echt Dutch · revision 37125

+ {{homograph|1|real, genuine}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=mid-13th century, Middle Dutch|origins=gmw-pro *aiwahaft}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɛxt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''echt''' (comparative echter, superlative echtst)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|echt]], [[inh|odt|*ēhaft]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*aiwahaft]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary) It is a very old compound, Germanic ⟨*aiwō-hafta-⟩: the first part is the noun [[gem-pro|*aiwō|alt=*aiwō-]] “law, custom”, the second the suffix ⟨-haft⟩ “in accordance with” that became [[-achtig]].^(EWN)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|117) Regular sound change gave ⟨ēhacht⟩, contracted to ⟨echt⟩.^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) The first part is Old Dutch [[m|odt|ēwa|t=law]] and Middle Dutch [[m|dum|ewe]] or [[m|dum|ee|t=law, marriage]], the word in [[eega]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)

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+ The compound is also [[osx|ēhaft|t=lawful]], [[goh|ēhaft|t=just, sacred]] and [[ofs|aft]], but in most languages it was later replaced by the Dutch word, often by way of Low German: [[gml|echte]] is from Middle Dutch, and [[de|echt]], [[da|ægte]] and [[sv|äkta]] in turn come from Middle Low German.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2010) The original sense, “in keeping with custom and law”, survives in [[onecht]], especially of a child born outside marriage.^(EWN)

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+ The further origin of ⟨*aiwō⟩ is uncertain.^(De Vries 1971) The EWN and Weisweiler connect it with [[eeuw]], taking the basic sense as “law valid for ever”, while Franck and Van Wijk compared [[la|aequus|t=level, fair]] and denied any link with ⟨eeuw⟩, and Van Haeringen thought neither view proved.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(Van Haeringen 1936)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The EWN and Van der Sijs date the adjective to the 10th-century Wachtendonck Psalms, with ''echt'' and ''eft'' “lawful”,^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001) but the ONW reads those glosses as an adverb ''eft'' “but, again”, which rendered Latin ''vero''.^(ONW) Middle Dutch ''echt'' “lawful, joined in marriage” is recorded in the mid-13th century,^(EWN)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|117) and a text of 1265–1270 uses it for “true, truly”.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The first meaning was legal: lawful, especially of marriage, of husband and wife and of children born in wedlock.^(MNW)^(WNT) The 17th century still said ''echte man'' and ''echte vrouw'' and ''van echten bedde'' “of a lawful marriage” (1632), uses the WNT calls almost obsolete in 1916.^(WNT)

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+ From the 17th century the sense “genuine, not forged, not feigned” took over.^(EWN) The WNT has ''echt berouw'' “true remorse” from 1766 and a stone “far too big to be genuine” from 1837.^(WNT) The word then came to mean “a real, typical example of”, and in plant and animal names it marks the type, as in ''echte kamille''.^(WNT)^(Van Dale 2014) As an intensifying adverb, “really”, it belonged at first to popular and children's speech.^(WNT)

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+ Danish ''ægte'', Norwegian ''ekte'' and Estonian ''ehtne'' come from Dutch or Low German, and Papiamentu ''echt'' and Sranan ''èkte'' “real” from Dutch.^(Van der Sijs 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Mid-13th century – Middle Dutch ''echt'' “lawful, married” is recorded.^(EWN)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|117)

+ * 1265–1270 – The adverb “truly” appears.^(EWN)

+ * 1325 – ''Eyn echt wijff'' “a lawful wife” is recorded.^(MNW)

+ * 1632 – ''Van echten bedde'' “born in wedlock” is recorded.^(WNT)

+ * 1766 – ''Echt berouw'' shows the sense “not feigned”.^(WNT)

+ * 1837 – ''Echt'' is used for a stone, “not imitation”.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|genuine]], authentic, not imitation: ''Is die ring van echt goud?''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(ANW)

+ # Real, typical, being fully what is named: ''Het was een echte zomerdag.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WNT)

+ # ''(dated)'' [[m|en|lawful]], especially concerning marriage.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WNT)

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+ ===Adverb===

+ # ''(intensifier)'' Really, truly: ''Dat is echt lekker.''^(Wiktionary)^(WNT)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[echtheid]]

+ * [[onecht]]

+ * [[echten]]

+ * [[echtjes]]

+ * [[wasecht]]

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+ {{homograph|2|marriage}}

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+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1300–1325, Middle Dutch|origins=gmw-pro *aiwahaft}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɛxt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''echt''' ''m'' (uncountable, no diminutive)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|echte|t=marriage]], the Middle Dutch adjective [[m|dum|echt|t=lawful]] used as a noun, so that the word expresses the lawfulness of the union.^(EWN)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|117)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) The adjective has since lost that meaning.^(EWN)^(Wiktionary) The same noun is [[gml|echte]] and [[ofs|afte]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971) It was neuter at first, and the masculine gender appears only in modern Dutch.^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(De Vries 1971)

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+ Van Helten proposed instead an original feminine ⟨*aihti⟩ “possession”, comparing [[got|𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃|tr=aihts|t=property]] and Old Saxon ⟨ēht⟩ “property acquired by marriage”.^(De Vries 1971) Franck and Van Wijk treated that noun as a separate word, related to [[eigen]].^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Van der Sijs dates the noun to the Lex Salica of 701–800.^(Van der Sijs 2001) The EWN's first Middle Dutch record is from 1300–1325: ''dat hi metten rechte ne conste gecomen uter hechte'', “that he could not lawfully leave the marriage”.^(EWN)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As an independent noun the word is now formal or old-fashioned and occurs almost only in phrases such as ''in de echt treden'' “to marry” and ''door de echt verbonden worden''.^(EWN)^(Van Dale 2014) The WNT records ''den echt breken'' and ''scheuren'' “to break the marriage” (1613), ''ten echt geven'' “to give in marriage” (1616), and the obsolete ''een belofte houden als de hond zijn echt'', “to keep a promise as a dog keeps its marriage”.^(WNT)

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+ Compounds with ''echt'' have been frequent since the end of the 16th century: ''echtscheiding'' (1599), ''echtpaar'' (1608), ''echtgenoot'' (1631).^(EWN) Danish ''ægte'', Norwegian ''ekte'' and Swedish ''ta till äkta'' “to marry” come from Dutch or Low German, and Negerhollands has ''echt'' and ''echte''.^(Van der Sijs 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 701–800 – The noun is dated to the Lex Salica.^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1300–1325 – Middle Dutch ''echte'' “marriage” is recorded.^(EWN)

+ * 1599 – Kiliaan has ''echt-scheydinge'' “divorce”.^(EWN)

+ * 1608 – ''Echtpaar'' “married couple” is recorded.^(EWN)

+ * 1613 – ''U echt … scheuren'' “to break your marriage” is recorded.^(WNT)

+ * 1631 – ''Echtgenoten'' “spouses” is recorded.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(formal)'' [[m|en|marriage]], [[m|en|matrimony]]: ''Zij traden in 1950 in de echt.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(ANW)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[echtelijk]]

+ * [[echtgenoot]]

+ * [[echtpaar]]

+ * [[echtscheiding]]

+ * [[echtbreuk]]

+ * [[echtelieden]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[eeuw]]

+ * [[eega]]

+ * [[-achtig]]

+ * [[echter]]

+ * [[de|echt]]

+ * [[de|Ehe]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ Middle Dutch also had an adverb ''echt'' “afterwards, again, further”, as in ''nu ende echt'' “now and always”, which is a derivative of ''af'' and belongs with ''echter''.^(VMNW)^(ONW)^(MNW) The place name Echt in Limburg is explained from a Middle Dutch ''echt'' “property”, a forest reserved for the lord.^(Van Berkel & Samplonius 2018)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}