gunnen

Dutch

FWOTD – 30 August 2019

Etymology

From Middle Dutch gunnen, from Old Dutch *giunnan, from Proto-Germanic *gaunnaną, a prefixed form of *unnaną.

Cognate with German gönnen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɣʏ.nə(n)/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: gun‧nen
• Rhymes: -ʏnən

Verb

gunnen

1. (transitive, with indirect object) to think someone deserves something, to witness or acknowledge someone's success or enjoyment without envy or grudge (usually referring to positive outcomes)
   • 2012, Natasja Oosterloo, Twitter jezelf naar een baan, page 37:

     De gunfactor zorgt ervoor dat mensen positief over je denken en je daardoor iets gunnen.

     Likeability ensures that people think positively about you and because of that they will be okay with you getting something nice.

   Het is je gegund! ― You really deserved it!

   Hij gunt jou die functie. ― He thinks you deserved that position. / He is happy for you that you got it.

   Antonym: misgunnen

2. (transitive, with indirect object) to award, to grant (of orders, tenders, etc.)
   • 2005, Aanbestedingsreglement werken 2005: ARW 2005, page 201:

     De aanbesteder is niet verplicht de opdracht te gunnen.

     The contracting party is not required to grant the order.

   Het bestuur besprak aan wie het de opdracht zou gunnen.

   The managing board was discussing to whom they would award the order.

3. (transitive, with indirect object) to give, usually out of benevolence or grace; to grant
   • 1741, Johannes Muller, Absolutum decretum, dat is Volstrekt raadbesluyt Gods, page 17:

     De groote Koning gunde alle genoodigde gasten het genot van de bruyloft; tendien eynde liet hy ze noodigen.

     The great King granted the pleasure of the wedding to all invited guests; to that end he let them be invited.

   • 2011, Stacy Schiff, Cleopatra, Ambo (publ.).

     Het moederschap verstevigde niet alleen Cleopatra's gezag – in haar eigen tijd was de Egyptische koningin eerder moeder aarde dan femme fatale – maar ook haar banden met de Egyptische priesters, die ze aanzienlijke privileges gunde.

     Motherhood didn't merely reinforce Cleopatra's authority – in her time the Egyptian queen was more of a "Mother Earth" rather than a femme fatale – but also her ties with the Egyptian priests, on whom she bestowed considerable privileges.

   Zij gunde hen het voordeel van de twijfel. ― She gave them the benefit of the doubt.

Conjugation

Conjugation of gunnen (weak)
infinitive	gunnen
past singular	gunde
past participle	gegund
infinitive	gunnen
gerund	gunnen n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	gun	gunde
2nd person sing. (jij)	gunt, gun2	gunde
2nd person sing. (u)	gunt	gunde
2nd person sing. (gij)	gunt	gunde
3rd person singular	gunt	gunde
plural	gunnen	gunden
subjunctive sing.1	gunne	gunde
subjunctive plur.1	gunnen	gunden
imperative sing.	gun
imperative plur.1	gunt
participles	gunnend	gegund
1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion.

Derived terms

• gunfactor
• gunning
• misgunnen

Related terms

• gunst

Descendants

• Afrikaans: gun
• Negerhollands: gun
• → Papiamentu: gun (dated)