slecht Dutch · revision 37288

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1240, Middle Dutch (Limburg)|origins=gem-pro *slihtaz}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /slɛxt/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''slecht''' (comparative slechter, superlative slechtst)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|slecht]], [[inh|gem-pro|*slihtaz|t=smooth, flat|alt=*slihta-]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary) The same word is [[goh|sleht]] (modern [[de|schlecht]]), [[gml|slicht]], [[ofs|sliucht]], [[non|sléttr|t=flat, smooth]] (modern [[sv|slät]]), [[got|𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍄𐍃|tr=slaihts|t=smooth]], and [[enm|slight]], the source of [[en|slight]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Wiktionary) It is formed with ablaut from the root of [[slijk]], meaning “smooth, slippery”, with /kt/ becoming /ht/.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971) Outside Germanic, Franck–Van Wijk and Van Veen compare [[grc|λισσός|tr=lissós]] and [[grc|λισπός|tr=lispós]], both “smooth”;^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(De Vries 1971) Kern's link with [[slaan]] is unlikely.^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(De Vries 1971)

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+ The old meaning “smooth, flat” has disappeared from the West Germanic languages, but survives in [[slechten]] “to level” and [[slechts]] “only”.^(EWN)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|342) In Dutch and German the sense moved from “flat, not rising above” to “simple, ordinary”, which then turned to “honest” on the one hand and “bad” on the other.^(EWN) The German variant [[m|de|schlicht]] kept the meaning “simple”.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Middle Dutch ''slegt'' glosses Latin ''planus'' “flat, level” in a Limburg glossary of about 1240.^(EWN)^(VMNW)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|342) In 1265–1270 a body is described as ''slecht ende onbeulect'', smooth and unblemished.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle Dutch ''slecht'' meant flat and level, of land and of a calm sea (''alse slegt als die see'', 1270–1290), smooth, and plain in colour.^(EWN)^(VMNW)^(MNW) Of people and things it meant simple and plain, ''van slechten woerden'', with simple words (1340–1360).^(EWN)^(MNW) As a noun, ''slecht'' was a simpleton (1434).^(MNW)

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+ In the 16th century the meaning sank, as it did in [[gemeen]] and [[ordinair]]: “of little value, inferior” (about 1528, of corn and cloth), “foolish” (1539), and in 1573 ''een slecht man'', a man of low standing.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971) Van der Sijs dates “not good” to that 1573 record.^(Van der Sijs 2001) The old “simple” lives on in ''slecht en recht'', plainly and honestly.^(Pluim 1911)

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+ In Surinamese Dutch ''slecht haar'' was said of frizzy hair.^(Van Donselaar 1989) The word passed into Negerhollands as ''slegt'' and ''sle'', and Indonesian [[m|id|jelek]] “ugly, bad” comes from it.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary) Afrikaans has [[m|af|sleg]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

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

+ * 1270–1290 – ''Alse slegt als die see'', as smooth as the sea.^(EWN)

+ * 1340–1360 – ''Van slechten woerden'', in simple words.^(EWN)

+ * c. 1528 – ''Slicht coorne'', inferior corn.^(EWN)

+ * 1573 – ''Een slecht man'', a man of low standing; the sense “not good” begins.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|bad]], of poor quality: ''Het eten was slecht.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Unpleasant: ''slecht weer''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # Unfavourable: ''Het gaat slecht met de zaak.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # Morally bad, wicked: ''Hij is geen slecht mens.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # Unhealthy, weak: ''slechte ogen hebben''.^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # Unskilled, not good at something: ''Ik ben slecht in rekenen.''^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # ''(dialectal, otherwise obsolete)'' Simple, plain, ordinary.^(Wiktionary)^(WNT)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Badly; with difficulty, hardly: ''slecht ter been zijn'', to walk with difficulty.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[slechten]]

+ * [[slechts]]

+ * [[slechtheid]]

+ * [[slechterik]]

+ * [[verslechteren]]

+ * [[slechthorend]]

+ * [[slechtziend]]

+ * [[inslecht]]

+ * [[slechtvalk]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[slijk]]

+ * [[de|schlecht]]

+ * [[en|slight]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''In een slecht blaadje staan bij iemand'', to be in someone's bad books, is found in Roemer Visscher's ''in 't qua blaedtken staen'', on the bad page, the one on which poor payers were written down.^(Stoett 1923)

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}