] Dialects in Brabant still use it for “far”.^[13] De wijde wereld “the wide world” is recorded from 1521 and het wijde veld “the open field” later.^[2] Wijdlopig (1509) meant first “detailed”, then “long-winded” (1618), perhaps under German weitläufig.^[3] Wagenwijd open “wide open” is explained as “wide enough for a cart to pass”.^[14]

German dialects took wijd en zijd as wit zu tsit and similar forms, from Dutch or Low German.^[15] The word also went into Negerhollands (wiet) and lives on in Afrikaans wyd.^[15][1]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Old Dutch wido “far and wide” is recorded.^[3][9]
• c. 1200 – It is found as an adjective, in a word for a big pike.^[3]
• c. 1240 – Middle Dutch wijt is recorded.^[3]
• 1265 – Wide ende side “far and wide” is recorded.^[11]
• 1287 – Breed ende wijd is recorded.^[3]
• 1509 – Wijdtloopich is recorded.^[3]
• 1521 – De weerelt wijt “the wide world” is recorded.^[2]
• 1897 – Wijd “open”, of vowels, is borrowed from English.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. wide, roomy;^[16][1] de deur wijd openzetten voor iets is to open the way to it.^[16][1]
2. With much empty space; of clothes: loose.^[16]
3. Large in area, vast;^[16][1] de wijde wereld in trekken is to go out into the world.^[16][1]

Adverb

1. Far, widely;^[1][16] wijd en zijd is everywhere, in all directions.^[1][16]

Word family

• wereldwijd
• wijders
• wagenwijd
• wijdlopig
• hemelwijd
• evenwijdig
• verwijden
• wijdte
• wijdheid
• wijdgeopend
• wijdmazig
• wijdverspreid
• wijdbal

Related words

• weduwe
• English wide
• German weit

Usage notes

In baseball and cricket wijd is a ball thrown out of the batter's reach, a borrowing of English wide.^[16][2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ 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
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l 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
4. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
5. ^ a b Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, 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 Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
10. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 439
11. ^ 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
12. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
13. ^ Debrabandere, Frans (2010), Brabants etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van de woordenschat van Antwerpen, Brussel, Noord-Brabant en Vlaams-Brabant, Zwolle: Wbooks
14. ^ Stoett, F. A. (1923–1925), Nederlandsche spreekwoorden, spreekwijzen, uitdrukkingen en gezegden, 4th ed., 3 vols., Zutphen: Thieme
15. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
16. ^ a b c d e f g h Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers