Etymologically
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zoveel

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Pronunciation

  • /zoːˈveːl/[1]
  • Stressed: /ˈzoː.veːl/[1]

Forms

zoveel[1] The older spelling is zooveel, and also separately, zoo veel.[1][2] Middle Dutch has sovele, souele.[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch sovele, from Middle Dutch so (“so”) + vele (“much, many”), the adverb meaning “so” with the numeral meaning “much”: the modern zo and veel.[3][2][1][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Middle Dutch souele is first recorded in Ghent in 1236, in a rule for brothers and sisters who may eat twice a day when not fasting: met souele moten si hem onthouden “with so much they must content themselves”.[3]

Semantic evolution

In Middle Dutch the word was used on its own and with a partitive genitive, as in so vele volcs “so many people” (1285), and as an adverb with verbs; in a West Flemish text of 1287 squid fly about a ship in such numbers that they sink it.[3]

The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal has it from 1501 with als, “as much as”, and with dat for a consequence, “so much that” (1520).[2] The phrase zoveel mogelijk “as much as possible” is found in 1703.[2] From it came the ordinal zoveelste “umpteenth” and zoveeljarig.[2][1] Van Dale gives zoveel als “more or less the same as” and met zoveel woorden “in so many words, explicitly”.[5]

Negerhollands borrowed the word as sooveel and Berbice Dutch as sofele or sufele.[6][1]

Timeline

  • 1236 – Middle Dutch souele “so much” is first recorded, in Ghent.[3]
  • 1285 – So vele volcs “so many people” is used with a genitive.[3]
  • 1287 – The adverb is recorded in West Flanders.[3]
  • 1501 – Zoeveel … als “as much as” appears.[2]
  • 1703 – Soo veel moogelijk “as much as possible” is recorded.[2]

Meanings

Numeral

  1. So much, so many; that much, that many: Ik had niet verwacht dat er zoveel mensen zouden komen.[5][1]
  2. A certain number, known or taken as known: Hij krijgt zoveel euro per uur.[5][7]
  3. Used when the exact number does not matter or is not known: op de zoveelste van de maand.[5]

Adverb

  1. So much, to such a degree: Ze is zoveel beter geworden.[5][1]

Word family

  • evenzoveel
  • zoveeljarig
  • zoveelste

Usage notes

Zoveel als can mean “more or less the same as”, and met zoveel woorden “in so many words, explicitly”.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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 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
  4. ^ Algemeen Nederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; anw.ivdnt.org
  5. ^ a b c d e f Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  6. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
  7. ^ WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org