jij

From Middle Dutch ji, northern form of gi, from Old Dutch gī, from Proto-Germanic *jīz, a northwest Germanic variant of *jūz, from Proto-Indo-European *yū́. Cognate with Low German ji, jie, English ye, West Frisian jimme, German ihr.

Until the earlier 20th century, jij was considered exclusively colloquial and hardly appeared in writing. The standard equivalent was the doublet gij. However, the latter’s object and possessive forms u and uw interfered with the polite pronoun u that had developed in the northern Netherlands and this could be odd-sounding e.g. in private letters. Therefore the Hollandic colloquial system (with jij, jou and jullie) came to be fully standardized after WWII. Gij has since been restricted to religious and highly formal contexts in the Netherlands, but remains common in Belgium.

• IPA^(key): /jɛi̯/

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  • Hyphenation: jij
  • Rhymes: -ɛi̯
• IPA^(key): /jə/ (unstressed, usually written je)

jij

1. (second-person singular subjective personal pronoun) you

   Jij was er niet. ― You weren't there.

• Like several other Dutch personal pronouns, jij has the unstressed variant je, which is used when the pronoun lacks sentence stress. This is usually also reflected in writing.

In dat restaurant kun je heerlijk eten, ben je daar wel eens geweest? — Nee, jij?

You can get great food in that restaurant, have you ever been? — I haven't, have you?

• je
• jullie

• Afrikaans: jy
• Berbice Creole Dutch: ju
• Jersey Dutch: jāi
• Negerhollands: joe, ju
• Petjo: jij

jij

1. inflection of jijen:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

From French juge (“judge”).

• IPA^(key): /ʒiʒ/

jij

1. judge

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

jij m (Tifinagh spelling ⵊⵉⵊ, plural ijijen, diminutive tjitš)

1. stake
2. peg

Declension of jij
	Singular	Plural
free state	jij	ijijen
construct state	ujij	yejijen