Etymologically
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zoon

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Pronunciation

Forms

zoon m (plural zoons or zonen, diminutive zoontje n)[1] The dialect form zeun, with a fronted vowel, is widespread;[2][3][4] zoon prevails in and around the towns of Holland and in the south-east.[2][3][4] In the 16th century the form zone still prevailed.[4]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch sōne, inherited from Old Dutch suno, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *sunu, inherited from Proto-Germanic *sunuz (“son”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *suHnús (“son”).[1][5][6] The same word is Old Saxon sunu, Old High German sunu (modern German Sohn), Old Frisian sunu, Old English sunu (modern English son), Old Norse sunr and Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌿𐍃 (sunus).[5][6][7] West Frisian soan is a loan from Dutch.[5]

Outside Germanic it is Sanskrit सूनु (sūnú), Avestan hunu-, Lithuanian sūnùs and Old Church Slavonic сынъ (synŭ), from Proto-Indo-European *suH-nu-; with another suffix, Proto-Indo-European *suH-iu- gave Ancient Greek υἱός (huiós).[5][2][8] Taking the meaning to be “one who is born”, the EWN derives both from a root Proto-Indo-European *sewH- (“to give birth”), which survives as a verb only in Iranian.[5] De Vries compares सूते (sū́te, “gives birth”).[2][8] In Germanic the long /uː/ before the accent was regularly shortened.[5][7]

De Vries explains the dialect form ⟨zeun⟩ by umlaut from the plural, as in English and Norse;[2][3] Van Haeringen doubts that this explains it everywhere.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The oldest record is the Utrecht baptismal vow of the late 8th century: gelobistu in crist godes suno? “do you believe in Christ, God's son?”[5][9][10] The Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century have sun min bis thu, “you are my son”, and Middle Dutch sone is first found in Ghent in 1237.[5][9][11]

Semantic evolution

The meaning has stayed the same throughout, a male child in relation to his parents.[5][4] Already in Old Dutch the word named Christ as the Son of God, a use that follows Latin filius, and was used figuratively of a spiritual heir.[9][12] In medieval charters zoen after the father's name served as a patronymic, as in Jan Jans zoen (1500).[4] An adopted son was een aenghenomen, oft vercoren zone in 1544.[4]

Modern Dutch also uses the word for a man seen as the heir of a predecessor or an age, for a son of a nation or a town, for the male offspring of an animal, especially a horse, and as a priest's form of address.[13] The diminutive zoontje could be ironic, of a spoilt son (1784).[4]

Afrikaans has seun, and the word was taken into Negerhollands as soon.[1][14]

Timeline

  • 791 – Godes suno “God's son” in the Utrecht baptismal vow.[5][9]
  • 10th century – The Wachtendonck Psalms have sun min bis thu.[5][9]
  • 1237 – Middle Dutch sone in a charter from Ghent.[11][5]
  • 1500 – Jan Jans zoen as a patronymic.[4]
  • 1544 – Een aenghenomen, oft vercoren zone, an adopted son.[4]
  • 1784 – Ironic Zoontje, a spoilt son.[4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A son, a male child in relation to his parents: Hun jongste zoon studeert in Gent.[15][13][1]
  2. A man seen as the spiritual heir of a predecessor or of an age.[13]
  3. A man belonging to a nation, an institution or a town: a son of the city.[13]
  4. The male offspring of an animal, especially a horse.[13]
  5. Used by a priest to address a man or boy in his care.[13]
  6. (de Zoon) Christ, the Son of God.[15][9]

Word family

  • kleinzoon
  • schoonzoon
  • stiefzoon
  • bastaardzoon
  • boerenzoon
  • zoonlief
  • zoonschap

Usage notes

The plural is zonen or zoons.[1][4] Van vader op zoon means from generation to generation, and de Zoon des Mensen is Christ.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d 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 k 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
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  7. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill
  8. ^ a b Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
  9. ^ a b c d e f Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
  10. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  11. ^ a b 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. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2005), Groot leenwoordenboek, Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale
  13. ^ a b c d e f Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
  14. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  15. ^ a b c Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers