Here’s how Dutch changed the English language forever

Have you ever heard people complain that the use of English is becoming too widespread in the Netherlands, changing the way Dutch people speak their language? Well, the British once had the same exact worry, but reversed.

English is everywhere in the Netherlands, so you’ll hardly be surprised to hear that present-day Dutch borrows about 1.5% of its lexicon from it.

But guess what? The opposite is also true: about 1% of English comes from Dutch — and the British weren’t always thrilled about it.

Here’s how the Dutchies came to shape the most influential language in the world to such an extent. 👇

Long time frenemies: a history of close Anglo-Dutch contact

The history of the Dutch influence on the English language is one of very close, though not always friendly (or vriendelijk 😉) contact.

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The primary reason for the similarities between Dutch and English is the common ancestor shared between Old Dutch and Anglo-Saxon: West German.

Due to their shared Germanic roots, the two languages are believed to have been mutually intelligible until the early medieval period, after which they drifted apart.

After that, however, migration, trade, war, and culinary and artistic contaminations continued to give English and Dutch speakers plenty of reasons to talk to each other.

This, in turn, has left lasting traces in the English lexicon, which is disseminated with many more or less hidden Dutch words.

Let’s look at some examples. 👀

Dutch words that crossed the English channel

Many of the Dutch words that made it to the other side of the English Channel reflect the main activities the Dutch were famous for throughout history: seafaring, trade, and colonisation.

READ MORE | The Dutch East India Company was richer than Apple, Google, and Facebook combined

Due to their mastery of the seas, the Dutch gave English words such as skipper, deck, dock, freight, and cruise.

Their trading might, in turn, left the British with terms like trade, pack, bundle, and deal.

Dutch colonial and commercial history also left behind all kinds of words imported from faraway places, which were first Dutchified and then transmitted to English: tea, coffee, and bamboo are just a few examples.

Arts, crafts, and draught (beer)

Another activity that made the Dutch famous throughout history was painting: the massive influence of the 16th and 17th Dutch meesters (masters) on European art gifted English terms like masterpiece, sketch, still life, and landscape.

READ MORE | 10 of the Netherlands’ most famous painters

And what’s the best way to discuss art? In front of a glass of booze, of course!

Yep, that’s a Dutch word too, coming from the Middle Dutch verb busen, to drink excessively. So is brewery, by the way, coming from brouwerij.

Fancy a snack to absorb all the alcohol? Then you should go for a cookie (koekje), scone (schoonbrood), pickle (pekel). Oh, snack is Dutch, too: coming from snacken, to snap or snatch.

A literal Dutch invasion

Anglo-Dutch history was not all deals and meals: there were also wars.

It is estimated that about a third of the Norman army that famously invaded Britain in 1066 was made up of Flemings, Dutch and Flemish-speaking inhabitants of present-day Netherlands, Flanders, and Northern Normandy.

Many of them were promised land in Britain in exchange for their services, which also explains why so many Scots are surnamed “Fleming”.

READ NEXT | That time the Dutch conquered Britain (ja, we’re serious)

But the wars didn’t stop in the Middle Ages. Between the 1650s and 1780s, the four Anglo-Dutch Wars made the two countries colonial rivals and enemies for another century — which is why English still has so many negative expressions referring to the Dutch.

For example, fake courage derived from drinking alcohol is called “Dutch courage”, and when someone is talking gibberish, you can say it’s “Double Dutch” (yes, like the American comedian you’ve probably come across if you’re also chronically online).

Fancy English words that are actually Dutch

British English might have a reputation for sounding posh, but in fact, it borrows some of its fancier-sounding terms from Dutch.

That’s the case for dapper, often used as a synonym for “smartly dressed”; to frolic, to move about cheerfully; to hanker, to desire strongly; and to loiter, to stand around with no apparent purpose.

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Even the less elegant but undoubtedly very British-sounding word “poppycock” (I see you giggling like a 12-year-old) comes from the Dutch pappekak, “nonsense.”

American English was Dutchified, too

And how could American English escape this Dutchification, considering that the Netherlands famously established colonies in the US?

READ NEXT | Life in the Netherlands and the US: what stands out?

The Dutch influence on American English includes, of course, names of places in the former Nieuw Amsterdam (New York), such as Brooklyn, named after the Dutch Breukelen, and Harlem, named after… *drumroll* Haarlem.

However, according to some linguists, unsuspecting American English words like “dollar” and “Yankee” also come from Dutch. The more you know!

If you’re a language geek like us, you can find out more about the influence of Dutch on the English language in the video below. Last fun fact: “geek” comes from the Dutch word gek, “fool”. 😉

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