There are a lot of English words that come from Dutch, thanks to historical trade, exploration, and cultural exchange between the Netherlands and England. Here's a complete and detailed list of commonly known English words of Dutch origin, categorized by theme:
Maritime & Trade Terms
- Ahoy – from Dutch hoi, a call for attention.
- Buoy – from boei, meaning a floating marker.
- Freight – from vracht, meaning cargo.
- Keel – from kiel, the structural base of a ship.
- Skipper – from schipper, meaning ship captain.
- Yacht – from jacht, meaning a fast sailing vessel.
- Smuggle – from smokkelen, meaning to secretly transport goods.
- Dock – from dok, meaning a place for ships.
Art & Culture
- Landscape – from landschap, meaning scenery.
- Sketch – from schets, a rough drawing.
- Etch – from etsen, meaning to carve with acid.
- Easel – from ezel, meaning donkey, since wooden easels resemble a donkey carrying a load.
Food & Drink
- Cookie – from koekje, meaning small cake.
- Coleslaw – from koolsla, meaning cabbage salad.
- Waffle – from wafel, meaning a type of batter cake.
- Pickle – from pekel, meaning brine or salty liquid.
Animals & Nature
- Beaver – from bever, referring to the animal.
- Fur – from vacht (possibly influenced through trade).
- Wolverine – from wolven, meaning wolves.
Everyday Words
- Boss – from baas, meaning master or leader.
- Dollar – from daalder, originally a silver coin.
- Santa Claus – from Sinterklaas, the Dutch name for Saint Nicholas.
- Yankee – possibly from Jan Kees, a Dutch name used for settlers.
Military & Weapons
- Cruiser – from kruiser, meaning a warship.
- Camouflage – possibly from kamouflage, influenced by Dutch-French military terms.
Sports & Games
- Golf – from kolf, meaning club.
- Bowling – from kegelspel, a Dutch game similar to modern bowling.
This is not an exhaustive list, but it covers many well-known words.
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