zelf Dutch · revision 37230

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=901–1000, Wachtendonck Psalms|origins=gem-pro *selbaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /zɛlf/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''zelf'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Older and regional forms are ''zelve'', the oldest, inflected as a weak adjective and still southern and solemn, ''zelfs'', ''zelver'' and ''zelven''.^(WNT) ''Zelf'' arose from ''zelve'' by loss of the final vowel, already in Middle Dutch.^(WNT)

+ Zeeland dialects have ''zelft'', eastern dialects ''zulf'' and ''zölf''.^(WNT) Colloquial spellings are ''zellef'' and ''zelluf''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|selve]], [[inh|odt|self]], [[inh|gem-pro|*selbaz|t=self]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[osx|selƀo]], [[goh|selbo]] (modern [[de|selbst]] and [[m|de|selber]]), [[ofs|selva]], [[ang|selfa]] (modern [[en|self]]), [[non|sjálfr]] and [[got|𐍃𐌹𐌻𐌱𐌰|tr=silba]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Kroonen 2013) Modern [[fy|sels]] comes from a genitive [[m|ofs|selves]].^(EWN)

+

+ Its further origin is unclear.^(EWN)^(Kroonen 2013) The only possible relative outside Germanic is [[xve|sselboisselboi|t=to oneself]] on an inscription, but the reading of that inscription is very uncertain.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Kroonen 2013) Most scholars derive the word from [[ine-pro|*se-l-bʰo-]], with the pronoun stem of [[zich]].^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(De Vries 1971) Vercoullie and Kluge take the first part as the root [[m|ine-pro|*selh₁-|t=to take]], the source of [[la|cōnsulō|t=to deliberate]], [[grc|ἑλεῖν|tr=heleîn|t=to take]], [[sga|selb|t=possession]] and of [[m|gem-pro|*saljaną|t=to hand over]] (as in [[m|en|sell]] and [[m|got|𐍃𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=saljan|t=to offer]]).^(EWN)^(Vercoullie 1925) A proposal to see in it the reflexive stem with [[m|gem-pro|*lība-|t=body]] (as in [[lijf]]), “in one's own person”, is unlikely.^(EWN)^(WNT)

+

+ At first the word only stressed a person, as it still does; continental West Germanic soon also used it, after an article, for a thing already mentioned, the job that [[zelfde]] has taken over.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old Dutch ''self'' first appears in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century, where men ''selua'' “themselves” deceive out of idleness, and in ''an sig seluon'' “on themselves”.^(EWN)^(ONW)^(Van der Sijs 2001) Middle Dutch ''selve'' is recorded in 1200, in ''dines selues selecheit'' “your own bliss”, and the shorter ''self'' in a text of 1284–1287 that names a man ''self rechtere'' “himself judge”.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle Dutch the genitive gave ''sijns selfs sijn'', to be one's own master, also “to be of age”, like Latin ''sui iuris esse''.^(MNW) The grammarian Van Heule noted in 1625 that one could say ''zelve'', ''zelfs'', ''zelf'' or ''zelver''.^(WNT) The genitive-like form became [[zelfs]] “even”.^(Wiktionary)^(WNT)

+

+ As the first part of compounds ''zelf-'' forms many words for acts done to or by oneself, such as [[zelfmoord]] and [[zelfstandig]], and in depth psychology ''het zelf'' is the innermost self.^(WNT)^(Van Dale 2014)

+

+ The word passed into Javindo as ''sellef'', into Negerhollands as ''self'' and ''sel'', into Berbice Dutch as ''selfu'' and into Sranan Tongo as ''srefi''.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 901–1000 – Old Dutch ''selua'' “themselves” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1200 – Middle Dutch ''selue'' is first recorded.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+ * 1236 – ''Sins selues leden'' “his own kin”.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+ * 1284–1287 – The short form ''self'' appears.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+ * 1625 – Van Heule lists ''zelve'', ''zelfs'', ''zelf'' and ''zelver''.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Pronoun===

+ # [[m|en|oneself]], in person, used to stress who is meant: ''ik heb het zelf gezien''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # After a noun, the thing itself as opposed to something else: ''het dorp zelf is klein''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # By oneself, without help: ''ze maakt haar kleren zelf''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|self]], one's identity; in depth psychology and mysticism the innermost reality of the [[m|en|soul]].^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[zichzelf]]

+ * [[vanzelf]]

+ * [[jezelf]]

+ * [[zelfkant]]

+ * [[zelfmoord]]

+ * [[zelfstandig]]

+ * [[zelfzucht]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[zelfde]]

+ * [[zelfs]]

+ * [[zich]]

+ * [[en|self]]

+ * [[de|selbst]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Zeg nou zelf'' asks for agreement with something obvious, and ''al zeg ik het zelf'' means “though I say so myself”.^(Van Dale 2014)

+

+ A different regional ''zelf'' or ''selve'' means “sage”: it is an early borrowing of [[la|salvia]], recorded in Middle Dutch as ''salve'' in 1240 and still used in eastern and southern dialects.^(VMNW)^(MNW)^(WNT)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}