Dutch Words In English Language

There are a lot of Dutch loan words in English Language, here is a compact list:^[1]

A

• Aardvark

from South African Dutch aard + varken (earth + pig)

• Afrikaans (Africanish)
• Aloof

from loef (a nautical order to keep the ship's head to the wind)

• Avast

from "hou vast" (hold fast, hold steady)

B

• Bamboo

from bamboe, based on Malay mambu

• Bazooka

from bazuin (trompet)

• Beaker

from beker (mug, cup)

• Beleaguer

from belegeren (besiege)

• Berm
• Blare

from blaren and blèren (to bleat, to shout)

• Blaze

from blazen (to blow, on a trumpet)

• Blink

from blinken (to glitter)

• Bluff (poker term)

from bluffen (to brag)

• Boer (Dutch colonist in South Africa)

from boer (farmer)

• Boodle

from Dutch boedel (property)

• Boom

(tree)

• Boomslang

(tree snake, a type of snake)

• Boss

from baas

• Boulevard

from bolwerk, also directly borrowed as bulwark

• Brackish

from brak (salty)

• Brandy

from brandewijn (burnt wine)

• Brooklyn

From Breukelen, a town near Utrecht Bruin(s) (brown)

• Buckwheat

from Dutch boekweit

• Bulwark (see boulevard)
• Bundle

from bundel

• Buoy

from boei

C

• Caboose

from kombuis (ship's kitchen)

• Cockatoo

from kaketoe (bird)

• Coleslaw

from koolsla (cabbage salad)

• Cookie

from koekje

• Crimp

from krimpen (to shrink)

• Cruise

from kruisen (to cross)

• Cruller

from krullen (to curl)

D

• Dapper (bold)
• Deck

from dekken (to cover)

• Decoy

from kooi (cage)

• Dock

from dok

• Dollar

from daalder

• Dope

from doop (to dip)

E

• Easel

from ezel

• Elope

from ontlopen (run away)

• Etch

from ets

F

• Flushing

from Vlissingen

• Foist

from vuist (fist)

• Freebooter

from vrijbuiter

• Freight

from vracht

• Frolic

from vrolijk (cheerful)

• Furlough

from verlof (permission to leave)

G

• Gas (from gas)
• Geek
• from gek (fool)
• Gherkin (from augurken)
• Gin (from jenever)
• Golf

from kolf (bat, club)

• Grab (from grijpen)
• Guilder

from gulden (former Dutch currency)

H

• Hankering

from hunkeren

• Harlem

from Haarlem

• Hoboken

from Hoge Beuken (High Beeches)

• Holster

from holster

• Hooky

from hoek (corner)

I

• Iceberg

from ijsberg (literally ice mountain)

• Ietsism

from ietsisme (literally: somethingism)

K

• Keelhauling

from kielhalen (literally "to haul keel")

• Kink (in a cabel)

from kink (in de kabel)

• Knapsack (from knapzak)

L Landscape from landschap (land + -ship)

• Luck

from geluk (good fortune)

M

• Manikin

from manneken (little man)

• Mart

from markt (market)

• Meerkat

from South African Dutch meer + kat (lake + cat)

• Morass

from moeras (swamp)

O

• Onslaught

From aanslag (attack)

P

• Polder (from polder)
• Pump

from pomp

Q

• Quack

from kwak(-zalver) (literally "someone who daubs ointments")

R

• Roster

from rooster (schedule)

• Rover

from rover (robber)

S

• Santa Claus

from Sinterklaas ("Saint Nicholas)

• School (group of fish)

from Dutch school (group of fish)

• Scone

from schoon (bright)

• Scum (bad person)

from schuim (foam)

• Skate (from schaats)
• Sketch (from schets)
• Skipper

from schipper (literally "shipper")

• Sled, sleigh

from slede, slee

• Sloop (from sloep)
• Slurp (from slurpen)
• Smearcase

from smeerkaas (cheese that can be spread over bread)

• Smelt

from smelten (to melt)

• Snicker

from Dutch snikken (to gasp)

• Snoop

from snoep (candy)

• Snuff

from snuiven (to sniff)

• Splinter (from splinter)
• Split

from splitten

• Spook

from spook (ghost)

• Spoor

from spoor (track)

• Stoker

from stoken (stoke a fire)

• Still life (from Dutch stilleven)
• Stoop (steps) (from stoep)
• Stockfish

from stokvis (stick fish)

• Stove (from stoof)

T

• Tickle (from kietelen)
• Trigger

from trekker (Trekken =to pull)

V

• Vang

from vangen (to catch) Veld from veld (field)

W

• Walrus (from walrus)
• Wagon

from wagen (car)

• Wentletrap

from wenteltrap: wentelen (turning around) and trap (stairs)

• Wildebeest

from wild + beest (wild beast) Witloof from Belgian Dutch witloof (literally white foliage)

Y Yacht from jacht(-schip) (hunting ship) Yankee from Jan-Kees (a name)

See also[edit]

• American English

References[edit]