ergens Dutch · revision 37373

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=derivation|attested=1240, Middle Dutch (Limburg, as irgen)|origins=gem-pro *euhwargin}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈɛrɣəns/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''ergens'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Middle Dutch has ''ergen'', ''irgen'', ''erghen'', ''erghent'' and ''erghens''.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971) The form without ''-s'' is obsolete.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|ergens]], [[inh|odt|iergen|t=somewhere]], [[inh|gem-pro|*euhwargin]], an old Germanic compound with a young Dutch final [[-s]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(ONW) Middle Dutch first had ⟨irgen⟩, ⟨ergen⟩; a ⟨t⟩ was added (⟨ergent⟩, as in [[sedert]]), and then the adverbial ⟨s⟩ of [[elders]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997) The same word is [[gml|ergens]] and [[goh|iowergin]] (modern [[de|irgend]], also with an added ⟨t⟩), while [[osx|hwergin]] and [[ang|hwergen]] lack the first part.^(EWN)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)

+

+ The EWN reconstructs the compound as ⟨*io-hwar-gin⟩.^(EWN) Its first part, from ⟨*aiw⟩, is the same word as [[eeuw]] and the ⟨ie⟩ of [[ieder]].^(EWN)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004) The second, “wherever”, was formed from [[gem-pro|*hwar]] (see [[waar]]) with a generalising particle ⟨*-gin⟩.^(EWN) With ablaut the same particle is found in [[got|𐌷𐌿𐌽|tr=-hun]], as in [[m|got|𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃𐌷𐌿𐌽|tr=ainshun|t=anyone]].^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) It goes back to [[ine-pro|*kʷe-ne]], used to form indefinite words, as in [[sa|चन|tr=caná]] and [[lt|kana]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)

+

+ Franck and Van Wijk pointed out that Middle Dutch ⟨erghen⟩ is rare and ⟨nerghen⟩ much more common, and took the positive form as a younger formation beside the negative, which matches [[m|osx|nihwergin]].^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(WNT) Van Haeringen replied that its rarity is no reason to give up the obvious identification with the German word.^(Van Haeringen 1936) Middle Dutch also had the synonym [[m|dum|iewer]], which lives on in western dialects as [[iewers]].^(Van Haeringen 1936)^(De Vries 1971)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old Dutch ''iergen'' is first found in the Egmond Williram of about 1100: ''Saghet ir iergen minen wine?'', “have you seen my beloved anywhere?”^(ONW) Middle Dutch ''irgen'' glosses Latin ''alicubi'' “somewhere” in a Limburg glossary of 1240.^(VMNW)^(EWN)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The form ''ergens'' is dated 1285 by Van der Sijs, and ''erghens'' about 1475 by the EWN.^(Van der Sijs 2001)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(EWN) Besides “in some place” and “in any place whatever”, it came to be used of places in a book (1688), and ''ergens moeten wezen'' was a polite way of saying one had to go to the lavatory.^(WNT) Joined to an adverb that is also a preposition, it does the work of ''iets'': ''ergens toe goed zijn'' “to be good for something” is found in 1622.^(WNT)

+

+ The sense “in some respect, in a way” spread widely from 1954; before that it was used only among artists and the like, and the first known instance is in a letter from Edgar du Perron to Menno ter Braak of 1932.^(Reinsma 1975) ''Ergens naar slaan'' “to make a wild guess” was originally ''ergens naar slaan als de blinde naar het ei'', from a game in which a blindfolded player tried to hit an egg with a stick.^(Stoett 1923)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1100 – Old Dutch ''iergen'' in the Egmond Williram.^(ONW)

+ * 1240 – Middle Dutch ''irgen'' glosses Latin ''alicubi'' in Limburg.^(VMNW)^(EWN)

+ * 1285 – The form ''ergens''.^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1588 – ''Erghens henen'' “to some place”.^(WNT)

+ * 1622 – ''Ergens toe goedt'' “good for something”.^(WNT)

+ * 1932 – Du Perron uses ''ergens'' “in some respect” in a letter.^(Reinsma 1975)

+ * 1954 – This sense spreads widely in the press.^(Reinsma 1975)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|somewhere]], in some place one cannot or will not name: ''ik heb mijn bril ergens laten liggen''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|anywhere]], in any place whatever: ''is hier ergens een bakker?''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WNT)

+ # ''(informal)'' In some respect, in a way: ''ergens snap ik haar wel''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Reinsma 1975)

+ # With an adverb in place of a preposition with ''iets'' “something”: ''ze is ergens bang voor''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nergens]]

+ * [[ergenswaar]]

+ * [[ergenszins]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[eeuw]]

+ * [[ieder]]

+ * [[iewers]]

+ * [[elders]]

+ * [[de|irgend]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}