zullen

Forms

zullen^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch sullen, inherited from Old Dutch sulan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *skulan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *skulaną (“to owe, to be obliged”).^[2][1] It is a preterite-present verb, with a present *skal and plural *skulum.^[2][3] The same verb is Old Saxon skulan, Old High German scolan (modern German sollen), Old Frisian skela, Old English sculan (modern English shall), Old Norse skulu and Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰𐌽 (skulan, “to owe, to be indebted”).^[2][4][5]

In continental West Germanic a variant with simple ⟨s-⟩ arose, probably first in unstressed position, where the verb served as an auxiliary: hence Middle Dutch sal and German soll.^[2][4][6] Franck and Van Wijk thought the loss of the ⟨k⟩ insufficiently explained.^[7] The original ⟨sk-⟩ form survives in Middle Dutch in a single passage, as scullen.^[8][7]

The verb goes back to Proto-Indo-European *skel- (“to owe, to be guilty”), which also gave Lithuanian skelėti (“to owe, to be guilty”) and skolà (“debt”).^[2][4] If the ⟨s-⟩ is a movable s, Lithuanian kaltė (“guilt”) may be related, but there are no further connections.^[2] The noun schuld and Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌰 (skula, “debtor”) belong to the same root.^[7][9][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century sullon is used only as an auxiliary of the future, translating Latin future forms, as in ic sal beidan sin “I shall wait for him”.^[9][2] The older sense “to owe” is recorded only once, in a text from Werden of about 1151: the people honoured the Lord also sie scolden, as they owed it to him by right.^[9]

Semantic evolution

The first meaning was “to owe, to be obliged”, and the use for the future is secondary.^[10][6] In 13th-century Middle Dutch the verb most often meant “must”, especially in town by-laws, and with a negation “may not”.^[11] That sense grew dated after the 17th century, except in fixed expressions and in the Bible, as in the commandment Ghi sult v vader ende v moeder eeren “you shall honour your father and mother” (1526).^[3]

As a future auxiliary zullen can carry a promise or intention; the past zou marks the future seen from the past, the conditional and, as a modal, a report one has not checked.^[3][12] The infinitive itself is rare: it is not recorded in 13th-century Dutch, occurs once in Middle Dutch and appears in the first half of the 17th century; the present participle is first found in the States Bible of 1637.^[3]

Afrikaans sal, Negerhollands sa, sal and Sranan Tongo sa, an auxiliary of an uncertain future, continue the verb.^[13][1]

Timeline

• 901–1000 – Old Dutch sullon marks the future in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^[14][9]
• c. 1100 – The Leiden Willeram has the form sculen.^[2]
• c. 1151 – The only Old Dutch record of the sense “to owe”.^[9]
• c. 1200 – Middle Dutch sullen is recorded in Limburg.^[11]
• 1526 – A Bible has Ghi sult in the Ten Commandments.^[3]
• 1637 – The present participle appears in the States Bible.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. (auxiliary) Forms the future tense, will, shall: Morgen zal het gaan sneeuwen.^[12][1]
2. (auxiliary) Expresses an intention or promise: Ik zal je morgen terugbellen.^[3][1]
3. (auxiliary, past tense) Forms the conditional, “would”: Ik zou het niet doen.^[1]
4. (modal) Expresses a probability: Ze zal wel moe zijn na die reis.^[12]
5. (modal, past tense) Marks a claim that is reported, not confirmed: De minister zou zijn opgestapt.^[12]
6. (intransitive) Must, in moeten en zullen, to insist on having or doing something.^[12]

Related words

• schuld
• English shall
• German sollen

Usage notes

Het zal je maar gebeuren “just imagine it happening to you” expresses sympathy with someone in an unpleasant situation.^[12][3]

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 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 e f g h i 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
4. ^ a b c Vries, Jan de (1971), Nederlands etymologisch woordenboek, Leiden: Brill
5. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill
6. ^ a b Vries, Jan de; Tollenaere, Félicien de (2004), Etymologisch woordenboek: onze woorden, hun oorsprong en ontwikkeling, 23rd ed., Utrecht: Het Spectrum, p. 462
7. ^ a b c Franck, Johannes; Wijk, Nicolaas van (1912), Franck's Etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 2nd ed., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff
8. ^ Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
9. ^ a b c d e Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org
10. ^ Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
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. ^ a b c d e f Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
13. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2010), Nederlandse woorden wereldwijd, Den Haag: Sdu; with additions from the Uitleenwoordenbank (2015)
14. ^ Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen