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> I couldn’t find any record of use of niksen in the Dutch language before the late 2010s. This feel wrong to me, the concept is definitely older. It just went

> I couldn’t find any record of use of niksen in the Dutch language before the late 2010s. This feel wrong to me, the concept is definitely older. It just went by nietsen instead of niksen, which is (or was) more grammatically correct/formal as niks is an informal/spoken version of niets. Here is an example [1] from 2006 with nietsen, defined as to do nothing on a grammar forum. And before 2008 [2] as “not doing anything”. Even a use from 1997 [3]. [1] https://www.dutchgrammar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627 https://www.dutchgrammar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627 [2] https://www.dutchgrammar.com/en/?n=Verbs.Ot04 https://www.dutchgrammar.com/en/?n=Verbs.Ot04 [3] https://ronald-giphart.nl/vrouwen-zijn-de-baas/ https://ronald-giphart.nl/vrouwen-zijn-de-baas/

smokel 3y ago
It goes back to at least 1933. This was the first hit on Google: https://renevanmaarsseveen.nl/14273/niksen-iets-wat-nederlanders-goed-kunnen https://renevanmaarsseveen.nl/14273/niksen-iets-wat-nederlan...
- evrimoztamur 3y ago
  This is a much better article that captures the niks of niksen.
- snoopen 3y ago
  > doing nothing is letting yourself drift along in your environment in the moment without a purpose. I particularly like this definition. Moments like those I enjoy a lot.
oesexe 3y ago
we have the word in Danish. It is used to express 'No' with a bit of slang-vibes to it. Kinda like 'Nope'. We also say 'Niks' I think Niksen is the 'cute' word for Niks. The ending -sen is the familiar -sen from 'son (of)' found in 'Jensen' 'Hansen' 'Larsen' or in swedish 'Hansson' 'Larsson'
- shautvast 3y ago
  the -en ending indicates the infinitive in Dutch
  - brnt 3y ago
    -sen also can be son-of (e.g. Jansen), it's just that niks happens to end in an s.
  - SushiHippie 3y ago
    Same for german (I think). We also have nix/nichts which means nothing. And "nichtsen" would somewhat make sense in german, at least I think most people would understand it.
- Scarblac 3y ago
  'Niks' is an alternative version of 'niets', which means 'nothing'. Niksen is the verbified form, so 'to nothing'. It has an -en ending like most verbs, unrelated to the -sen ending as in those names.

smokel 3y ago

It goes back to at least 1933. This was the first hit on Google: https://renevanmaarsseveen.nl/14273/niksen-iets-wat-nederlanders-goed-kunnen https://renevanmaarsseveen.nl/14273/niksen-iets-wat-nederlan...

evrimoztamur 3y ago
This is a much better article that captures the niks of niksen.
snoopen 3y ago
> doing nothing is letting yourself drift along in your environment in the moment without a purpose. I particularly like this definition. Moments like those I enjoy a lot.

oesexe 3y ago

we have the word in Danish. It is used to express 'No' with a bit of slang-vibes to it. Kinda like 'Nope'. We also say 'Niks' I think Niksen is the 'cute' word for Niks. The ending -sen is the familiar -sen from 'son (of)' found in 'Jensen' 'Hansen' 'Larsen' or in swedish 'Hansson' 'Larsson'

shautvast 3y ago
the -en ending indicates the infinitive in Dutch
- brnt 3y ago
  -sen also can be son-of (e.g. Jansen), it's just that niks happens to end in an s.
- SushiHippie 3y ago
  Same for german (I think). We also have nix/nichts which means nothing. And "nichtsen" would somewhat make sense in german, at least I think most people would understand it.
Scarblac 3y ago
'Niks' is an alternative version of 'niets', which means 'nothing'. Niksen is the verbified form, so 'to nothing'. It has an -en ending like most verbs, unrelated to the -sen ending as in those names.