wijf
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch wijf, from Old Dutch wīf, from Proto-West Germanic *wīb, from Proto-Germanic *wībą. While initially a neutral term for "woman", the word came to be associated first with lower-class women from the seventeenth century onwards, and over the following centuries developed into a largely derogatory term for woman who is disliked or at least somewhat disrespected by the speaker. Nonetheless, in some dialects the word remained neutral even into the twentieth century.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʋɛi̯f/
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: wijf
- Rhymes: -ɛi̯f
Noun
wijf n (plural wijven, diminutive wijfje n)
- (now generally derogatory) woman, potentially being as pejorative as bitch
- (often derogatory) broad, bint
Usage notes
- The diminutive of this word, wijfje, has an independent meaning (“female animal”) which is a diminutivum tantum in that sense.
- Colloquial diminutives (e.g. wijfie, wijffie) often have a familiar meaning and lack negative connotations.
Derived terms
Middle Dutch
Etymology
From Old Dutch wīf, from Proto-West Germanic *wīb.
Inflection
Descendants
Further reading
- “wijf”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
- Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “wijf”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN
Middle English
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