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Yoïn van Spijk

@yvanspijk

/'dʒowɪn/
• historisch taalkundige | historical linguist
• dialectoloog | dialectologist
• See my Tumblr for all graphics and videos: https://t.co/vDE6Wth705

calendar_today26-05-2011 11:28:22

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Yoïn van Spijk
@yvanspijk

3 weeks ago

'Idle' (inactive; lazy; trivial) has the same origin as German 'eitel' (vain) and the three Dutch words 'ijdel' (vain), 'ijl' (rarefied), and 'iel' (meagre).

They all come from Proto-Germanic *īdalaz (empty). Its form and meaning evolved very differently.

The graphic shows how:

'Idle' (inactive; lazy; trivial) has the same origin as German 'eitel' (vain) and the three Dutch words 'ijdel' (vain), 'ijl' (rarefied), and 'iel' (meagre). They all come from Proto-Germanic *īdalaz (empty). Its form and meaning evolved very differently. The graphic shows how:
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