naar Dutch · revision 37082

+ {{homograph|1|to, towards}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1240, Middle Dutch (Sermoenen van Sint Bernardus)|origins=gem-pro *nēhwiz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /naːr/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''naar''' (preposition, conjunction)^(Wiktionary)

+ Middle Dutch also wrote ''nare'' and ''naren''.^(MNW)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The preposition meaning “to, towards” is [[inh|dum|naer]], [[inh|odt|*nār]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*nāhuriʀ]], [[inh|gem-pro|*nēhwiz]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary) It was at first the comparative of [[na]] “near”, so it meant “nearer”.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Wiktionary) The same comparative is [[osx|nāhor]], [[goh|nāhōr]] (modern [[de|näher]]), [[ofs|nīar]], [[ang|nēar]] (modern [[en|near]]), [[non|nær]] and [[got|𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌹𐍃|tr=nēhwis]], all meaning “nearer”; the EWN traces them to Proto-Germanic comparatives in ⟨*-ōz-⟩ and ⟨*-iz⟩ built on [[m|gem-pro|*nēhw|alt=*nēhwa-|t=near]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Vercoullie 1925)

+

+ Already in Middle Dutch the form was no longer felt as a comparative, and ⟨na⟩ and ⟨naer⟩ were nearly interchangeable.^(EWN)^(MNW) The Middle Dutch Dictionary even explains ⟨naer⟩ as ⟨na⟩ with an added ⟨-r⟩ like that of [[hier]], [[daar]] and [[waar]].^(MNW) A new comparative was later made from it: [[nader]], from older ⟨naarder⟩, ⟨narer⟩.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is the comparative ''narre'' “nearer” in the Middle Dutch sermons of Saint Bernard (1240).^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001) As a preposition it appears in a Bruges charter of 1265, dated ''saterdaghes naer onser wrouwe daghe'', on the Saturday after the feast of Our Lady.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle Dutch ''naer'' meant “near”, “afterwards” and, in ''verre ende naer'', “far and near, everywhere”.^(VMNW)^(EWN) As a preposition it meant “after” in time, “according to” (from 1270, in a Ghent guild text) and “resembling”.^(VMNW)^(EWN) From 1285 it also meant “towards”.^(VMNW)^(EWN) The Middle Dutch Dictionary notes that in the sense “towards” it was still rare: the ordinary word was ''na'', as in the 17th century.^(MNW) With verbs of motion the idea of nearness turned into that of approaching a point, and so into the preposition of direction; from the idea of following came “according to”.^(WNT) In the 16th century it also became a conjunction, “as”, a shortening of ''naar dat'';^(EWN) ''naar men zegt'' means “as people say”.^(EWN)

+

+ The modern division of labour between ''na'' “after” and ''naar'' “to” was laid down by the 18th-century grammarian Huydecoper;^(WNT)^(EWN) Bilderdijk found it arbitrary, and in 1908 the WNT observed that speech ignored it, the north using only ''na'' and Flanders only ''naar''.^(WNT)^(EWN) In the early 1980s ''naar iemand toe'', and plain ''naar'', came into fashion in the sense “towards, with regard to someone”.^(Reinsma 1984)

+

+ Dutch carried the preposition to Asia and the Caribbean: Indonesian, Petjo and Javindo have ''naar'', and Negerhollands and Papiamentu ''na'';^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary) Sranan ''na'' may come from it too.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1240 – The comparative ''narre'' “nearer” appears in the sermons of Saint Bernard.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1265 – ''Naer'' “after” dates a Bruges charter.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+ * 1270 – ''Naer'' “according to” is recorded in Ghent.^(VMNW)

+ * 1285 – ''Naer'' “towards” is recorded: heathens coming ''naerre den tempel'', to the temple.^(EWN)

+ * 1548 – ''Naer'' is used as a conjunction, “as”: ''naer Esayas screue'', as Isaiah wrote.^(EWN)^(WNT)

+ * 1835 – De Jager credits Huydecoper with the rule that separates ''na'' and ''naar'' in writing.^(WNT)

+ * 1982 – ''Naar iemand toe'' “towards someone” is noted as a neologism.^(Reinsma 1984)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # [[m|en|to]], [[m|en|towards]]: in the direction of a place or person: ''Volgende week verhuizen we naar Gent.''^(Wiktionary)^(WNT)

+ # With verbs of looking, listening, longing or searching: at, for: ''Hij luistert naar de radio'';^(WNT)^(Wiktionary) ''ze verlangt naar de zomer''.^(WNT)^(Wiktionary)

+ # According to, after, in accordance with: ''naar oud gebruik''.^(Wiktionary)^(VMNW)^(WNT)

+ # Of smell and taste: like, of: ''De kamer ruikt naar verf.''^(VMNW)^(WNT)

+ # As the second part of a [[m|en|pronominal]] adverb: ''ernaar'', ''waarnaar'', ''hiernaar''.^(WNT)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # (formal) As, according to what: ''naar men zegt'', as people say.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[naartoe]]

+ * [[naardien]]

+ * [[naarmate]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|nasty}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=inherited|attested=901–1000, Old Dutch (the place name Naruthi)|origins=gem-pro *narwaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /naːr/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''naar''' (comparative naarder, superlative naarst)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective meaning “nasty” is [[inh|dum|naer]], [[inh|odt|*naro|t=narrow]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*naru]], [[inh|gem-pro|*narwaz|alt=*narwa-|t=narrow, constricted]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same adjective is [[osx|naru]], [[fy|near]] and [[ang|nearu]] (modern [[en|narrow]]), all meaning “narrow, tight”.^(EWN)^(Kroonen 2013) The mythological name [[non|Nǫrr]], properly an adjective “narrow”, and [[goh|narwa|t=scar]] (modern [[de|Narbe]]) are also compared.^(De Vries 1971)

+

+ Kroonen calls it an “Ingvaeonic” adjective, possibly related to [[lv|nārs|t=clamp]], and reconstructs [[ine-pro|*neh₂r-ú-]].^(Kroonen 2013) De Vries and Wiktionary connect it with a root [[ine-pro|*(s)ner-|t=to turn, twist, constrict]], also found in [[lt|narỹs|t=knot, gnarl]].^(De Vries 1971)^(Wiktionary)^(Orel 2003) Franck and Van Wijk thought the Lithuanian connection possible but not very convincing.^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

+

+ The original sense “narrow” is not recorded in Dutch, and Middle Dutch has the word only indirectly.^(EWN) Kiliaan in 1599 called ⟨naer⟩ Frisian, and the EWN considers it quite possible that the adjective was taken over from Frisian or Low German.^(EWN)^(WNT) The sense “dismal, frightening” can be compared with that of [[eng]], which also once meant “narrow”.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In Old Dutch the adjective survives only in the place name ''Naruthi'', Naarden in North Holland, recorded in the 10th century in a list of the property of the church of Utrecht: ''an Naruthi thiu kirica endi kiricland'', at Naarden the church and the church land.^(EWN)^(ONW)^(Van der Sijs 2001) Middle Dutch has it only in the verb ''benaren'' “to press hard” and in the superlative ''naerriekenste'', “worst-smelling”, used of an animal (1350–1400).^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Frisian the original sense “narrow” lives on, and in Frisian and Low German dialects the word is used of a tight chest.^(WNT) In Dutch, from the end of the 16th century, the adjective meant “frightening, gloomy”: Kiliaan glossed it in 1599 with Latin words for “weary, faint, weak”, and in the 17th century it described dark places, the night and ominous words.^(WNT)^(EWN) These uses have since gone out of the living language.^(WNT) In the 18th century it was said of people who looked unwell or were anxious and sad.^(WNT) From the 19th century it came to mean simply “unpleasant”, and of people “nasty, disagreeable”.^(WNT) The word became common mainly in the north of the Dutch language area.^(EWN)

+

+ Afrikaans ''naar'' passed into South African English.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 901–1000 – ''Naruthi'', Naarden, is recorded, containing Old Dutch ''*naro'' “narrow”.^(EWN)^(ONW)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1350–1400 – The superlative ''naerriekenste'' “worst-smelling” appears.^(EWN)^(MNW)

+ * 1599 – Kiliaan records ''naer'' as a Frisian word.^(EWN)^(WNT)

+ * c. 1603 – ''Naere duisterheit'', frightening darkness, is recorded.^(EWN)

+ * 1613 – ''De naere nacht'', the dreadful night.^(WNT)

+ * 1782 – ''Naar'' is said of a person who looks ill.^(WNT)

+ * 1831 – ''Naar'' means simply “unpleasant”.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|unpleasant]], [[m|en|nasty]], dismal: ''Het was een nare reis door de regen.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # Of people: very [[m|en|disagreeable]], mean: ''Doe niet zo naar tegen je broertje.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WNT)

+ # (predicative) [[m|en|queasy]], unwell: ''Na de boottocht voelde ik me naar.''^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # Frightening, eerie: ''een naar verhaal''.^(Wiktionary)^(WNT)

+ # With a reflexive verb, intensifying: ''zich naar lachen'', ''zich naar schrikken'', ''zich naar zoeken'', to laugh, be startled or search oneself sick.^(Van Dale 2014)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[naargeestig]]

+ * [[naarheid]]

+ * [[naarling]]

+ * [[narigheid]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[na]]

+ * [[nader]]

+ * [[naast]]

+ * [[benard]]

+ * [[nerf]]

+ * [[eng]]

+ * [[en|near]]

+ * [[en|narrow]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In Flemish and Brabant dialects ''naar'' also means “closely related”: ''nare familie'' is close family, like English ''close family'';^(Debrabandere 2002)^(Debrabandere 2010) Debrabandere derives it from the same adjective for “narrow” rather than from ''na'' “near”.^(Debrabandere 2002)^(Debrabandere 2010) Spoken Dutch in the Netherlands long used ''na'' where writing has ''naar''.^(WNT)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}