List of English Words of Dutch Origin - S

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 6 December respectively) (Origins of Santa Claus in US culture)

Schooner (boat)

from schoener

Scone

from schoon (="clean")

Scow

from schouw (a type of boat)

Scum (as in lowest class of humanity)

from schuim (froth, foam)

Shoal

from Middle Dutch schole (="large number (of fish)") (modern Dutch: school) (etymology not sure)

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."

Sketch

from schets

to Scour

from Middle Dutch scuren (now "schuren"), cognate of the English word "shower".

Skipper

from Middle Dutch scipper (now schipper, literally "shipper")

Sled, sleigh

from Middle Dutch slede, slee

Slim

"thin, slight, slender," from Dutch slim "bad, sly, clever," from Middle Dutch slim "bad, crooked,"

Sloop

from sloep

Slurp

from slurpen

Smack (boat)

possibly from smak "sailboat," perhaps so-called from the sound made by its sails

Smearcase

from smeerkaas (="cheese that can be spread over bread, cottage-cheese")

Smelt

from smelten (="to melt")

Smuggler

from Low German smuggeln or Dutch smokkelen (="to transport (goods) illegally"), apparently a frequentative formation of a word meaning "to sneak"

Snack

perhaps from Middle Dutch snakken (="to long" (snakken naar lucht="to gasp for air") originally "to eat"/"chatter")

Snicker

from Dutch snikken (="to gasp, sob")

Snoop

from snoepen (to eat (possibly in secret) something sweet)

Snuff

from snuiftabak (literally "sniff tobacco")

Splinter

from splinter

Split

from Middle Dutch splitten

Spook

from spook (="ghost(ly image)")

Spoor

from both Afrikaans and Dutch spoor (="track"/"trail")

Stoker

from stoken (="stoke a fire")

Stern

hind part of a ship related to Steven in Dutch and Stiarn in Frisian

Still life

from Dutch stilleven

Stoop (steps)

from stoep (=road up a dike, usually right-angled)

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.

Sutler

from zoetelaar (="one who sweetens", sweetener, old-fashioned for "camp cook")