alleen Dutch · revision 37114

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1236, Middle Dutch (Ghent)|origins=odt *allēno}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɑˈleːn/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''alleen''' (comparative allener, superlative alleenst)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|allêne]], [[inh|odt|*allēno]], a compound [[af|nl|al|een]]: the intensifying adverb [[al]] “entirely” and the weak form ⟨ene⟩ of the numeral [[een]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(VMNW) In the older Germanic languages the numeral meant “alone” as well as “one”, as [[got|𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃|tr=ains]] and [[ang|ān]] still did.^(WNT)^(Vercoullie 1925) The doubled ⟨ll⟩ comes from the close joining of the parts.^(WNT)^(VMNW)

+

+ The same compound is [[gml|allēne]], [[gmh|alein]] (modern [[de|allein]]), [[ofs|allēna]] (modern [[fy|allinne]]) and late Old English [[m|ang|eall āna]], whence [[en|alone]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) Van Haeringen thought that the Danish and Swedish words were taken over from Low German.^(Van Haeringen 1936) Van der Sijs gives their source as Dutch or Low German.^(Van der Sijs 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Middle Dutch ''allene'' is first found in Ghent in 1236.^(EWN)^(VMNW) A Limburg glossary of 1240 gives it for Latin ''solus'' “alone” and ''dumtaxat'' “only”, the adjective and the adverb.^(VMNW)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle Dutch ''allene'' also meant “entirely one, identical” (1287), and as an adverb “in the same way” and “at the same time”.^(VMNW)^(MNW) A Bruges charter of 1300 uses it for a person living without a spouse.^(VMNW) A Flemish rule of 1370 speaks of animals ''die allene sterven'', which died a natural death and were not slaughtered.^(MNW) The strong form ''alleen'' at first appeared only in rhyme; by the 17th century it prevailed, although ''alleene'' was still written in the States Bible and by Hooft.^(WNT)^(MNW)

+

+ The adverb ''alleen'' “only” is the source of ''niet alleen … maar ook'' “not only … but also”.^(WNT) Used as a conjunction for a plain contrast, as in German ''allein'', Moortgat considered it a germanism,^(Moortgat 1925) and ''alleen gaan'' for something that goes smoothly was a gallicism after French ''aller tout seul''.^(De Vreese 1899) The Scandinavian languages have ''alene'' and ''allena'', and Negerhollands and Berbice Dutch kept ''alleen'' and ''alen''.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1236 – Middle Dutch ''allene'' is recorded in Ghent.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+ * 1240 – A Limburg glossary gives ''allene'' for Latin ''solus'' and ''dumtaxat''.^(VMNW)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1287 – ''Allene'' means “entirely one, identical”.^(VMNW)

+ * 1300 – A Bruges charter uses ''allene'' for an unmarried person.^(VMNW)

+ * 1642 – Hooft still writes ''alleene''.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # (predicative) [[m|en|alone]], without company: ''Ze woont sinds vorig jaar alleen.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(ANW)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Without anyone's help: ''Dat krijg ik alleen niet voor elkaar.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(ANW)

+ # Without a partner, single.^(ANW)

+ # [[m|en|lonely]].^(ANW)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|only]], merely, nothing but: ''Alleen de voordeur was nog open.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # With this reservation, but: ''Het is een mooi huis, alleen ligt het aan een drukke weg.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(ANW)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[alleenstaand]]

+ * [[alleenheerschappij]]

+ * [[alleenheerser]]

+ * [[alleenrecht]]

+ * [[alleenspraak]]

+ * [[alleenzaligmakend]]

+ * [[allenig]]

+ * [[alleengaand]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[al]]

+ * [[een]]

+ * [[en|alone]]

+ * [[de|allein]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Moederziel alleen'' “all alone” goes back to Middle Dutch ''(al)moederene'', in which ''ene'' meant “separated from”, so that the phrase first meant “separated even from one's mother”; it was reinterpreted with ''alleen'' and strengthened with ''ziel''.^(Stoett 1923) The seventeenth century also said ''moerlijck alleen''.^(Stoett 1923)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}