List of English Words of Dutch Origin - A

A

Aardvark

from both Afrikaans and Dutch, literally "earth-pig" (the animal burrows), from aarde (="earth") + varken (="pig")

Afrikaans

from Afrikaans (via Afrikaans) (="African" adj.)

Ahoy

from hoi (="hi", "hello")

Aloof

from a- + Middle English loof (="weather gage," also "windward direction"), probably from Dutch loef (="the weather side of a ship"); originally a nautical order to keep the ship's head to the wind, thus to stay clear of a lee-shore or some other quarter, hence the figurative sense of "at a distance, apart"

Apartheid

from Dutch apartheid. (="difference, rarity")

Avast

a nautical interjection (="hold! stop!"), probably worn down from Dutch houd vast (="hold fast" or "hold steady")