nu Dutch · revision 37095

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=901–1000, Wachtendonck Psalms|origins=ine-pro *nu}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ny/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''nu'''^(Wiktionary)

+ The colloquial form ''nou'' is recorded from 1313.^(EWN) It has ⟨ou⟩ from West Germanic ''û'' at the end of a word, while ''nu'' is native to the south-west, where that vowel was fronted but not diphthongised.^(Van Haeringen 1936)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|nu|alt=nû]], [[inh|odt|nū]], [[inh|gem-pro|*nu]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|266) The same word is [[osx|nū]], [[goh|nū]] (modern [[de|nun]]), [[ofs|nū]] (modern [[fy|no]]), [[ang|nū]] (modern [[en|now]]), [[non|nú]] (modern [[sv|nu]]) and [[got|𐌽𐌿|tr=nu]].^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(Orel 2003)

+

+ It is inherited from [[ine-pro|*nu|t=now]], which is also found in [[la|nunc|t=now]] and the first part of [[m|la|nudius tertius|t=the day before yesterday]], [[grc|νῦν|tr=nûn]], [[sa|नु|tr=nú]], [[ae|nū]] and [[hit|nu]].^(EWN)^(Orel 2003)^(Wiktionary) In some of these languages it also means “only” or “just”.^(EWN) The adjective [[nieuw]] is a derivative of the same word, and [[nog]] probably is too.^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(WNT)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The adverb is recorded in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century, in ''ende nu kununga fornemt'' “and now, kings, understand” and ''untes nu'' “until now”.^(EWN)^(ONW) As a conjunction, “since”, it first appears in Middle Dutch of 1201–1225.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old Dutch ''nū'' meant “now, at this time”, often weakened to an urging particle before an imperative, and it could answer a clause introduced by ''nu'' “now that”.^(ONW) Middle Dutch set phrases included ''nu ende echt'' “now and later, always” and ''nu no echt'' “never”.^(MNW)

+

+ The Brabant form ''nou'' became the ordinary spoken form in much of the northern Netherlands, but writing kept ''nu'' until well into the 20th century, except when it reproduced speech.^(EWN) In present-day Netherlands Dutch ''nu'' is used for time and for the conjunction “since”, and ''nou'' for most other uses, in which the sense of time has faded or gone.^(EWN) The interjection ''nou'' is recorded from 1714.^(EWN)^(WNT)

+

+ The word lives on in Negerhollands ''nu'' and ''noe'' and in Skepi Dutch ''nou'', and Sranan has ''nownow'' “at the moment”.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 901–1000 – ''Nu'' appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)^(ONW)

+ * 1201–1225 – Middle Dutch ''nu'' is used as a conjunction, “since”.^(EWN)

+ * 1220–1240 – The Middle Dutch adverb is recorded.^(EWN)

+ * 1313 – The form ''nou'' appears, in ''nou ende immermeer'' “now and evermore”.^(EWN)

+ * 1616 – ''Hoe hebben wy 't nou?'' expresses annoyance.^(EWN)^(WNT)

+ * 1714 – ''Nou'' is used as an interjection.^(EWN)^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # At this moment, [[m|en|now]]: ''Ik moet nu naar huis.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # At a particular moment, in a story or in the past.^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # ''(formal)'' Continuing a story or an argument: ''Nu woonde er in die stad een rijke weduwe.''^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # Expressing [[m|en|impatience]]: ''Schiet nu eens op!''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Conjunction===

+ # Now that, [[m|en|since]]: ''Nu het donker is, gaan we naar binnen.''^(Wiktionary)^(EWN)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(het nu)'' The [[m|en|present]] moment: ''in het hier en nu''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[nieuw]]

+ * [[nog]]

+ * [[en|now]]

+ * [[de|nun]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Zo nu en dan'' means “now and then”, and ''tot nu toe'' “so far”.^(Van Dale 2014) The name of the Greek letter ν, ''nu'' (plural ''nu's''), was taken from Greek.^(Van der Sijs 2005)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}