# waarom tast gÿ in het donker



## imacky

I am looking at an old Dutch newpaper ad, ca 1900, for Hayward's vault lights (_Vloerlichten_, to light basements with sunlight).  Hayward's English-language motto was "Don't grope about in the dark".  In this ad, it appears to be translated as "Waarom tast gÿ in het donker?".  But what is this "tast gÿ"?  I do not speak Dutch and perhaps am reading it wrong.  The image of the ad is here.  Can anyone explain?


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## imacky

Here is the ad (at rijksdienstvoorhetcultureelerfgoed.nl):


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## HKK

"Waarom* tast gij* in het donker?" / "Why *[**do] you grope *in the dark?

The verb and subject are inverted in a Dutch question. The pronoun "gij", alternative for standard "jij" is still used widely in Flanders but in the Netherlands it now has a formal, archaic and even religious sound to it. I don't know what the connotation was back in 1907 Amsterdam.


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## imacky

Thank you!


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## NewtonCircus

Is _uwa_ an error or was _Uw_ really spelled like that in those days? I have never seen that before.

Groetjes Herman


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## LeRenardReynaerde

the phrase _in het donker tasten_ can also be used figuratively and can mean as much as _being in the dark_, but without the element of not being told something by someone.


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## HKK

NewtonCircus said:


> Is _uwa_ an error or was _Uw_ really spelled like that in those days? I have never seen that before.
> 
> Groetjes Herman



I think it actually spells "uwe", but part of the _e_ is missing, making it look like _a_.


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## Lopes

LeRenardReynaerde said:


> the phrase _in het donker tasten_ can also be used figuratively and can mean as much as _being in the dark_, but without the element of not being told something by someone.



Wouldn't that be _in het duister tasten_?


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## LeRenardReynaerde

Lopes said:


> Wouldn't that be _in het duister tasten_?



Yes it would, you're quite right. 
Perhaps the advertiser (mis)used the same contamination?


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## imacky

LeRenardReynaerde said:


> the phrase _in het donker tasten_ can also be used figuratively and can mean as much as _being in the dark_, but without the element of not being told something by someone.


  I think the motto is _meant_ to be an order: don't waste those dark basements, don't grope about in the dark: instead, install our daylighting product and make that dark space useful and valuable.

 HKK: I found a cleaner copy of this ad in a Google book scan and you are correct; I changed the "uwa" to "uwe"; thanks.


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## LeRenardReynaerde

imacky said:


> I think the motto is _meant_ to be an order: don't waste those dark basements, don't grope about in the dark: instead, install our daylighting product and make that dark space useful and valuable.
> 
> HKK: I found a cleaner copy of this ad in a Google book scan and you are correct; I changed the "uwa" to "uwe"; thanks.



Now you mention it, _Gebruik Hayward's vloerlichten_ is indeed imperative: and hopelessly outdated copy writing. You don't 'order' people to buy your stuff nowadays. You convince them it's the only logic thing to do.


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## Kabouterke

HKK said:


> "Waarom* tast gij* in het donker?" / "Why *[**do] you grope *in the dark?
> 
> The verb and subject are inverted in a Dutch question. The pronoun "gij", alternative for standard "jij" is still used widely in Flanders but in the Netherlands it now has a formal, archaic and even religious sound to it. I don't know what the connotation was back in 1907 Amsterdam.



Back then , gij was still widely used.  In the books of Multatuli and Couperus and the likes who wrote the "greats" of their generation, gij is used exclusively.  I'd just hate to hear it spoken by a Hollander, though.  Ha.


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## Peterdg

But in Belgium, "gij" is still alive and kicking.


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## Kabouterke

Yes, very much so.  I first learned Dutch in Maastricht about five years ago and married a Limburger.  Since then, however, I have moved to Belgium and have adopted using gij.


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