List of English words of Dutch origin

From Old Dutch

• Many Latinate words in the English lexicon were borrowed from Latin. Quite a few of these words can further trace their origins back to a Germanic source - usually Old Low Franconian. Old Dutch is the western variant of this language. In cases it is not clear whether the loanword is from Old Dutch or another Germanic language, they have been excluded from the list. See also: List of English Latinates of Germanic origin
• Since speakers of West Germanic languages spoken along the North Sea coast from the 5th to the 9th century lived close enough together to form a linguistic crossroads - water was the main way of transportation - Dutch and English share some traits that other West Germanic languages do not possess. Lexical examples are Dutch vijf / English five and Dutch leef / English live. These words have been excluded from the list. See also: Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law
• Since the Norman Conquest of 1066, many Latinate words entered the English lexicon via French, which has – via Old French – a substantial base of Old Dutch and Middle Dutch. For instance, French boulevard comes from Dutch bolwerk. In cases it is not clear whether the loanword in French is from Dutch or another Germanic language, they have been excluded from the list. See also: Influence of Franconian language on French

From Middle Dutch

• About one-third of the invading Norman army of 1066 came from Dutch speaking Flemish. Many Flemings stayed in England after the Conquest and influenced the English language.
• The main part of refugees to England, Wales and Scotland from the 11th till the 17th century were from the Low Countries; particularly Flemish skilled weavers and textile workers immigrated as a result of floods, overpopulation and warfare in Flanders. In 1527, when England's population numbered 5 million, London alone had tens of thousands of Flemings, while an estimated third of the Scottish population has a Flemish background.

From Modern Dutch

• In the Dutch Golden Age, spanning most of the 17th century, Dutch trade, science, military, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world, and many English words of Dutch origin concerning these areas are stemming from this period.
• English and Dutch rivalry at sea resulted in many Dutch naval terms in English.
• Via settlements in North America and elsewhere in the world Dutch language influenced English spoken there, particularly American English. That resulted also in numerous place names based on Dutch words and places. These are excluded from the list unless they are well known, like Brooklyn and Wall Street. See also: List of place names of Dutch origin
• Due to contact between Afrikaans and English speakers in South Africa, many Dutch words entered English via Afrikaans, which has an estimated 90 to 95% vocabulary of Dutch origin. Only the words that entered standard English are listed here. Afrikaans words that do not stem from Cape Dutch but from an African, Indian or other European language, are not listed here. ''See also: List of English words of Afrikaans origin and List of South African slang words''

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