misschien Dutch · revision 37181

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

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /mɪˈsxin/, /məˈsxin/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''misschien'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Older and regional forms are ''meschien'', southern ''misschiens'' and ''beschien''; in writing it is shortened to ''miss'' or ''mss''.^(WNT)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|maschien]] or [[m|dum|meschien]], a shortening of ⟨(het) mach schien⟩ “(it) may happen”, [[af|dum|mach|schien|t1=may|t2=to happen]].^(EWN)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(De Vries 1971)^(Wiktionary) The first part is the third person singular present of [[mogen]], the second the Middle Dutch verb that survives in [[geschieden]].^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) The fuller [[m|dum|machgescien]] is also recorded.^(MNW)

+

+ The cluster ⟨chsch⟩ was assimilated to ⟨ssch⟩.^(EWN) The vowel of the first syllable, which was unstressed, varied between ⟨a⟩, ⟨e⟩ and ⟨i⟩; the EWN thinks the ⟨i⟩ may come from the unrelated [[m|dum|misschien|t=to come to grief]] with the prefix [[mis-]], while Van Haeringen and De Vries, after a suggestion published in 1915–1916, point to [[misselijk]], which could mean “perhaps” in older Dutch.^(EWN)^(Van Haeringen 1936)^(De Vries 1971) The present form became general only in the 17th century, and its pronunciation with /mɪs-/ is a spelling pronunciation.^(EWN)

+

+ Other languages made the same phrase: [[gml|machschen]], [[da|måske]] (from Dutch or Low German), [[sv|kanske]] “can happen”, [[de|es mag sein]] and [[en|maybe]].^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(Van der Sijs 2010) Van der Sijs counts it as a translation of [[fr|peut-être]], but the EWN sees no need for a French model.^(Van der Sijs 2005)^(EWN)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Middle Dutch ''meschien'' first appears in 1236 in the rule of a Ghent leper house, about people who ''meschien'' might yet be sent away for their own wickedness.^(EWN)^(VMNW)^(Van der Sijs 2001) Around 1240 a Limburg glossary renders Latin ''forsan'', ''forte'' and ''fortasse'' with ''maschin'' “perhaps”.^(VMNW)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|250)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle Dutch had a parallel ''machlichte'', literally “may easily”, recorded in 1287, and modern Dutch has ''kan zijn'' in the same use.^(EWN)^(MNW) ''Misschien dat'' “it may be that” follows the original sense of the clause, though Middle Dutch hardly used it.^(WNT) The word is used both for what is possible and to make a statement or a question less firm.^(WNT)^(Van Dale 2014) Writers of the 18th century could even use it as a noun: scholars wore themselves out ''in misschienen en mooglykheeden'' (1784).^(WNT)

+

+ Frisian ''miskien'' and German dialect forms such as ''meschien'' come from Dutch, and the word passed into Petjo, Javindo, Berbice Dutch ''miskin'' and Afrikaans [[m|af|miskien]].^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1236 – Middle Dutch ''meschien'' in Ghent.^(EWN)^(VMNW)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * c. 1240 – ''Maschin'' glosses Latin ''forsan'' in Limburg.^(VMNW)^(EWN)

+ * 1287 – The parallel ''machlichte''.^(EWN)

+ * 1532 – The spelling ''misscien''.^(EWN)

+ * 1635 – ''Mach-schien'' in Van de Venne.^(WNT)

+ * 1784 – The plural noun ''misschienen'' “possibilities”.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|perhaps]], [[m|en|maybe]], possibly: ''Misschien komt hij morgen.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(ANW)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Softening a question or request: ''Kunt u misschien even helpen?''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WNT)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[mogen]]

+ * [[geschieden]]

+ * [[da|måske]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}