bijna Dutch · revision 37331

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=compound|attested=1276–1300, Middle Dutch}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbɛi̯.naː/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bijna'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Middle Dutch also had ''binaer'' and ''binaest'', with the comparative and superlative of ''na''.^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

+ ''Bijnaar'' was still the usual form in Flanders in the early 20th century.^(EWN)^(WNT)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|bina]], formed from [[bij]] “near” and [[na]] “near”, two adverbs of the same meaning.^(EWN)^(VMNW)^(WNT) The forms ⟨binaer⟩ and ⟨binaest⟩ were made with [[nader]] and [[naast]], the comparative and superlative of the adverb.^(EWN) The same compound is [[gml|bīnā]], [[goh|bī nāh]] (modern [[de|beinahe]]) and [[fy|benei]].^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) The parts in the reverse order give [[nabij]] “near”.^(EWN)^(WNT)

+

+ In the southern dialects the stress falls on the second part, so that the first is reduced and the word is pronounced ⟨bənā⟩.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first records are from a Brabant life of Saint Lutgard of 1276–1300, in ''bina ouer al'', “almost everywhere”, and a Brabant text of 1276 says that Elizabeth had to eat ''bina dach ende nacht'', “almost day and night”.^(EWN)^(VMNW)^(Van der Sijs 2001) The Rijmbijbel of 1285 has ''binaer''.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The literal sense “close by” is rare and was already obsolete by the 17th century, as in ''by nae de stadt comende'', “coming near the town”, of 1598.^(WNT) The abstract sense “almost” was the usual one in the Middle Ages, and Middle Dutch also used it for “about, roughly”.^(WNT)^(MNW) Early Modern Dutch also had ''bynaes'' (1559) and ''bynaest'' (1596).^(WNT)

+

+ The word passed into Sranan Tongo ''bèina'', and Afrikaans has [[m|af|byna]].^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1276–1300 – Middle Dutch ''bina ouer al'' “almost everywhere”.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1285 – The form ''binaer'' in the Rijmbijbel.^(EWN)

+ * 1480 – The form ''binaest''.^(EWN)

+ * 1598 – ''By nae'' in the literal sense “close to”.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|almost]], nearly: ''het is bijna vier uur''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # Soon, before long: ''we zijn er bijna''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[nabij]]

+ * [[bij]]

+ * [[na]]

+ * [[haast]]

+ * [[de|beinahe]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Bijna'' and ''haast'' are interchangeable in the sense “almost”.^(EWN)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}