wonder

Forms

wonder n (plural wonderen, diminutive wondertje n)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch wonder, inherited from Old Dutch wunder, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wundr, inherited from Proto-Germanic *wundra- (“something that causes wonder”).^[2][1][3] The same word is Old Saxon wundar, Old High German wuntar (modern German Wunder), Old English wundor (modern English wonder) and Old Norse undr (modern under).^[2][4][5]

Its further origin is very uncertain.^[2][6] Loewenthal derived it from the root Proto-Indo-European *wen- (“to strike, to wound”) of wond, as “a sudden event”; the EWN finds this far-fetched and De Vries most unsatisfactory.^[2][4][7] Kluge connected it with winden, as a derivative meaning something tangled and incomprehensible, which the EWN finds roundabout, though perplex shows a similar development.^[2] A link with *wenh₁- (“to wish, to love”) is semantically no more attractive to De Vries, but Wiktionary and Köbler adopt it.^[4][1][8] The comparison with a Greek verb for “to watch” rests on a word that is itself obscure.^[4][5]

The adjective and adverb ⟨wonder⟩ “wondrous; very” arose in Middle Dutch when the first part of compounds such as wonderschoon was taken as a word of its own.^[5][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch wundar is recorded in the 10th-century Wachtendonck Psalms, in thie duot uunder eino “who alone works wonders” and in a verse promising to declare God's wonders.^[2][3] The ONW dates its quotations to 901, from the southern Lower Rhine.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Middle Dutch has dat ist wunder gnvoge “that is a great wonder” in 1201–1225, wonder in the senses “astonishment” and “a wondrous thing, a sign” from 1240, and mirakle ende wonder groet “a miracle and great wonder” in 1265–1270.^[2] The old meaning “astonishment” sits beside “wonder” in Middle Dutch.^[4][5] The adjective, “astonishing, strange”, is found in West Flanders from 1285, as in het dochtem wonder “it seemed strange to him”; the VMNW notes that adjective and noun are often hard to tell apart.^[10]

Wonder boven wonder was already used in Middle Dutch, first as an oath by the marvels of God's providence and now meaning “strangely enough, against all odds”;^[11] geen wonder! and wat wonder! are still exclamations.^[11] Derivatives include wonderlijk, already Old Dutch wundarlīk, and wonderbaarlijk, from wonderbaer, recorded in 1562.^[2]

The noun lives on in Afrikaans wonder and Negerhollands wonder, and was borrowed into Sranan Tongo as wondru (“miracle”).^[12][1]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Old Dutch uunder “wonders” is recorded in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[3][2][13]
• 901–1000 – The derivative wundarlīk “wondrous” appears in the same psalms.^[2]
• 1201–1225 – Middle Dutch wunder is first recorded.^[2][10]
• 1240 – Wonder “astonishment; a wondrous thing” is recorded.^[2]
• 1285 – The adjective wonder “strange, astonishing” is found in West Flanders.^[10]
• 1540 – Wonder wercken “wondrous works” of God are mentioned.^[9]
• 1562 – Wonderbaer and wonderbaerlick are first recorded.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A miracle, an event put down to divine or supernatural intervention.^[14][1][15]
2. A marvel, something so remarkable that it seems supernatural.^[15][1]

Adjective

1. Strange, extraordinary.^[14][15]

Word family

• wonderbaar
• wonderlijk
• wondermooi
• wonderschoon
• wonderwel
• wonderboom
• wonderboon
• wonderdaad
• wonderdoener
• wonderdokter
• wonderkind
• wonderbaarlijk

Usage notes

Als door een wonder means as if by a miracle, and something that doet wonderen has a remarkable effect.^[14]

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 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 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 d Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
6. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 445
7. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
8. ^ Köbler, Gerhard, Altniederfränkisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling
9. ^ a b 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 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 Sterkenburg, P. G. J. van (2001), Vloeken: een cultuurbepaalde reactie op woede, irritatie en frustratie, 2nd ed., Den Haag: Sdu
12. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
14. ^ a b c Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
15. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org