weg Dutch · revision 37131

+ {{homograph|1|road, way}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=838, Old Dutch (place name)|origins=ine-pro *weǵʰ-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʋɛx/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''weg''' ''m'' (plural wegen, diminutive wegje n or weggetje n)^(Wiktionary)

+ Older and regional forms are ''weeg'', with the vowel lengthened from the inflected ''wege'', and ''weug'' in southern West Flanders.^(WNT) ''Wegt'', with a hypercorrect ''-t'', survived after the 17th century only in Holland, Utrecht and Zeeland.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun is [[inh|dum|wech]], [[inh|odt|weg]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*weg]], [[inh|gem-pro|*wegaz|t=way]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[osx|weg]], [[goh|weg]] (modern [[de|Weg]]), [[ofs|wei]] (modern [[fy|wei]]), [[ang|weg]] (modern [[en|way]]), [[non|vegr]] and [[got|𐍅𐌹𐌲𐍃|tr=wigs]].^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) Kroonen derives it from the strong verb [[m|gem-pro|*weganą|t=to move, carry]], from [[ine-pro|*weǵʰ-|t=to move, convey]], the root also of [[wegen]], [[bewegen]] and [[wagen]].^(Kroonen 2013)^(Wiktionary)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(EWN) Compare [[lt|vėžė|t=wheel track]].^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

+

+ Because “journey” stands closest to the verbal sense “to ride”, the EWN thinks it may well be the original meaning of the Germanic noun; from it came “path, route”, and figuratively “course of life” and “manner”.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The oldest record is the place name ''Uuaganuuega'' “wagon road”, an unidentified place in the Veluwe, in a document of 838 known from an 11th-century copy.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001) In the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century, ''uueg uuirkit imo'' means “make a way for him”, and ''uueg'' is also a person's path through life.^(EWN)^(ONW) A Middle Dutch text of about 1200 has ''Di wege si samenen sig al da'', “the roads all meet there”.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the 13th century ''wech'' meant a journey or pilgrimage, a road, a right of way, a direction, and also a manner, for example ''in anderwege'' “in other ways” (1248–1271).^(VMNW)^(EWN) A Ghent confraternity of St James swore in 1270 ''bi haren weghe'', by their pilgrimage.^(Van Sterkenburg 2001) Biblical language set ''de brede weg'', the broad way of sin, against the narrow path of virtue.^(Stoett 1923) Inflected forms of the noun gave the prepositions [[wegens]] and [[vanwege]] and the adverb [[halverwege]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ In modern Dutch ''weg'' is above all a road for traffic, a route, and a means to an end.^(ANW)^(Van Dale 2014) French took the word as ''houache'', the wake of a ship.^(Van der Sijs 2010) It lives on in Afrikaans [[m|af|weg]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 838 – The place name ''Uuaganuuega'' is recorded.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 901–1000 – ''Uueg'' “way” appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^(EWN)^(ONW)

+ * c. 1200 – Middle Dutch ''wech'' is first recorded, in Limburg.^(VMNW)

+ * 1248–1271 – The sense “manner” is recorded.^(EWN)

+ * 1270 – A Ghent oath ''bi haren weghe''.^(Van Sterkenburg 2001)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|road]], strip of ground made for traffic: ''De weg naar het dorp is smal.''^(ANW)^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|route]], the way to a place: ''Weet jij de weg naar het station?''^(ANW)^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # A means of reaching an end; a course of action.^(Van Dale 2014)^(ANW)

+ # A way of life, conduct.^(ANW)

+ # A [[m|en|manner]], way.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[wegens]]

+ * [[vanwege]]

+ * [[halverwege]]

+ * [[achterwege]]

+ * [[deswege]]

+ * [[omweg]]

+ * [[snelweg]]

+ * [[rijksweg]]

+ * [[straatweg]]

+ * [[wegdek]]

+ * [[wegenbouw]]

+ * [[wegennet]]

+ * [[wegel]]

+ * [[weegbree]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|away}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound, clipping|attested=1236, Middle Dutch}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ʋɛx/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''weg''' (adverb)^(Wiktionary)

+ An older form ''eweg'' is still regional, chiefly in Flanders.^(WNT) Flemish ''wei'', chiefly in ''wei en weder'', goes back to an inflected ''wege''.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adverb is [[inh|dum|wech]], shortened from [[m|dum|enwech]] (also ⟨ewech⟩), [[af|dum|en|wech|t1=in, on|t2=way]]: ⟨en⟩ is the unstressed form of the preposition [[in]] and ⟨wech⟩ is the noun [[weg#1]].^(EWN)^(WNT)^(De Vries 1971) The phrase meant literally “on one's way, setting out”, but it became a full adverb early on.^(EWN) The same formation is [[gml|enwech]], [[goh|in weg]] (later [[m|gmh|enwec]], modern [[de|weg]]), [[ofs|awei]], [[ang|on weg]] (modern [[en|away]]) and [[sv|i väg]].^(EWN)^(WNT)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Middle Dutch ''wech'' first appears with verbs of motion, as in ''Newar alse en gands woch wille gan'', “but when a healthy man wants to go away” (1236).^(EWN)^(VMNW) ''Wech gheuen'' follows in 1254, and ''Es hi met hasten wech gereden'', “he has ridden away in haste”, in 1265–1270.^(EWN) As an independent adverb it is first found in West Flanders in 1285: ''Alse wech waren die viande'', “when the enemies were gone”.^(EWN)^(VMNW)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Oudenaarde in 1291 ''wech hebben'' meant to have already received something.^(VMNW) Flemish had a form ''och'', and ''och ende weder'' meant “to and fro”.^(MNW) A 16th-century formula ''dits wech'' announced one's departure, and ''Weg wezen!'' urges someone to make off.^(WNT) With a weakened sense “on, further”, ''-weg'' forms adverbs from adjectives, such as [[botweg]], [[eenvoudigweg]] and [[plompweg]].^(EWN)^(WNT) In slang ''weg'' can mean very drunk.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The adverb was borrowed into Danish ([[m|da|væk]]) and Norwegian ([[m|no|vekk]]), from Dutch or Low German, into Negerhollands, and into Papiamentu as ''wèg'' “to send away”.^(Van der Sijs 2010) It lives on in Afrikaans [[m|af|weg]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1236 – ''Woch'' “away” is first recorded with a verb of motion.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+ * 1285 – ''Wech'' “gone” appears as an independent adverb, in West Flanders.^(EWN)^(VMNW)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1291 – ''Wech hebben'' “to have received already” is recorded in Oudenaarde.^(VMNW)

+ * 1514 – The earliest quotation in the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal.^(WNT)

+ * 1516 – The formula ''dits wech'' “I am off”.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|away]], from this place: ''Ga weg!''^(WNT)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Gone, disappeared, lost: ''Mijn sleutels zijn weg.''^(WNT)^(Wiktionary)

+ # With verbs, forming separable verbs: away, off (''weggaan'', ''wegnemen'').^(WNT)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(slang)'' Very drunk.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[weggaan]]

+ * [[wegbrengen]]

+ * [[weghalen]]

+ * [[wegnemen]]

+ * [[wegblijven]]

+ * [[wegkomen]]

+ * [[wegsturen]]

+ * [[verreweg]]

+ * [[botweg]]

+ * [[eenvoudigweg]]

+ * [[plompweg]]

+ * [[-weg]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bewegen]]

+ * [[wegen]]

+ * [[wagen]]

+ * [[en|way]]

+ * [[en|away]]

+ * [[de|Weg]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The culinary ''weg'', also ''wegge'', a wedge-shaped wheat roll, has its own origin: it is Middle Dutch ''wegghe'' “wedge”, akin to [[wig]], and is recorded as a bread from 1360.^(De Vries 1971)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|433)^(Van der Sijs 2001)^(Van Dale 2014) It was borrowed into English as [[m|en|wig]], a small bun.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(De Vries 1971)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}