List of English Words of Dutch Origin - D

D

Dam

from Middle Dutch dam (compare Amsterdam or Rotterdam)

Dapper

from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German dapper (="bold, strong, sturdy,")

Deck

from dek (originally "covering")

Decoy

from de kooi (="the cage," used of a pond surrounded by nets, into which wildfowl were lured for capture)

Delftware

from Delft, town in Holland where the glazed earthenware was made; the town named from its chief canal, from Dutch delf, (literally "ditch, canal"), which is related to Old English dælf and modern delve

Dike

from dijk (="embankment")

Dock (maritime)

from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German docke

Domineer

from Dutch domineren (="to rule")

Dope

old meaning "sauce," now "drugs," or "cool," comes from the Dutch verb (in)dopen (usually ="to baptize," but here ="to dip in")

Dredge

from Scottish dreg-boat (="boat for dredging") or Middle Dutch dregghe (="drag-net"), one possibly from the other but hard to tell which came first; probably ultimately from root of drag

Drill (verb)

from Middle Dutch dril, drille and in modern Dutch drillen

Drug

from Old French drogue, perhaps from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German droge-vate (="dry barrels"), with first element mistaken as word for the contents (see dry goods), or because medicines mostly consisted of dried herbs

Dune

English is from French dune (1790). French is possibly from Middle Dutch dune.