zien Dutch · revision 37078

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1100, Old Dutch (Willeram)|origins=ine-pro *sekʷ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /zin/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''zien''' (past ''zag'', plural ''zagen''; past participle ''gezien'')^(Wiktionary)^(WNT)

+ Older sources and dialects in Limburg, Gelderland, Overijssel and Zeeland have ''zijen''.^(WNT) The old imperative ''zich'' survives in some dialects.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|sien]], [[inh|odt|sian]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*sehwan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*sehwaną|alt=*sehwan-]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same verb is [[osx|sehan]], [[goh|sehan]] (modern [[de|sehen]]), [[ofs|siā]] (modern [[fy|sjen]]), [[ang|sēon]] (modern [[en|see]]), [[non|sjá]] and [[got|𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍈𐌰𐌽|tr=saihwan]].^(EWN)^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ It probably goes back to [[ine-pro|*sekʷ-]], also behind [[sga|rosc|t=eye]], [[hit|šakuwa|t=eyes]] and [[xto|šotre|t=sign]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971) [[sq|soh|t=I see]] and [[ru|со́кол|tr=sókol|t=falcon]] have been compared with doubt.^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|456) Two other groups of words are traced to a root of the same shape: one meaning “to follow”, with [[la|sequor]], [[grc|ἕπομαι|tr=hépomai]] and [[sa|सचते|tr=sácate|t=accompanies]], and one meaning “to tell”, for which see [[zeggen]].^(EWN)^(WNT) Whether they belong together is unclear.^(EWN) The older view that “to see” developed from “to follow with the eyes”, perhaps from the hunter tracking game, is unlikely to the EWN, since so basic a verb is not likely to come from the more abstract one.^(EWN)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|456)^(Van Haeringen 1936) Bjorvand and Lindeman instead derive it from [[ine-pro|*h₃ekʷ-|t=eye]] (see [[oog]]) with an added ⟨s-⟩.^(EWN)

+

+ The infinitive and the present lost the Germanic ⟨*h⟩ between vowels, which then merged.^(WNT)^(Wiktionary) The past kept ⟨g⟩, the grammatical alternation of Verner's law, as do [[zicht]] and [[gezicht]].^(Wiktionary)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old Dutch ''sian'' is recorded in the Willeram of about 1100, in ''wa her seluo ... sihet uz then uenstron'', where he himself looks out of the windows, and ''ich ther ... siho ouch uilo uasso'', I who also see very sharply.^(EWN)^(ONW) The first Middle Dutch record is in the Limburg life of Saint Servatius (1200): people ''[g]esien hadden di teiken'', who had seen the signs.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)^(VMNW)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Already in Old Dutch ''sian'' meant to see, to notice and to have sight.^(ONW) Middle Dutch added to look (''Siet op mi'', “look at me”, 1265–1270), to give a view of, to keep watch over, to experience, to visit and to see to something.^(EWN)^(VMNW) The WNT treats the infinitive used as a noun and the participles used as adjectives in the same article.^(WNT)

+

+ Van Dale lists idioms such as ''geen been zien in iets'', not to shrink from something, ''geen brood zien in iets'', to expect no profit from it, and ''Abraham gezien hebben'', to be over fifty.^(Van Dale 2014) The Flemish use of ''zien'' for ''inzien'', as in ''ik zie niet waarom'', was criticised as an imitation of French ''voir''.^(De Vreese 1899)

+

+ Afrikaans and Javindo have ''sien'';^(Wiktionary)^(Van der Sijs 2010) Sranan ''si'' may come from Dutch.^(Wiktionary)^(Van der Sijs 2010) In Petjo, ''gezientjes'' is hide-and-seek.^(Van der Sijs 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – Old Dutch ''sihet'' and ''siho'' are recorded in the Willeram.^(EWN)^(ONW)

+ * 1200 – Middle Dutch ''gesien'' appears in the Limburg life of Saint Servatius.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1265–1270 – ''Siet op mi'', “look at me”.^(EWN)

+ * 1621 – The form ''zijen'' is recorded in Hondius.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To [[m|en|see]], to perceive with the eyes: ''Ik zie een schip aan de horizon.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be able to see, not to be [[blind]]: ''Na de operatie kon hij weer zien.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(VMNW)

+ # To see in the mind, to understand, to regard: ''Ik zie het probleem niet.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(ONW)

+ # To look, to have a certain appearance: ''Het plein zag zwart van de mensen.''^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # To see to it, to take care that: ''Zie maar dat je op tijd bent.''^(VMNW)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[aanzien]]

+ * [[afzien]]

+ * [[doorzien]]

+ * [[omzien]]

+ * [[opzien]]

+ * [[overzien]]

+ * [[toezien]]

+ * [[uitzien]]

+ * [[voorzien]]

+ * [[weerzien]]

+ * [[ziener]]

+ * [[ziedaar]]

+ * [[ziehier]]

+ * [[gezicht]]

+ * [[zicht]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[zeggen]]

+ * [[en|see]]

+ * [[de|sehen]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In West Flemish ''zien'' is also a noun, “pupil of the eye”.^(Debrabandere 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}