zaak Dutch · revision 37351

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=901–1000, Wachtendonck Psalms|origins=gem-pro *sakō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /zaːk/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''zaak''' ''f'' (plural zaken, diminutive zaakje n)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|sake]], [[inh|odt|saka]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*saku]], [[inh|gem-pro|*sakō|alt=*sakō-|t=quarrel, lawsuit]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[osx|saka]], [[goh|sahha]] (modern [[de|Sache]]), [[ofs|seke]] (modern [[fy|saak]]), [[ang|sacu]] (modern [[en|sake]]) and [[non|sǫk]] (modern [[sv|sak]]), all first meaning “strife, feud, lawsuit”.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Kroonen 2013) Beside it stood [[m|gem-pro|*sakjōn-]], which gave [[got|𐍃𐌰𐌺𐌾𐍉|tr=sakjō|t=strife, quarrel]].^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

+

+ The noun is formed from the strong verb [[gem-pro|*sakaną|t=to quarrel at law, accuse]], continued in [[osx|sakan]], [[goh|sahhan]], [[ang|sacan]] and [[got|𐍃𐌰𐌺𐌰𐌽|tr=sakan|t=to quarrel]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Kroonen 2013) Dutch has kept that verb only with a prefix, in [[verzaken]], like English [[m|en|forsake]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)

+

+ The Philippa dictionary thinks the legal sense of the verb probably goes back, through “to conduct an inquiry”, to a more general “to track down, search out”.^(EWN) The word is then related by ablaut to [[zoeken]] and further to [[la|sāgiō|t=to perceive keenly]], [[grc|ἡγέομαι|tr=hēgéomai|t=to lead the way]] and [[sga|-saig|t=seeks]], from [[ine-pro|*seh₂ǵ-|t=to follow a track]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971) De Vries took the starting point to be an old hunters' term for following a scent, from which both “to fight” and “to bring a charge” developed.^(De Vries 1971)^(WNT)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The oldest records are in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century: the enemies bend their bow, ''saca bittera'', “a bitter matter”, and the psalmist says ''sunder saca gerihtoda ik herta min'', “in vain I kept my heart clean”, where ''sunder saca'' means “without reason”.^(EWN)^(ONW) Van der Sijs dates the legal sense “lawsuit” to the 8th-century Lex Salica.^(Van der Sijs 2001) In Middle Dutch the word is first found in a Ghent charter of 1237 that speaks of ''saken uan haueleker scult'', lawsuits over money debts.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The old sense “strife, lawsuit” is still alive, above all in compounds such as [[rechtszaak]] and ''moordzaak''.^(EWN) From it the word early took on wider meanings: “matter, affair”, as in ''si dat sake dat'', “if it happens that” (1254), and “cause, reason”, as in ''om wat saken'', “why” (1265–1270).^(EWN)^(VMNW) The sense “cause” is lost today except in the derivative [[oorzaak]].^(EWN) Middle Dutch also used ''sake'' for “a deed”, as in a text of 1300–1325 in which the speakers nearly did an evil deed to a man.^(EWN)

+

+ From “deed” came “transaction, trade” in the 18th century (1760), then business activities in general (1862) and, in the 19th century, “firm” and “shop”, as in ''kledingzaak'' (1880).^(EWN) The most general meaning the word has reached is “anything that is not a person or animal”.^(EWN) The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal still records phrases of the old sense “dispute”, such as ''een zaak in der minne schikken'', to settle a quarrel amicably (1655).^(WNT) ''De zaak van een ogenblik'' is a translation of French ''l'affaire d'un moment'',^(De Vreese 1899) and ''de zaak is een belangrijke'' follows English ''the matter is an important one''.^(Van der Sijs 2005)

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+ The word passed into Negerhollands as ''saake'' and ''saek'', into Sranan Tongo as ''sâk'' “matter, affair” and into Surinamese Javanese as ''sag''.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 701–800 – The legal sense “lawsuit” in the Lex Salica.^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 901–1000 – Old Dutch ''saca'' “matter” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^(EWN)^(ONW)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1237 – Middle Dutch ''sake'' “lawsuit” in a Ghent charter.^(EWN)^(VMNW)

+ * 1265–1270 – ''Om wat saken'' “for what reason, why”.^(EWN)

+ * 1760 – The sense “transaction, trade”.^(EWN)

+ * 1862 – ''Zaken'' “business activities”.^(EWN)

+ * 1880 – The sense “firm, business”.^(EWN)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|thing]], an object or an idea, anything that is not a person: ''ik heb mijn zaken al ingepakt''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # A [[m|en|matter]] or affair, something one has to deal with: ''dat is mijn zaak niet''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # A transaction, business done: ''zaken doen'', to do business;^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek) ''zaken zijn zaken'', business is business.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # A [[m|en|business]], firm or shop: ''hij heeft een zaak in fietsen''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # ''(law)'' A court case, lawsuit: ''de zaak komt volgende maand voor''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # ''(law)'' A piece of property, a good that can form part of an estate.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[inzake]]

+ * [[bijzaak]]

+ * [[broodjeszaak]]

+ * [[erezaak]]

+ * [[fraudezaak]]

+ * [[halszaak]]

+ * [[hoofdzaak]]

+ * [[juwelierszaak]]

+ * [[kledingzaak]]

+ * [[moordzaak]]

+ * [[zaakvoerder]]

+ * [[oorzaak]]

+ * [[zakelijk]]

+ * [[rechtszaak]]

+ * [[zakenman]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[verzaken]]

+ * [[zoeken]]

+ * [[en|sake]]

+ * [[de|Sache]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Ter zake'' and ''inzake'' mean “concerning”, and ''ter zake doen'' is “to matter”.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary) The Dutch ministries are named with the plural, as in ''Buitenlandse Zaken'', Foreign Affairs.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}