zorgen

Forms

zorgen^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch sorgen, inherited from Old Dutch sorgon, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *sorgēn, inherited from Proto-Germanic *surgāną (“to worry, be concerned”), a verb formed from the noun *surgō (“worry, sorrow, care”), the ancestor of zorg.^[2][1][3][4] The same verb is Old Saxon sorgon, Old High German sorgēn (also ⟨sorgōn⟩, ⟨sworgēn⟩; modern German sorgen), Old Frisian sorgia, Old English sorgian (“to care, grieve”), Old Norse syrgja (“to mourn”) and Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌰𐌽 (saurgan, “to be anxious”).^[2][5][6][7]

The further origin of the noun is uncertain.^[2] If the Old High German forms with ⟨sw-⟩ are old, it can go back to the root Proto-Indo-European *swergʰ- (“to worry about; to be ill”), with Lithuanian sirgti (“to be ill”) and Old Irish serg (“illness”); but ⟨sw-⟩ is found only in Frankish Old High German and may be a local development.^[2][8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old Dutch sorgon first appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century, in so sorgoda herte min, “then my heart grew afraid”: the oldest sense is “to become anxious, afraid”.^[2][3] Middle Dutch sorgen glosses Latin sollicitare “to be anxious” and curare “to take care of (a sick person)” in a Limburg word list of 1240.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch the verb meant to fear and to be worried about something, and also to look after a sick person.^[4][10] A Brabant life of Saint Lutgard of 1276 uses it for being afraid, and a gospel translation of 1291 asks why one should worry about clothes.^[4] The sense “to fear” lasted into the 17th century and is now obsolete, as is zorgt niet “don't worry” (1500).^[11]

The modern sense of taking care of someone or something is clear in 1526, voor dat sijne zorgen, “to care for one's own”.^[2] Today the verb mostly means to see to it that something happens or is provided, to look after people, and, with voor, to cause something.^[12][13][1]

Dutch took the verb to its colonies: it is Negerhollands sorg, Papiamentu sòru, Sranan Tongo sorgu and Saramaccan solúgu, and through Sranan Tongo it reached Surinamese Javanese.^[14][1] Afrikaans has sorg.^[1]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Old Dutch sorgoda “grew afraid” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[2][3]
• 1240 – Middle Dutch sorgen glosses Latin sollicitare and curare.^[2][4]
• 1276 – Sorgen “to be afraid” in a Brabant life of Saint Lutgard.^[4]
• 1291 – Waromme sorgdi omme cleder?, “why do you worry about clothes?”.^[4]
• 1526 – Voor dat sijne zorgen, “to care for one's own”.^[2]

Meanings

Verb

1. (with voor) To see to it that something is done or provided, to ensure: zij zorgt voor de drankjes.^[12][1]
2. (with voor) To look after, care for someone: voor een zieke moeder zorgen.^[12][13]
3. (with voor) To cause, bring about: voor opschudding zorgen.^[13]
4. (with dat) To make sure that: zorg dat je op tijd bent.^[1][12]
5. (obsolete) To fear, to be worried.^[11][10]

Word family

• bezorgen
• verzorgen
• bezorgd
• zorger

Related words

• zorg
• English sorrow
• German sorgen

Usage notes

Voor zichzelf kunnen zorgen is to be able to provide for oneself.^[12]

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 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 Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
4. ^ a b c d e f g 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
5. ^ Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
6. ^ Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
7. ^ Haeringen, C. B. van (1936), Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal: Supplement, 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
8. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
9. ^ Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum
10. ^ a b Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
11. ^ 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
12. ^ a b c d e Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
13. ^ a b c WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
14. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)