je Dutch · revision 37067

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=1300–1350, Middle Dutch (enclitic)|origins=ine-pro *yúHs}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /jə/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''je'''^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the unstressed form of [[jij]], and like it a Holland form of the pronoun that elsewhere became [[gij]]: [[inh|dum|ji]], beside [[m|dum|gi]], [[inh|odt|gī]], [[inh|gem-pro|*jīz]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997) The forms with ⟨j-⟩ are typical of the North Sea Germanic dialects.^(EWN) The Germanic pronoun was [[m|gem-pro|*jūz]], still seen in [[got|𐌾𐌿𐍃|tr=jūs]]; in West Germanic its vowel was changed after [[m|gem-pro|*wīz|t=we]].^(EWN)^(Kroonen 2013)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|143) It is inherited from [[ine-pro|*yúHs|t=you (plural)]], as are [[sa|यूयम्|tr=yūyám]] and [[lt|jūs]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The EWN compares the early enclitic ⟨-je⟩ with Middle Dutch forms such as ⟨begrijpti⟩ “you understand”, in which the pronoun ⟨*ji⟩ was weakened and attached to the verb, and takes it to be the Holland variant of that ending.^(EWN) An older explanation from ⟨-di⟩ by palatalisation, still defended by Van der Sijs, the EWN calls very unlikely.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The pronoun first appears attached to a verb, in Middle Dutch ''Onrecht hebje'' “you are wrong”, from the first half of the 14th century.^(EWN) As a separate word ''je'' is recorded from 1618.^(Van der Sijs 2001)^(WikiWoordenboek)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Je'' and ''jij'' were at first limited to texts from Holland, where they served for both singular and plural, of any rank, and alternated with ''ghi''.^(EWN) In the course of the 17th century they appeared more often in writing but narrowed to the informal singular.^(EWN) With the rise of Holland the ''jij'' forms won out in the north, while ''gij'' lived on in formal writing and in the south.^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(EWN)

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+ Besides the subject and object forms, ''je'' serves as the unstressed form of the possessive ''jouw'' and as a general pronoun for anyone, like English “you” or “one”.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary) Negerhollands had ''joe'' or ''ju'' and Berbice Dutch ''ju'' for “you”.^(Van der Sijs 2010)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1300–1350 – Enclitic ''-je'' is recorded in ''hebje'' “have you”.^(EWN)

+ * 1550 – A spelling guide notes that some people say ''iy'' or ''jy'' for ''ghy''.^(EWN)

+ * 1617 – ''Jy'' appears in Hooft's work, in rendering speech.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1618 – The separate pronoun ''je'' is first recorded.^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 2004 – The Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling drops ''gij'', the last stronghold of the old form in the Netherlands.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # [[m|en|you]], the unstressed form of [[jij]] as subject or of [[jou]] as object: ''Heb je het boek gelezen?''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # One, people in general: ''Zoiets zeg je niet tegen je oma.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Referring indirectly to oneself, especially about feelings.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Determiner===

+ # [[m|en|your]], the unstressed form of [[jouw]]; also of [[jullie]].^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # ''(stressed)'' The best of its kind, as in ''je van het'' “the very best”, and ''het is niet je dat'', “it is not quite right”.^(Van Dale 2014)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[jij]]

+ * [[gij]]

+ * [[jou]]

+ * [[jouw]]

+ * [[jullie]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ Before a word that starts with ''je'', or when it is stressed, ''jij'' is used instead.^(Wiktionary) ''Je'' was used for the plural too before ''jullie'' took over that role.^(EWN)^(WNT)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}