jou Dutch · revision 37105

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1274, Middle Dutch|origins=gem-pro *izwiz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /jɑu̯/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''jou'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Without stress the form is ''je''.^(WNT)^(Van Dale 2014) The possessive is ''jouw'', from Middle Dutch ''juwe'', ''jouwe''.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|jou]], [[inh|odt|*jū]], [[inh|gem-pro|*iwwiz]], the object form of the pronoun of the second person, at first only in the plural.^(EWN)^(Wiktionary) The Germanic form was [[gem-pro|*izwiz]], which became [[gem-pro|*iwwiz]] by dissimilation in West and North Germanic.^(EWN)^(Wiktionary) The same pronoun is [[osx|iu]], [[goh|iu]] (dative) and [[m|goh|iuwih]] (accusative), which merged in modern [[de|euch]], [[ofs|jo]], [[ang|ēow]] (modern [[en|you]]), [[non|yðr]] and [[got|𐌹𐌶𐍅𐌹𐍃|tr=izwis]].^(EWN) The Germanic form is hard to explain from the other Indo-European pronouns of the second person plural.^(EWN) Its ⟨*-wiz⟩ may be connected with [[la|vōs|t=you]], and ⟨*izwiz⟩ may have arisen by dissimilation from a doubled ⟨*wiz-wiz⟩.^(EWN)

+

+ The form with ⟨j-⟩ is a western, coastal (Ingvaeonic) variant of Middle Dutch [[u]], the object form of [[gij]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997) As ⟨gi⟩ went from a plural to a singular and plural pronoun, the object form followed.^(EWN) ⟨U⟩ was far more usual in writing, but in Holland ⟨ju⟩ joined the subject form [[jij]], and the change of final /u/ to /ou/ in much of the language area produced ⟨jou⟩.^(EWN)^(MNW) Wiktionary calls it a northern, perhaps Frisian variant, and so a doublet of ⟨u⟩.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The plural is recorded in the 10th-century Wachtendonck Psalms, in ''reslāt alla iu'', “he destroys you all”.^(EWN) Middle Dutch charters have ''wie doen ju te wetene'' “we let you know” in 1274 and ''vie doen jou allen tewetene'' in 1282, still addressed to several people.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle Dutch the form served for both singular and plural, and also as a possessive, as it still does in Holland dialects.^(MNW) In 1550 the grammarian Lambrecht noted that the Hollanders said ''ic hebt iou ghegheven'' where others said ''u''.^(EWN) After that the pair ''jij'' and ''jou'' developed together, until ''jou'' became only the object form of ''jij''.^(EWN) English ''you'' and West Frisian ''jo'' went further and became subject forms too.^(MNW)

+

+ In address the word is used for scolding, as in ''jou ezel!'' “you ass!”.^(WNT)^(Van Haeringen 1936) It lives on in Afrikaans ''jou'' and in Petjo.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 901–1000 – The plural ''iu'' appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^(EWN)

+ * 1274 – Middle Dutch ''ju'' is recorded in a charter.^(EWN)

+ * 1280 – ''Jouwe minne'' “your love” uses it as a possessive.^(MNW)

+ * 1282 – The spelling ''jou'' is recorded.^(EWN)

+ * 1330 – Van der Sijs dates the personal pronoun to this year.^(Van der Sijs 2001)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)

+ * 1550 – Lambrecht notes the singular use in Holland.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # [[m|en|you]]: the object form of ''jij'', stressed: ''Ik heb het aan jou gegeven, niet aan hem.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In abusive address before a noun: ''jou sufferd!''^(WNT)^(Van Haeringen 1936)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[jouzelf]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[jij]]

+ * [[je]]

+ * [[jouw]]

+ * [[u]]

+ * [[uw]]

+ * [[jullie]]

+ * [[gij]]

+ * [[en|you]]

+ * [[de|euch]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Ik heb het tegen jou'' makes clear who is meant, and ''een klap van heb ik jou daar'' is a tremendous blow.^(Van Dale 2014) Unrelated is ''jou'' “yes” in the Dutch of Amsterdam Jews, from Western Yiddish, as in ''jou oder lou'', “yes or no”.^(Van de Kamp 2006)^(Beem 1975)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}