dingen Dutch · revision 37210

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1237, Middle Dutch (Ghent)|origins=gem-pro *þingą}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈdɪŋə(n)/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''dingen'''^(Wiktionary)

+ The verb was weak at first and became strong in the 16th century, after verbs such as ''dwingen'' and ''zingen'': past ''dong'', participle ''gedongen''.^(EWN)^(Vercoullie 1925)^(WNT) After the 17th century weak forms no longer occur, in ''afdingen'' and ''bedingen'' either.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|dinghen]], [[inh|odt|*thingon]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*þingōn]], [[inh|gem-pro|*þingōną|t=to hold a meeting, discuss]], a verb formed from the noun [[m|gem-pro|*þingą|t=assembly, matter]], the ancestor of [[ding]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(De Vries 1971)^(VMNW) The same verb is [[osx|thingon|t=to hold court]], [[goh|dingōn|t=to hope, strive]] (modern [[de|dingen]]), [[ofs|thingia]] (modern [[fy|tingje]]), [[ang|þingian|t=to ask, desire]] and [[non|þinga|t=to hold an assembly or court]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004)

+

+ Its first sense comes from the old meaning of the noun, “court, assembly, lawsuit”.^(EWN)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997) The Philippa dictionary traces the development from “to hold a court” through “to plead” to “to strive, compete” and finally “to negotiate, haggle”.^(EWN)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(De Vries 1971)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The oldest record is from Ghent in 1237, of the person ''dar hi up dinghet'', against whom one brings a lawsuit.^(EWN)^(VMNW) A Limburg word list of 1240 glosses Latin ''placitare'' “to plead, hold court” with ''dengen''.^(VMNW)^(Van der Sijs 2001)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|104)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle Dutch used ''dinghen'' for holding court and passing judgement (1281), for pleading a case (1286–1343), for making a bid on something (late 14th century) and for striving after a thing (about 1450).^(EWN)^(MNW) The legal senses were still alive in the 16th and 17th centuries: a text of 1555 prefers anything to going to law (''playeren oft dinghen''), and in 1622 the council ''dingt'' and gives judgement.^(WNT) They are now obsolete.^(WNT)

+

+ ''Dingen naar'', to try to obtain, is found in 1642, when the Emperor Ferdinand ''dong'' for an office for his son, and in 1766 suitors ''dingen'' for a girl's hand.^(WNT) ''Dingen om'', to compete for, follows in 1735.^(WNT) Haggling over a price is recorded in 1612 and 1642, and in this sense the compound [[afdingen]] has largely taken over.^(WNT)^(EWN)^(Van Dale 2014)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1237 – Middle Dutch ''dinghet'' “brings a lawsuit”, at Ghent.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+ * 1240 – ''Dengen'' glosses Latin ''placitare''.^(VMNW)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1281 – ''Dinghen'' “to hold court”.^(EWN)

+ * late 14th century – “To bid on, offer to buy”.^(EWN)^(MNW)

+ * c. 1450 – “To strive”.^(EWN)^(MNW)

+ * 1612 – ''Nau dingen'' “to haggle hard”.^(WNT)

+ * 1642 – ''Dingen naar'' an office.^(WNT)

+ * 1735 – ''Dingen om'' “to compete for”.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(dingen naar)'' To try to obtain, to [[m|en|seek]] or [[m|en|solicit]] something, such as a prize, an office or someone's hand: ''naar de titel dingen''.^(WNT)^(WikiWoordenboek)^(Wiktionary)^(EWN)

+ # ''(dingen om)'' To compete, to [[m|en|vie]] for.^(WNT)^(EWN)

+ # To [[m|en|haggle]], to bargain over a price (more often [[afdingen]]).^(Van Dale 2014)^(WNT)^(EWN)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' To hold court; to plead a case.^(WNT)^(MNW)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[afdingen]]

+ * [[bedingen]]

+ * [[geding]]

+ * [[dinger]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ding]]

+ * [[en|thing]]

+ * [[de|dingen]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}