proeven

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpru.və(n)/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: proe‧ven
• Rhymes: -uvən

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch proeven (13th c.). Ultimately from Latin probāre and hence a doublet of proberen. Probably borrowed from Old French prover, although the umlaut in Middle Low German prö̂ven, northern Middle High German prüeven may also hint at a (regionally restricted) Proto-West Germanic *prōfijan, from Vulgar Latin. In modern Dutch dialects, the vocalism generally coincides with the isogloss for umlaut on long vowels (western proeve(n) vs. Brabantian/Kleverlandish pruve(n), Limburgish preuve). Compare German prüfen.

Verb

proeven

1. (transitive) to taste (something), to test or detect by tasting

   Synonyms: smaken, testen

   Dat ziet er lekker uit. Mag ik dat even proeven?

   That looks tasty. May I taste a bit of it?

2. (intransitive) to taste, to have a taste

   Synonym: smaken

   Deze vis proeft raar. ― This fish tastes funny.

3. (transitive, figurative) to try, experience, find out, feel, taste

   Toen heb ik geproefd hoe het is om echt gelukkig te zijn.

   During that time I experienced what it means to really be happy.

4. (obsolete, transitive) To (provide) prove (for)

   Synonym: bewijzen

Inflection

Inflection of proeven (weak)
infinitive	proeven
past singular	proefde
past participle	geproefd
infinitive	proeven
gerund	proeven n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	proef	proefde
2nd person sing. (jij)	proeft	proefde
2nd person sing. (u)	proeft	proefde
2nd person sing. (gij)	proeft	proefde
3rd person singular	proeft	proefde
plural	proeven	proefden
subjunctive sing.1	proeve	proefde
subjunctive plur.1	proeven	proefden
imperative sing.	proef
imperative plur.1	proeft
participles	proevend	geproefd
1) Archaic.

Alternative forms

• preuven
• proven
• pruven

Derived terms

• proefsel
• proeveling
• proever
• proeving
• proefbaar
• proefgenot
• proevensgraag
• proeflokaal
• proevenslust
• beproeven
• herproeven
• bierproever
• boterproever
• fijnproever
• metaalproever
• spijsproever
• proevelwijn
• voorproeven

Descendants

• Negerhollands: proev, pruf, pruev
• → Papiamentu: pruf

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

proeven

1. plural of proef
2. plural of proeve

Middle Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French prover, from Latin probō.

Verb

proeven

1. to prove, to show
2. to realise, to see
3. to test, to inspect
4. to try, to attempt
5. to taste

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: proeven
• Limburgish: preuve, pruueve

Further reading

• “proeven (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “proeven”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN