List Of English Words Of Dutch Origin
This is a list of words of Dutch language origin. However, this list also includes 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
There are many different ways through which Dutch words have entered the English language. Some of the more common ways include:
- Through trade and seafaring
- Via the New Netherland settlements in North America
- Due to contact between Dutch/Afrikaans speakers with English speakers in South Africa
- French words of Dutch/Flemish origin have been adopted into English
In a survey by Joseph M. Williams in Origins of the English Language it is estimated that about 1% of English words are of Dutch origin.
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