soms Dutch · revision 37350

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=1400–1420, Middle Dutch|origins=dum som}}

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+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /sɔms/^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Forms==

+ '''soms'''^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle Dutch [[m|dum|soms]], formed from the pronoun [[m|dum|som|t=some, a certain]] with the adverbial [[-s]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) The pronoun is also the base of [[sommig]], and it could already be used as an adverb, mostly meaning “partly”, but sometimes also “at times”, as in ⟨some uliegen si hare uarde⟩ “sometimes they fly about” (1287).^(EWN)^(VMNW) It continues [[m|odt|sum]] and [[m|gem-pro|*sumaz]], the source of [[got|𐍃𐌿𐌼𐍃|tr=sums]], [[ang|sum]] (modern [[en|some]]) and [[goh|sum]].^(Wiktionary)^(Vercoullie 1925)^(MNW)

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+ Other scholars have derived the adverb from [[m|dum|sommels]], from older [[m|dum|sommaels]] “now and then”, a compound of the pronoun with [[maal]] “time”, through a shortened ⟨sommes⟩.^(De Vries 1971)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(Van Haeringen 1936) The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal notes that ⟨sommes⟩ occurs once, in Huygens, and lives on in Antwerp and Brabant dialect.^(WNT)^(De Vries 1971) The Philippa dictionary thinks this derivation unlikely, because it finds no attested ⟨sommes⟩.^(EWN)

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+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Philippa dictionary quotes Middle Dutch ''soms'' from 1400–1420: ''laghen si soms te bedde .III. daghen'', “they sometimes lay in bed for three days”.^(EWN) The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal starts with Huygens's ''sommes'' of 1661, and Van der Sijs dates ''soms'' “now and then” to 1777.^(WNT)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

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+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ ''Soms'' became a common word only in modern Dutch.^(EWN) Before that Middle Dutch said ''somtijt'' or ''somtijts'', ''somtiden'', ''somwile'', ''sommaels'' and ''somstont'' for “now and then”, compounds of ''som'' with a word for “time”; [[somtijds]] and [[somwijlen]] survive as formal words.^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

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+ From “at some moments” the adverb came to mean “by chance, perhaps” (1844), and in questions it expresses a suspicion that things are not as they seem (1860).^(WNT) ''Soms niet'' in a question shows that the speaker expects the answer “yes” (1889).^(WNT)

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+ The adverb was taken into German dialects (''soms'', ''zoms'') and Negerhollands (''som''), and West Frisian borrowed ''soms'';^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary) Berbice Dutch has ''somtiti'' “sometimes, perhaps”, from ''somtijds''.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1287 – The pronoun ''some'' used as an adverb “sometimes”.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+ * 1400–1420 – Middle Dutch ''soms''.^(EWN)

+ * 1661 – ''Sommes'' in Huygens.^(WNT)^(De Vries 1971)

+ * 1777 – ''Soms'' “now and then”.^(Van der Sijs 2001)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)

+ * 1844 – The sense “perhaps”.^(WNT)

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+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|sometimes]], at some moments, now and then: ''soms regent het hier dagenlang''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # In some cases: ''soms helpt een pil, soms niet''.^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # In questions: [[m|en|perhaps]], by any chance: ''heb jij soms mijn sleutels gezien?''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(WNT)

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+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sommig]]

+ * [[somtijds]]

+ * [[somwijlen]]

+ * [[en|some]]

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+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}