geloven Dutch · revision 37322

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=791, Old Dutch (Utrecht baptismal vow)|origins=gem-pro *galaubijaną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ɣəˈloːvə(n)/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''geloven'''^(Wiktionary)

+ The older spelling is ''gelooven''.^(Wiktionary)^(WNT) Middle Dutch also had the syncopated ''gloven'' and, in the east, ''gelaven''.^(MNW) In popular speech the verb is also ''looven'' and regionally ''leuven''.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|gelôven]], [[inh|odt|gilōbian|t=to trust, believe]], [[inh|gem-pro|*galaubijaną|t=to praise; to allow; to believe]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(ONW) The EWN analyses it as the verb [[loven]], in its old sense “to approve, grant, promise”, with the intensifying prefix [[ge-]].^(EWN)^(ANW) The same verb is [[osx|gilōƀian]], [[goh|gilouben]] (modern [[de|glauben]]), [[ofs|lēva]], [[ang|gelīefan]] (modern [[en|believe]]) and [[got|𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽|tr=galaubjan]], while [[non|leyfa]] means “to praise, permit”.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)

+

+ The verb is related to [[lief]]: De Vries takes it as a causative, “to make something dear or familiar to oneself”, which led to “approve” and then to “trust, believe”.^(De Vries 1971)^(WNT) De Vries and De Tollenaere derive it from a stem [[gem-pro|*laub-]] in ablaut beside [[m|gem-pro|*leub-]] of the adjective.^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|137) Franck and Van Wijk trace the base to [[ine-pro|*lewbʰ-]] and compare [[m|got|𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍆𐍃|tr=galaufs|t=valuable]].^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

+

+ Whether the Christian sense spread from the Gothic mission to southern Germany has been suggested, but De Vries calls it uncertain, since Old English has the same use.^(De Vries 1971) Van Haeringen also finds it less likely, while noting that the Scandinavians used [[m|non|trúa]] for the Christian concept.^(Van Haeringen 1936)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The verb is first recorded in the Utrecht baptismal vow of the late 8th century: ''gelobistu in got alamehtigan fadaer?'' “do you believe in God the almighty Father?”, answered ''ec gelobo in got alamehtigan fadaer''.^(ONW)^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001) The Old Dutch fragments from Werden of about 1151 also use it for “to promise, swear”.^(ONW)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle Dutch ''geloven'' meant “to trust, believe”, as in Aiol (1220–1240), and also “to promise, pledge”: the Bernardus glossary of 1240 has both senses.^(EWN)^(MNW) In the sense “promise” it was later pushed out by [[beloven]].^(EWN)^(WNT) The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal finds the oldest sense to be “to put one's trust in someone or something”; this stayed central in the noun [[geloof]], while in the verb it widened and weakened.^(WNT) In older Dutch the person trusted stood in the dative, as in a text of 1617 that says a man still did not believe the king.^(WNT)

+

+ The religious sense, belief in God, follows Latin ''credere''.^(Van der Sijs 2005)^(EWN) From “to hold true” came the weak sense “to think, suppose”, which Van Dale gives as a separate meaning.^(Van Dale 2014) The phrase ''eraan moeten geloven'' first meant to have to submit to something unpleasant, then to die, and of things to be used up or destroyed.^(Stoett 1923)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)

+

+ The verb was borrowed into Negerhollands (''geloof'', ''gloof''), Berbice Dutch (''glofu'') and Javindo (''gelofen''), and Frisian has ''gelove''.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary) Afrikaans has the shortened [[m|af|glo]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 791 – The Utrecht baptismal vow asks ''gelobistu in got alamehtigan fadaer?''^(ONW)^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1151 – The Werden fragments use the verb for “to promise”.^(ONW)

+ * 1220–1240 – Middle Dutch ''gelouen'' “to trust, believe” appears in Aiol.^(EWN)

+ * 1240 – The Bernardus glossary has ''gelouen'' “to promise; to believe”.^(EWN)

+ * 1599 – Kiliaan gives ''gheloouen'' “to trust, have faith”.^(EWN)

+ * 1617 – A text uses the verb with a dative: he still did not believe the king.^(WNT)

+ * 1688 – ''Gelooft my'' “believe me” is used as an aside in an assertion.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(intransitive, with in)'' to [[m|en|believe]] in, to be convinced that someone or something really exists: ''Zij gelooft niet in spoken.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' to be a [[gelovig|alt=believer]], to have religious [[m|en|faith]].^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # ''(transitive)'' to [[vertrouwen|alt=trust]] someone, to take their word: ''Ik geloof je, maar het klinkt vreemd.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WNT)

+ # ''(transitive)'' to accept something as true on another's word: ''Niemand geloofde zijn verhaal.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(transitive)'' to think, [[m|en|suppose]]: ''Ik geloof dat de winkel om zes uur sluit.''^(Van Dale 2014)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[gelovig]]

+ * [[gelover]]

+ * [[lichtgelovig]]

+ * [[geloofbaar]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[geloof]]

+ * [[loven]]

+ * [[beloven]]

+ * [[lief]]

+ * [[en|believe]]

+ * [[de|glauben]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Eraan moeten geloven'' means to have to undergo something unpleasant that cannot be avoided, or to die.^(Stoett 1923)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997) ''Die geloven, haasten niet'' comes from Isaiah 28:16 in the States Bible, where it means that the faithful will be rewarded in the end; it is often used jokingly to excuse slowness.^(Stoett 1923)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997) ''Zijn ogen niet kunnen geloven'' means to be astonished at what one sees.^(Van Dale 2014)

+

+ A separate, obsolete ''geloven'' meant “to praise” and “to promise”;^(Wiktionary)^(WNT) Wiktionary gives it its own etymology, from [[odt|*gilovon]] and [[gem-pro|*galubōną]], cognate with [[de|geloben]].^(Wiktionary)^(WNT) The noun [[gelofte]] “vow” belongs with it.^(WNT)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}