List of English words of Dutch origin

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This is a list of words of Dutch language origin. However, note that this list does also include some words of which the etymology is uncertain, and that some may have been derived from Middle Low German equivalents instead or as well. Some of these words, such as cookie and boss and aardvark, are without a doubt of Dutch origin. But, many of these words are similar not because they are Dutch loan words, but because English, like Dutch, is a Germanic language. Some of these words lack a counterpart in modern Dutch, having been lost since the time it was borrowed.

  • literally: the literal meaning of the Dutch word (the actual meaning is similar to the English one)
  • originally: the word originally had the meaning specified, but is in Dutch also used with the same meaning as in English


Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[edit] A

Aardvark 
from aardvarken (via Afrikaans) (=literally "earth pig") [1]
Afrikaans 
from Afrikaans (via Afrikaans) (="African" adj.)
Ahoy 
from hoi (="hello")
Aloof 
from loef
Apartheid 
from apartheid (via Afrikaans) (="separateness") (meaning: racial segregation) [2]
Avast 
from houvast (="holdfast, support") [3]

[edit] B

Bantam 
from Bantam, Java [4]
Beaker 
from beker [5] (="mug, cup")
Beleaguer 
from belegeren (="besiege, attack with an army") [6]
Blare, to blare 
possibly from slang term blèren [7] (="to scream, to shout, to cry loudly")
to bluff 
from bluffen (="to bluff") [8]
Boom 
from boom (="tree"); cognate to English "beam", German "baum"[9]
Boomslang 
via Afrikaans from boomslang (="tree snake")
Booze 
from Middle Dutch busen (="to drink in excess"). [10] According to JW de Vries busen is equivalent to buizen. [1]
Boss 
from baas [11]
Bow 
front of a ship from boeg [12]
Brandy (wine) 
from brandewijn (literally "burnt wine") [13]
Brawl 
from brallen [14]
Brooklyn 
called after the town of Breukelen near Utrecht [15]
Bulwark 
from bolwerk [16]
Bundle 
from bundel [17]
Bumpkin
from bommekijn (="little barrel") [18]
Buoy 
from boei (="shackle" or "buoy") [19]

[edit] C

Caboose 
from kambuis or kombuis (="ship's kitchen", "galley") [20]
Clove (disambiguation) 
from kloof [1] (="steep valley", "gorge")
Cockatoo 
from kaketoe [21]
Coleslaw 
from koolsla (literally "cabbage salad") [22]
Cookie 
from koekje, or in informal Dutch koekie [23] (="biscuit", "cookie")
Coney Island 
from Conyne Eylandt (literally "Rabbits' Island")
Crimp 
from krimpen (= "to shrink") [1]
Cruise 
from (door)kruisen (="to cross") [24]
Cruller 
from Dutch krullen "to curl" [25]

[edit] D

Dam 
from Middle Dutch dam (compare Amsterdam or Rotterdam) [26]
Dapper 
from dapper (="brave") [27]
Deck 
from dek (originally "covering") [28]
Decoy 
from de kooi (="the cage") [29]
Delftware 
porcelaine from the city Delft [30]
Dike 
from dijk (="embankment") [31]
Dock (maritime) 
possibly from Middle Dutch dok [32]
Dope 
old meaning: sauce, now drugs, comes from the Dutch verb (in)dopen (usually ="to baptize", but here ="to dip in") [33]
Drill (verb) 
from Middle Dutch dril, drille and in modern Dutch drillen [34]
Dune 
from Middle Dutch dune, before from Celtic dun (hill), in modern Dutch duin

[edit] E

Easel 
from ezel (=originally "donkey") [35]
Etch 
from ets or etsen [36]

[edit] F

Filibuster 
from Spanish filibustero from French flibustier ultimately from Dutch vrijbuiter (="pirate" or "freebooter") [37]
Forlorn hope 
from verloren hoop (literally "lost troop", figuratively "suicide squad") [38]
Freebooter 
from vrijbuiter [39]
Freight 
from vracht [40]
Frolic 
from vrolijk (="cheerful") [41]
Furlough 
from verlof (="permission (to leave)") [42]

[edit] G

Gas 
from gas, a neologism from Jan Baptista van Helmont, derived from the Greek Chaos [43]
Geek 
from geck (gek) (="fool") [44] [45]
Gin 
from jenever [46]
Gnu 
from gnoe (from Bushman !nu) [47]
Guilder 
from gulden [48]
Golf 
from kolf (="bat, club", but also a game played with these) [1]
Grab 
from grijpen (="to seize, to grasp, to snatch") [49]

[edit] H

Hankering 
from Middle Dutch hankeren or Dutch hunkeren [50]
Harlem 
called after the city of Haarlem near Amsterdam
Hartebeest 
from Afrikaans, from Du. hertebeest "antelope," from hert "deer" (cognate to "hart") + beest "beast" [51]
Hoboken 
called after the Flemish town Hoboken near Antwerp.
Hoist 
possibly from Middle Dutch hijsen [52]
Holster 
from holster [53]
Hooky 
from hoekje (=corner) in the sense of to go around the corner [54]

[edit] I

Iceberg 
probably from Dutch ijsberg (literally ice mountain). [55]
Isinglass 
probably from Dutch huizenblas (this is no current Dutch word) [56]

[edit] J

[edit] K

Keelhauling 
from kielhalen (=literally "to haul keel")[57]
Keeshond 
prob. from special use of Kees (shortening of proper name Cornelius) + hond "dog" [58]
Kill (body of water) 
from kil from Middle Dutch kille (=literally "riverbed") [59]
Kink 
from kink referring to a twist in a rope [60]
Knapsack 
possibly from knapzak (=literally "bag of snacks") [61]
Knickerbocker 
The pen-name was borrowed from Washington Irving's friend Herman Knickerbocker, and lit. means "toy marble-baker." also descendants of Dutch settler of New York are referred to as Knickerbockers and later became used in reference to a style of pants [62]

[edit] L

Landscape 
from landschap [63]
Leak 
possibly from lekken (="to drip, to leak" ) [64]
Loafer 
from loper (="walker") ([65]

[edit] M

Maelstrom 
from maalstroom (=literally "grinding current" or "stirring current") (possibly Norse in origin) [66]
Manikin 
from Brabantian manneken (=literally "little man") [67]
Mannequin 
via French from Dutch manneken (=literally "little man") [68]
Mart 
from Middle Dutch marct (=literally "market") (modern Dutch: markt) [69]
Measles 
possibly from Middle Dutch masel "blemish" (modern Dutch: mazelen) [70]
Meerkat 
from Dutch meerkat [71]
Morass 
from moeras (="swamp") [72]

[edit] N

[edit] O

Offal 
possibly from Middle Dutch afval (="leftovers, rubbish") [73]

[edit] P

Patroon
from patroon (="patron") [74]
Pickle 
c.1440, probably from M.Du. pekel [75]
Pinkie 
Pinkje/Pinkie [76]
Pit 
the stone of a drupaceous fruit : from pit [77]
Plug 
from plugge, originally a maritime term.[78]
Polder 
from polder
Poppycock 
from pappekak (=dialect for "soft dung") [79]
Pump 
from pomp [80]

[edit] Q

Quack 
shortened from quacksalver, from kwakzalver (= literally "someone who daubs ointments") [81]

[edit] R

Roster 
from rooster (= "schedule, or grating/grill") [82]
Rover
from rover (= "robber") [83]

[edit] S

Santa Claus 
from Middle Dutch Sinterklaas (="Saint Nicholas"), bishop of Asia Minor who became a patron saint for children. (Dutch and Flemish feast celebrated on the 5th and 6th of December respectively) (Origins of Santa Claus in US culture)[84]
Scone 
from schoon (="clean") [85]
Scow 
from schouw (a type of boat) [86]
Shoal 
from Middle Dutch schole (="large number (of fish)) (etymology not sure)
Skate, to skate 
from schaats. The noun was originally adopted as in Dutch, with 'skates' being the singular form of the noun; due to the similarity to regular English plurals this form was ultimately used as the plural while 'skate' was derived for use as singular." [87]
Sketch 
from schets [88]
to Scour 
from Middle Dutch scuren (now "schuren") [89]
Skipper 
from Middle Dutch scipper (now schipper =literally "shipper") [90]
Sled, sleigh 
from Middle Dutch slede, slee [91]
Slim 
"thin, slight, slender," from Dutch slim "bad, sly, clever," from M.Du. slim "bad, crooked," [92]
Sloop 
from sloep [93]
Slurp 
from slurpen [94]
Smack (boat) 
possibly from smak "sailboat", perhaps so-called from the sound made by its sails [95]
Smelt 
from smelten (="to melt") [96]
Snack 
perhaps from Middle Dutch snakken (="to long" (snakken naar lucht="to gasp for air") originally "to eat"/"chatter") [97]
Snoop 
from snoepen (to eat (possibly in secret) something sweet) [98]
Snuff 
from snuiftabak (=literally "sniff tobacco") [99]
Splinter 
from splinter [100]
Split 
from Middle Dutch splitten [101]
Spook 
from spook (="ghost(ly image)") [102]
Stoker 
from stoken (="stoke a fire") [103]
Stern 
hind part of a ship related to Steven in Dutch and Stiarn in Frisian [104]
Still life 
from Dutch stilleven [105]
Stoop (steps) 
from stoep (="pavement/sidewalk") [106]
Stockfish 
from dutch stokvis (= "stick fish")
Stove 
from Middle Dutch stove (="heated room"). The Dutch word stoof, pronounced similarly, is a small (often wooden) box with holes in it. One would place glowing coals inside so it would emanate heat, and then put one's feet on top of it while sitting (in a chair) to keep one's feet warm. [107]
Sutler
from zoetelaar (="one who sweetens", sweetener, old-fashioned for "camp cook") [108]

[edit] T

Tattoo (military term) 
from taptoe (=literally "close the tap"). So called because police used to visit taverns in the evening to shut off the taps of casks. [109]
Tickle 
from kietelen [110]
Trek 
from trekken (via Afrikaans) (=literally "to march" or "to travel") [111]
Trigger 
from trekker (Trekken ="to pull") [112]
Tulip 
from tulp [113]

[edit] U

[edit] V

Veldt 
South African grassland, 1785, from Afrikaans, from older Du. veld (="field") [114]

[edit] W

Waffle 
from wafel [115]
Walrus 
from walrus [116]
Wagon 
from Middle Dutch wagen, waghen (="cart, carriage, wagon") [117]
Wiggle 
from wiggelen (="to wobble, to wiggle") or wiegen (="to rock") [118]
Wildebeest 
from wildebeest (lit. wild beast, via Afrikaans) [119]
Witloof 
from witlof (lit. wit "white" + lof "foliage") [120]

[edit] X

[edit] Y

Yacht 
from jacht (=originally "hunt") [121]
Yankee 
from Jan Kees, a personal name, originally used mockingly to describe pro-French revolutionary citizens, with allusion to the small keeshond dog, then for "colonials" in New Amsterdam (Note: this is not the only possible etymology for the word yankee. For one thing, the Oxford English Dictionary has quotes with the term from as early as 1765, quite some time before the French Revolution.) [122]

[edit] Z

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Het verhaal van een taal, negen eeuwen nederlands, http://www.pbo.nl

[edit] See also

Look up Category:Dutch derivations in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Dutch_origin"
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