beetje Dutch · revision 37277

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=1612|origins=nl beet}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbeːtjə/, [ˈbeːt͡ɕə], [-çə]^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''beetje''' ''n'' (plural beetjes)^(Wiktionary)

+ Hollandic dialects also say ''bietje'' and ''bitje'', and Afrikaans has ''bietjie''.^(De Vries 1971)^(Van Haeringen 1936)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the diminutive [[af|nl|beet|-je]] of [[beet]] “a bite”, so that a ⟨beetje⟩ was first a bite or mouthful, then a small piece.^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(Vercoullie 1925) The noun is itself formed from [[bijten]].^(Vercoullie 1925)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) The Philippa dictionary suggests that the diminutive may have arisen in the phrase ⟨niet een beet⟩ “nothing at all” of the 16th century, which [[gml|nicht ēn bētken]] matches in Middle Low German, though in the sense “small piece” it can also be a plain diminutive of ⟨beet⟩.^(EWN)^(Van Haeringen 1936) Comparable words are [[de|bisschen]], Low German [[m|nds|beten]] and [[fy|bytsje]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)

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+ The dialect forms with ⟨ie⟩ and ⟨i⟩ are not regular developments of ⟨beet⟩.^(Van Haeringen 1936) Van Haeringen explains them as an irregular sound change in a word used often and with feeling, while De Vries also considers the influence of a phrase with the word ⟨biet⟩.^(Van Haeringen 1936)^(De Vries 1971)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The diminutive appears early in the 17th century: ''een lecker beetje'' “a tasty morsel” is recorded in 1612, and ''beetje'' “a mouthful” in 1630.^(EWN) The simple noun was used in the same way, as in ''vertoeft nog een beet'' “stay a little longer” of 1616.^(EWN)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ From “a bite” the word came to mean any small piece or amount: in 1621 a writer has ''een beetje sproeten'' “a few freckles”, and Van der Sijs dates “a small part, a small number” to 1646.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001) In 1785 ''een beetje'' is first used as an adverb of degree, “a little, somewhat”, its commonest use today.^(EWN) Before a countable noun ''een beetje'' has come to mean “any decent”, as in ''een beetje uitgever'' “any publisher worth the name”, a use Reinsma documents with quotations from 1965 on.^(Reinsma 1975)^(Wiktionary) The phrase ''van stukje tot beetje'', “bit by bit, in every detail”, is common from the 17th century.^(Stoett 1923)

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+ Van der Sijs derives [[da|bitte|t=little]] from Dutch or Low German; the word also went into Negerhollands, Berbice Dutch and Saramaccan, and Afrikaans has [[m|af|bietjie]].^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1569 – ''Niet een beet'' “nothing at all” is recorded.^(EWN)

+ * 1612 – ''Een lecker beetje'' “a tasty morsel”.^(EWN)

+ * 1630 – ''Beetje'' “a mouthful”.^(EWN)

+ * 1646 – ''Beetje'' “a small amount”.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1785 – ''Een beetje'' as an adverb, “a little”.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A small [[m|en|amount]], a [[m|en|bit]]: ''een beetje zout'', a little salt.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(adverbial, een beetje)'' A little, [[m|en|somewhat]]: ''ik ben een beetje moe'', I am a bit tired.^(Wiktionary)^(EWN)

+ # ''(informal, een beetje + noun)'' Any decent, worth its salt: ''een beetje kok weet dat'', any cook worth the name knows that.^(Wiktionary)^(Reinsma 1975)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[beet]]

+ * [[bijten]]

+ * [[en|bit]]

+ * [[de|bisschen]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Alle beetjes helpen'', “every little helps”, is said to encourage small contributions or to excuse one's own.^(Van Dale 2014) Jokingly ''een beetje veel'' means “a lot”.^(Van Dale 2014)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}