Category: Dutch (Nederlands)

Adventures in Etymology – Windy Wings

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between the words wing, wind and feather.

Soaring gull

A wing [wɪŋ] is:

  • An appendage of an animal’s (bird, bat, insect) body that enables it to fly.
  • A fin at the side of a ray or similar fish.
  • Part of an aircraft that produces the lift for rising into the air. (other meanings are available)

It comes from Middle English winge / wenge [ˈwinɡ(ə) / ˈwɛnɡ(ə)] (wing, flank of an army, shelter, refuge), from Old Norse vængr [ˈwɛ̃ːŋɡr̩] (wing), possibly from Proto-Germanic *wēingijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (to blow) [source].

Words from the same Old Norse root include vinge (wing) in Danish, vængur (wing) in Icelandic, and vinge (wing) in Swedish [source].

Words from the same PIE root possibly include aeroplane, athlete, fan, vent, and weather in English, waaien (to blow, be windy, wave) in Dutch, vento (wind) Italian, and vent (wind, flatulence, empty words) in French [source].

The English word wind [wɪnd] also comes from the same roots, via Middle English wynd / wind [wi(ː)nd] (wind), from Old English wind [wind] (wind, flatulence), from Proto-West-Germanic *wind (wind from Proto-Germanic *windaz [ˈwin.dɑz] (wind) from Proto-Indo-European h₂wéh₁n̥ts (blowing, that which blows, air, wind), from *h₂weh₁- (to blow) [source].

Incidentally, ityn Old Englsh, a word for wing was fiþre [ˈfiθ.re], which was displaced by the Old Norse vængr (wing). It comes from Proto-Germanic *fiþriją [ɸi.θri.jɑ̃] (feathers, plummage, wing) from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂r̥ / pth₂én- (wing, feather), from *peth₂- (to fly). It became em>feþer / fether (feather) in Middle English, and feather in modern English. [source].

By the way, Happy New Year! Blwyddyn newydd dda! Bonne année ! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! 新年快樂！ 新年快乐！ Felice anno nuovo! 新年おめでとうございます! Bliain úr faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit! Bliadhna mhath ùr! Blein Vie Noa! Ein gutes neues Jahr! Feliĉan novan jaron! Поздравляю с Новым Годом! Šťastný nový rok! Godt nytår! Gott nytt år! La Mulți Ani! Onnellista uutta vuotta! 🎆🎉🥂🥳

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I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.

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Celtic Pathways – Grinding Pebbles

By Simon

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In this episode of the Celtic Pathways podcast, we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for gravel in English and other languages.

Roof Gravel

Gravel [ˈɡɹævəl] is small fragments of rock, used for laying on the beds of roads and railways, and as ballast, and other things (other meanings are available).

It comes from Middle English gravel / gravail(le) (sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles), from Old French gravele (gravel), a diminutive of grave (gravel, seashore), from Medieval Latin grava, possibly from Gaulish grava, from Proto-Celtic grāwā (gravel, pebbles), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰroh₁weh₂, from *gʰreh₁w- (to grind) [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots in the modern Celtic languages include gro (gravel, shingle, gravelly shore, strand) in Welsh, grow (gravel) in Cornish, and grouan (gravel) in Breton [source].

For more details of words for gravel and related things in Celtic languages, see the Celtiadur post Gritty Gravel.

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots in the non-Celtic languages include grava (gravel) in Catalan, grève (flat, sandy land along the sea or a large river) in French, grava (gravel) in Spanish, and grave (gravel, shore, gravelly ground) in Occitan [source].

Words from the same PIE roots in other languages include: grit, groat, grout and gruel in English, Grieß (semolina) in German, grjót (coarse stones, rubble) in Icelandic, gryt (a badger’s sett, a fox’s den) in Swedish, riutta (reef) in Finnish, and grúodas (frozen mud or earth) in Lithuanian [source].

Incidentally, one Old English word for gravel was ċeosol [ˈtʃeo.sol], which comes from Proto-West-Germanic *kesul (small stone, pebble). This became chisel and chessil (gravel or pebbles) in modern English, and is cognate with Kiesel (pebble) in German, kiezel (pebble, flint, silicon) in Dutch, and kisel (silicon) in Swedish [source].

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Adventures in Etymology – Weaving Text

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we unweave the origins of the word text.

afternoon reads

A text [tɛkst] is:

  • A writing consisting of multiple glyphs, characters, symbols or sentences.
  • A book, tome or other set of writings.
  • A brief written message transmitted between mobile phones. (other meanings are available)

It comes from Middle English text, from Old French texte (text), from Latin textus (woven, texture, structure, tissue, connection), from texō (to weave, knit, plait, intertwine), from Proto-Italic *teksō, from Proto-Indo-European *tḗtḱ-ti (to create, produce, cut, hew) or *teḱ-se-t, both of which come from *teḱ- (to sire, beget) [source].

Words from the same roots include architect, context, subtle, technical, textile and texture in English, tisser (to weave, plait) in French, tessere (to weave, plot) in Italian, and tekst (text, lyrics) in Dutch [source].

In Old English, one word for text was traht [trɑxt], which also means passage, exposition, treatise or commentary. It comes from traht(n)ian (to treat, comment on, expound, consider), from Proto-West-Germanic *trahtōn (to consider, think of, strive for, seek, discuss), from Latin tractō (to tug, drag, handle, discuss) [source]. The modern English word tract (A small booklet such as a pamphlet, often for promotional or informational uses; a treatise or discourse on a subject) comes from the same roots [source].

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.

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Celtic Pathways – Oaken Larches

By Simon

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In this episode we discover the possible Celtic roots of words for larch (tree) in various non-Celtic languages.

Walk In A Larch Wood

A larch [ˈlɑːtʃ/ˈlɑɹtʃ] is a confierous tree of the genus Larix having deciduous leaves in fascicles (bundles). The most common type of larch tree in Europe is the European larch (Larix decidua), which is native to northern Italy. Other types of larch are availble.

The English word larch comes from early modern German Larche/Lärche, from Middle High German larche, from Old High German larihha, from Latin larix (larch), from Ancient Greek λάριξ (lárix – larch, Venice turpentine*), possibly from Gaulish *devro (oak?) from Proto-Celtic *daru (oak), from PIE *dóru (tree) [source].

*Venice turpentine = A thick substance made from the tree resin of the European larch (Larix decidua), formerly used as a component in the oil paintings to create glossy, translucent glazes [source].

Words in the modern Celtic languages from the same Proto-Celtic root include: dair [d̪ˠaɾʲ] (oak) in Irish, dair [darʲ] (oak) in Scottish Gaelic, darragh (oak) in Manx, dâr [ˈdaːr] (oak tree, leader, mighty lord) in Welsh, dar [daːr / dæːr] (oak) in Cornish, and dar [dɑːr] (oak) in Breton [source].

Words from the same Proto-Celtic root in other languages include: làrix in Catalan, lariks in Dutch learag in Scottish Gaelic, larch in English, Lärche in German, and lærk in Danish, all of which mean larch (tree) [source].

Incidentally, the French word mélèze (larch) has doubly Celtic roots: it comes from Franco-Provençal (Dauphinois) melèzo (larch tree), from Vulgar Latin *melice (larch), from Gaulish *mel- (larch) and Latin larix (larch). The Gaulish word *mel- comes from Proto-Celtic *meli (honey) [source].

Words from the same PIE root include δόρυ (dóry – spear) in Greek, terva (tar) in Finnish, dearbh (sure, certain) in Irish, tree, trim, and trough and true in English, and trä (wood) in Swedish [source].

See the Celtiadur post Oak (trees) for more details of words for oak and related things in Celtic languages. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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Adventures in Etymology – Random Origins

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology, we’re looking into the origins of the word origin, and randomly looking at the word random.

Armadale
A random and original rowing boat

Origin [ˈɒɹ.ɪ.dʒɪn/ˈɔɹ.ɪ.dʒɪn] is:

  • The beginning of something
  • The source of a river, information, goods, etc

It comes from Middle English origyne [ɔˈridʒin(ə)] (origin, lineage, provenance), from Old French or(ig)ine [ɔˈɾinə] (origin, lineage, heritage, breeding), from Latin orīginem from orīgō [ɔˈriːɡoː] (beginning, origin, source, birth), from orior (to rise, get up, appear, be born), from Proto-Italic *orjōr (to rise, get up), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃er- (to move, rise, spring) [source].

Words from the same roots include earn earnest, orient, random, run and yearn in English, rennen [rɛ.nə(n)] (to run) in Dutch, rinnen [ˈʁɪnən] (to flow, leak, run, trickle) in German, and ruch [rux] (movement, traffic) in Czech [source].

The name Ernest also comes from the same roots. It became popular in English in the 18th century, and is a version of the German name Ernst, which comes from Old High German ernust (serious), from Proto-Germanic *ernustuz (seriousness, earnest, strength, solidity, struggle, fight) [source].

Incidentally, the English word random (as a noun) originally meant speed or force, then came to refer to a range of a bullet or other projectile; a roving motion; a course without definite direction; a lack of rule or method, and chance [source].

As an adjective, it can mean occurring for no particular reason; haphazard; unpredictable; involving an outcome which is impossible to prediect; arbitary; unspecified; diverse or unexpected. In slang, it can refer to anything that is out of the ordinary, odd, strange or bizarre; a person who acts or says random things, or an undefined, unknown or unimportant person.

I hope this podcast hasn’t been too random, and I randomly decided to add a theme tune this time – it’s an original one I wrote a while ago called The Unexpected Badger / Y Mochyn Daear Annisgwyl. You can hear the whole thing here:

Are there random words with similar random meanings in other languages?

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.

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Celtic Pathways – Jeans

By Simon

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In this episode we discover the possible Celtic roots of the word jeans, and also the place names Genoa and Geneva.

Boots and Jeans

Jeans are trousers made from denim cotton, traditionally dyed dark blue, and also known as blue jeans. The word jeans is an abbreviation of jean fustian, from Middle English Gene (Genoa, Genovese) and fustian (a strong cotton fabric) [source].

Gene comes from Latin Genua (Genoa), which like Geneva, possibly comes from the Proto-Celtic *genwā ([river] bend) from PIE *ǵénw-eh₂, from *ǵónu (knee), which is also the root of the Proto-Celtic word *glūnos (knee) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • glúin [ɡl̪ˠuːnʲ] = knee, generation, step, node in Irish
  • glùin [ɡl̪ˠuːn̪ʲ] = knee, generation, lap in Scottish Gaelic
  • glioon [ɡlʲuːnʲ] = joint, knee in Manx
  • glin [ɡliːn] = knee in Welsh
  • glin [ɡliːn] = knee in Cornish
  • glin [ɡlĩːn] = knee in Breton

Other words from the same PIE roots include genuflect (to bend the knee, grovel) and knee in English; genou (knee) in French; knie (knee) in Dutch and Afrikaans; gju [ɟu/ɡjũː] (knee) in Albanian, and γόνατο [ˈɣɔnatɔ] (knee) in Greek [source].

Incidentally, the k in knee was pronounced in Middle Engish kne [kneː] and Old English cnēow [kne͜oːw] [source], and also in Early Modern English until about the 16th or 17th century, when it quietly disappeared in speech [source].

See the Celtiadur post Knees for more details of words for knee and related things in Celtic languages. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

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Adventures in Etymology – Swan

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we’re looking into the origins of the word swan.

Swan

A swan [swɒn/swɑn] is:

  • Any of various species of large, long-necked waterfowl, of genus Cygnus (bird family: Anatidae), most of which have white plumage.
  • One whose grace etc. suggests a swan.

It comes from Middle English swan [swan] (swan, swan meat), from Old English swan [swɑn] (swan), from Proto-West-Germanic *swan (swan) from Proto-Germanic *swanaz [ˈswɑ.nɑz] (swan, literally “the singing bird”), probably Proto-Indo-European *swenh₂- (to sound) [source].

Words from the same roots include sound, sonnet and sonata in English, zwaan [zʋaːn] (swan) in Dutch, Schwan [ʃvaːn] (swan, the constellation Cygnus) in German, sonar [soˈnaɾ] (to sound, ring) in Spanish, suonàre [swoˈna.re] (to play [an instrument], to sound, to ring) in Italian, and possibly dzwon [dzvɔn] (bell) in Polish [source].

Incidentally, the English word sonar, as in a device that uses hydrophones to locate objects underwater, is an acronym of Sound Navigation and Ranging, and was coined by Frederick Vinton Hunt, an American inventor, scientist and professor of acoustic engineering at Havard University in 1942.

Initially, the name ‘bearing and deviation indicator’ (BDI) was used for the system developed by Hunt and his team at the Harvard Underwater Sound Laboratory in 1941. The Navy Bureau of Ships asked him to come up with a more interesting name to make the job of an acoustic ranging technician sound more glamorous. He suggested SONAR, and said that it stood for Sound Navigation and Ranging – so it is in fact a backronym (an acronym based on an existing word) [source].

By the way, an adult male swan is a cob, which comes from Middle English cobbe (male swan, gang leader, bully) [source]. An adult female swan is a pen, the origins of which are uncertain [source], and a baby swan is a cygnet, which comes from Middle English signet (a young swan), from Anglo-Norman cignet, a diminutive of Old French cigne (swan), from Latin cycnus [ky.knus] (swan, [singing] poet), from Ancient Greek κύκνος (kúknos – swan, a type of ship) [source]. Baby swans are also known as swanlings [source].

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.

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Celtic Pathways – Leather

By Simon

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Close-up of a leather sole on a shoe form

The Irish word leathar and the Welsh word lledr both mean leather, and various other things. You might think that they were borrowed from English, but in fact the English word leather might ultimately come from a Proto-Celtic word, via Middle and Old English and Proto-Germanic [source].

The Proto-Celtic word for leather or hide was *(ɸ)letros, which comes from Proto-Indo-European *péltrom, from *pel- (to cover, to wrap, skin, hide, cloth) [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • leathar [ˈl̠ʲahəɾˠ] = skin, hide, leather in Irish
  • leathar [l̪ʲɛhər] = leather, leathery in Scottish Gaelic
  • l(h)iare = leather in Manx
  • lledr [ɬɛdr/ˈɬeːdɛr] = leather, parchment, vellum, skin, hide in Welsh
  • ledher = leather in Cornish
  • lêr [lɛːr] = leather in Breton

The Proto-Germanic word *leþrą [ˈle.θrɑ̃] (leather), which was possibly was borrowed from Proto-Celtic, and from these roots we get words such as leather in English, leer (leather) in Dutch, Leder (leather, suede, hide) in German, læder (leather) in Danish, and läder (leather, suede) in Swedish [source].

Words from the same PIE root include pall, pelt, camouflage and film in English; plena (membrane) in Czech; piel (skin, fur) in Spanish, plah (to cover, veil) in Albanian, and pall (cloak, curtain, covering, tent) in Welsh [source].

See the Celtiadur post Leathery Hide for more details of words for leather and related things in Celtic languages.

You can find more connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

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Adventures in Etymology – Grass

By Simon

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In this Adventure in Etymology we find out whether the words grass, graze and green are connected.

Gertie and Bertie

Grass [ɡɹɑːs/ɡɹas/ɡɹ̠æs] is:

  • Any plant of the family Poaceae, characterized by leaves that arise from nodes in the stem and leaf bases that wrap around the stem, especially those grown as ground cover rather than for grain.

It comes from Middle English gras [ɡras] (grass, herb, pasture, meadow, fodder), from Old English græs [ɡræs] (grass), from Proto-Germanic *grasą [ˈɣrɑ.sɑ̃] (grass) from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- (to grow, become green) [source].

Words from the same roots include grow, green, gray/grey, graze and herb in English, groen (green) in Dutch, grasen (to graze) in German, and rohi (grass, medicine) in Estonian [source].

Incidentally, in British slang, a grass is an informer, police informer, or one who betrays a group (of criminals, etc) to the authorities. This is probably an abbreviation of grasshopper (police officer, informant), which is rhyming slang for copper (police officer) or shopper (informant).

So we’d better not let the grass grow under our feet and kick this into the long grass, because the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence and if we listen carefully, we can hear the grass grow.

Other grass-related idioms and expressions are available, and I wrote a song about the grass appearing greener called The Other Side. It goes something like this:

You can also listen to this podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Podchaser, Podbay or Podtail and other pod places.

If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or contribute to Omniglot in other ways.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog.

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Celtic Pathways – Heather

By Simon

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In this episode we look into the Celtic roots of words for heather in some Romance languages.

Heather

The Proto-Celtic word *wroikos means heather. Its origins are uncertain, and it possibly comes from a non-Indo-European substrate source [source].

Related words in the modern Celtic languages include:

  • fraoch [fˠɾˠeːx] = heather, heath, moor in Irish
  • fraoch [frɯːx] = heather in Scottish Gaelic
  • freoagh = heather, heath in Manx
  • grug [ɡrɨːɡ / ɡriːɡ] = heather, heath in Welsh
  • grug [ɡryːɡ / ɡriːɡ] = heather, heath in Cornish
  • brug [bryːk] = heather in Breton

Words from the same Proto-Celtic roots, via Gaulish and Latin, include brezo (heath) in Spanish, breixo (heather) in Galician, brugo (heather) and brughiera (heath, moor) in Italian, and bruyère (heath, heather, brier) in French [source].

Related words in other languages possibly include vřes (heather) in Czech, wrzos (heather) in Polish, viržis (heather) in Lithuanian, and ericaceous (Of or pertaining to the heath family; Acid-loving, acidic) in English [source].

Incidentally, the word heather comes from Old English *hǣddre (heather), from hǣþ (wasteland, wilderness, heath), from Proto-Germanic *haiþī [ˈxɑi̯.θiː] (heath, wasteland), possibly from PIE *kóy-t-os (forest, wasteland, pasture) [source].

Other words from the same roots include heath in English, heide (heath, heathland, heather) in Dutch, Heide (heath, heathland, nation, country) in German [source], and also coed (forest, wood, trees) in Welsh, koos (forest) in Cornish, and koad (wood, forest) in Breton [source].

More about words for Heather, and Trees, Wood(s) & Forests, in Celtic languages.

You can find more connections between Celtic languages on the Celtiadur blog. I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the Omniglot Blog.

Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with Blubrry Podcast Hosting, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code omniglot.

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