meer

nl-noun

meer n (plural meren, diminutive meertje n)

meren (plural)
meertje (diminutive neuter)

Afrikaans: meer

From Middle Dutch mēre, from Old Dutch meri, from Proto-West Germanic *mari, from Proto-Germanic *mari, from Proto-Indo-European *móri.

We gingen zwemmen in het meer.

Het meer was kalm en helder.

Er zijn veel vissen in dat meer.


delta

delta f (plural delta's, diminutive deltaatje n)

delta's (plural)
deltaatje (diminutive neuter)

Ultimately from Ancient Greek δέλτα (délta). Doublet of dalet.

a river delta, a network of one or more rivers and tributaries pouring out into a larger body of water


Schelde

The river Scheldt (a river in France, Belgium and the Netherlands)


Kongo

Congo (a large river in Africa, which flows for about 4,380 km (2,720 miles) to the Atlantic Ocean in the Democratic Republic of Congo)


zee

zee f (plural zeeën, diminutive zeetje n)

zeeën (plural)
zeetje (diminutive neuter)

Afrikaans: see

Berbice Creole Dutch: sei

Javindo: see

Negerhollands: see

→ Saramaccan: zé

→ Sranan Tongo: se

From Middle Dutch sêe, from Old Dutch sēo, from Proto-West Germanic *saiwi, from Proto-Germanic *saiwiz.

Ze zeilden over de open zee om nieuwe landen te ontdekken.

They sailed the open sea to discover new lands.

Ik wil volgend jaar naar de zee verhuizen.

Het kleine zeetje was een populaire plek voor lokale vissers.

The small sea was a popular spot for local fishermen.


golf

From Middle Dutch gelve, from Proto-Germanic *gelbaną. Influenced by Late Latin colfus, from Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos).

first-person singular present indicative

(in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative


fjord

fjord m (plural fjorden, diminutive fjordje n)

fjorden (plural)
fjordje (diminutive neuter)

Borrowing from Norwegian fjord, from Old Norse fjǫrðr.


Rijn

From Middle Dutch rijn, from Old Dutch *Rīn, from Proto-West Germanic *Rīn, from Proto-Germanic *Rīnaz, from a Celtic language.

Wie op den Rijn per stoomboot reist, moet veel lodderige lonken kunnen afzien, […]

1874, Tony, Twee reisnovellen van den Rijn, W.C. de Graaff, 52

(please add an English translation of this quotation)

The Rhine, a major European river flowing through Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France, Germany and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands the river (including its distributaries) flows through the provinces of Gelderland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland.


bocht

bocht f or m (plural bochten, diminutive bochtje n)

bochten (plural)
bochtje (diminutive neuter)

Berbice Creole Dutch: boktu

→ Papiamentu: bògt

→ Sranan Tongo: boktu

→ Aukan: bokutu

→ Caribbean Javanese: boktu

From Middle Dutch bocht, from Old Dutch *buht, from Proto-West Germanic *buhti, from Proto-Germanic *buhtiz. Equivalent to buigen (“to bend, bow”) + -t (“verbal noun”).

suffix

a bight, broad curvature of a coastline, bay


Lek

From Middle Dutch lecke. Related to laak.

A river, the northern arm of the River Rhine, in the provinces of Utrecht, South Holland and Gelderland, Netherlands, running from the Nederrijn at Wijk bij Duurstede to the Noord at Kinderdijk.


Don

Don (a river, the fifth-longest in Europe, in Tula, Lipetsk, Voronezh, Volgograd and Rostov Oblasts, Russia)


haven

nl-noun

haven f (plural havens, diminutive haventje n)

havens (plural)
haventje (diminutive neuter)

Afrikaans: hawe

→ Papiamentu: haf, haaf

From Middle Dutch havene, from Old Dutch *havana, from Proto-West Germanic *habanu, from Proto-Germanic *habnō, *habanō.

De schepen liggen veilig in de haven.

We namen een wandeling bij het kleine haventje na het diner.

We took a walk by the small harbour after dinner.


vijver

vijver m (plural vijvers, diminutive vijvertje n)

vijvers (plural)
vijvertje (diminutive neuter)

Afrikaans: vywer

From Middle Dutch viver, from Old French vivier, from Latin vīvārium. Was merged with or replaced Middle Dutch wier, wuwer, *wiwer, an older borrowing directly from Latin; compare German Weiher.


zwembad

zwembad n (plural zwembaden, diminutive zwembadje n)

zwembaden (plural)
zwembadje (diminutive neuter)

Afrikaans: swembad


oceaan

oceaan m (plural oceanen, diminutive oceaantje n)

oceanen (plural)
oceaantje (diminutive neuter)

Afrikaans: oseaan

→ Papiamentu: osean

Borrowed from Middle French ocean, from Latin oceanus, from Ancient Greek ὠκεᾰνός (ōkeanós).


rivier

rivier f or m (plural rivieren, diminutive riviertje n)

rivieren (plural)
riviertje (diminutive neuter)

Afrikaans: rivier

Jersey Dutch: rîver

From Middle Dutch riviere, from Old French riviere.


straat

straat f (plural straten, diminutive straatje n)

straten (plural)
straatje (diminutive neuter)

desctree

Afrikaans: straat
→ Swazi: sitaladi
→ Xhosa: isitrato, isitalato

→ Indonesian: setrat

→ Sranan Tongo: strati
→ Aukan: sitaati, strati
→ Caribbean Hindustani: stráti
→ Saramaccan: sitááti

From Middle Dutch strâte, from Old Dutch strāta, from Proto-West Germanic *strātu (“street”), from Latin strāta, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sterh₃- (“to stretch out, extend, spread”).
The sense “strait” is a phono-semantic matching of Middle English streit, from Old French estreit, from Latin strictus. Compare German Straße.

psm

Straat Yucatan — the Yucatán Channel or Straits of Yucatán

Straat (van) Malakka


Maas

From Middle Dutch Mase, from Old Dutch *Masa, from Proto-Germanic *Masō. Dutch is one of the few languages in which the Germanic name survives directly; most other languages have borrowed the name from Dutch or from a Romance language.

The Meuse, a major European river flowing through France, Belgium and the Netherlands. In the Netherlands the river flows through the provinces of Limburg, Gelderland, Noord-Brabant and Zuid-Holland.


Tiber

Tiber, the river that flows through Rome in Italy.


gracht

nl-noun

gracht f or m (plural grachten, diminutive grachtje n)

grachten (plural)
grachtje (diminutive neuter)

Afrikaans: grag

→ English: gracht

→ German: Gracht

→ Papiamentu: gracht (dated)

→ West Frisian: gracht

From Middle Dutch gracht, from Old Dutch *graft, *graht, from Proto-Germanic *graftuz. Equivalent to graven (“to dig”) + -t (“verbal noun”).

2017 January 10, Het Laatste Nieuws, "Monsterfile op E17 na ongeval in Destelbergen, vrachtwagen in gracht op E40".
Op de E40 tussen Beernem en Aalter kreeg een vrachtwagen rond 7 uur 's morgens een klapband. Hierdoor belandde de vrachtwagen, die geladen was met aarde, op zijn zijkant in de gracht.

A truck got a flat tyre on the E40 between Beernem and Aalter around 7 o'clock in the morning. This caused the truck, which was loaded with earth, to end up on its side in the ditch.

(Belgium) ditch, trench (in the countryside, referring to both those that contain water and those that are dry)


vaart

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

nonlemma

second/third-person singular present indicative


baai

nl-noun

baai f (plural baaien, diminutive baaitje n)

baaien (plural)
baaitje (diminutive neuter)

Afrikaans: baai

Negerhollands: bai, bay

Directly or ultimately from Middle French baie.


Donau

Borrowed from German Donau. The Middle Dutch name was denouwe.

Danube (a river in Europe; flowing 2850 km from the confluence of the Breg and Brigach at Donaueschingen, Germany, into the Black Sea in Romania)


Amer

Likely etymologically identical to Eem. See also Amersfoort.

A river in the province of North Brabant, the Netherlands; it flows into the Hollands Diep and is the continuation of the Bergsche Maas


Dinkel

A river in the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, originating in Germany.


kanaal

kanaal n (plural kanalen, diminutive kanaaltje n)

kanalen (plural)
kanaaltje (diminutive neuter)

Afrikaans: kanaal

→ Caribbean Hindustani: kandál

→ Caribbean Javanese: kanal

→ Indonesian: kanal

→ Sranan Tongo: kanari

→ West Frisian: kanaal

From Middle Dutch canael, from older canel, from Old French canal, from Latin canālis (“pipe, channel, canal”), from canna (“reed, cane”), from Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna, “reed”), from Akkadian 𒄀 (qanû, “reed”), from Sumerian 𒄀𒈾 (gi.na).


Zwarte Zee

the Black Sea, an inland sea between southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and Asia Minor


Stille Oceaan

the Pacific Ocean (the world's largest body of water)


stroom

stroom m (plural stromen, diminutive stroompje n)

stromen (plural)
stroompje (diminutive neuter)

Berbice Creole Dutch: strom

Negerhollands: stroom, strom

→ Aukan: sitolomu

→ Caribbean Javanese: setrum

→ Indonesian: setrum

→ Papiamentu: strom, stroom

→ Indonesian: arus (semantic loan)

From Middle Dutch strôom, from Old Dutch *strōm, from Proto-West Germanic *straum, from Proto-Germanic *straumaz, from Proto-Indo-European *srew- (“to flow”).


Waddenzee

→ English: Wadden Sea (partial calque)

the Wadden Sea: a marginal sea stretching from the northern Netherlands to southwestern Denmark


lagune

lagune f (plural lagunes or lagunen, diminutive lagunetje n)

lagunes (plural)
lagunen (plural)
lagunetje (diminutive neuter)


Amazone

Ultimately from Ancient Greek Ἀμαζών (Amazṓn).


Amstel

From Middle Dutch amestelle. The second element is stelle (“place, position”).


Waal

From Proto-Germanic *Wahalaz, *Wahaliz, attested in Latin sources as vacalus, vahalis.

the Waal (a river and distributary of the Rhine that runs through the provinces of Gelderland and South Holland, Netherlands)


Egeïsche Zee

De Egeïsche Zee is een mijnenveld van territoriale betwistigen tussen oeverstaten Griekenland en Turkije betreffende Egeïsche eilanden en omliggende wateren.

The Aegean Sea is a minefield of territorial disputes between the coastal states Greece and Turkey concerning Aegean islands and their surrounding waters.

the Aegean Sea, the northeastern part of the Mediterranean Sea


Adriatische Zee

the Adriatic Sea, part of the Mediterranean stretching from the Ionian Sea to the Gulf of Venice


Moezel

From Old High German Muosela or directly from Old Dutch [Term?], from Latin Mosella. For the vocalism, compare other Franconian lects, e.g. Luxembourgish Musel.

The Moselle river (a river in France, Luxembourg and Germany)


Nijl

Ultimately from Latin Nīlus, from Ancient Greek Νεῖλος (Neîlos), of Semitic origin.


Dode Zee

Dead Sea (a highly saline lake in Israel, Palestine and Jordan)


wereldzee

wereldzee f (plural wereldzeeën, diminutive wereldzeetje n)

wereldzeeën (plural)
wereldzeetje (diminutive neuter)

Compound of wereld (“world”) + zee (“sea”). Compare German Weltmeer, Swedish världshav.

com+

all of the Earth's oceans and major seas


Cocytus

Borrowed from Latin Cōcȳtus, from Ancient Greek Κωκυτός (Kōkutós).

(Greek mythology) Cocytus (river in Hades)


Rotte

The river is first attested as Rotta in 1028. The hydronym is likely derived from a compound of Old Dutch rot (“dirty, muddy”) and ā (“watercourse, river”).
The hamlet is attested in 1899 as Rotte (De). It is named after the river.

A hamlet in Lansingerland, South Holland, Netherlands


watergang

nl-noun

watergang m (plural watergangen, diminutive watergangetje n)

watergangen (plural)
watergangetje (diminutive neuter)

/ˈʋaː.tərˌɣɑŋ/

From Middle Dutch waterganc, from Old Dutch *watargank. Equivalent to water + gang.

a waterway used for diverting disposed excess water


Dender

A river in Belgium, flowing through Aalst


Leie

First mention in 694 as Legia, which is likely of Celtic origin, meaning flowing; related legaim in Old-Irish means to flow

the Lys (a river in France and Belgium, and a left tributary of the Scheldt at Gent)


Rupel

* from Celtic-Germanic rim- (flowing) en -pel (swamp, pond)
* alternatively, contraction of the Brabantian ruig or ruw (rough) with the Latin palus, 'swamp' (Ru-peel)


Inn

Inn (a right tributary of the Danube in Switzerland, Austria and Germany)


Dommel

Referenced in Latin by Willibrord as a river in Texandria (roughly, Brabant and its vicinity) by the name Duthmala (727 CE). Elsewhere it is attested as Dutmala around the same time. The second element is Old Dutch mala (“dale, lowland”) (found in placenames, compare Ezemaal, Watermaal, etc.); the first is uncertain.


inham

inham m (plural inhammen, diminutive inhammetje n)

inhammen (plural)
inhammetje (diminutive neuter)


Zaan

First attested as sadne around 1214. Etymology uncertain. Proposed etymologies include a derivation from Proto-Germanic *saða (“sated, full”) and a derivation from *sauþ- (“bubbling water”).

unk

uncertain


Merwede

From Middle Dutch marwede, from Old Dutch Meriwido, Merewede, *Meriwidu, a compound of meri (“lake, sea”) + *widu (“wood”). An older, outdated, explanation derives it from an earlier Merwe or Merowe, meaning "wide water".

A river in South Holland, Netherlands near the Drechtsteden, and part of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta


Markermeer

Meronym: Gouwzee

A lake in the Netherlands, between North Holland and Flevoland, separated from the IJsselmeer by the Houtribdijk


IJsselmeer

A lake in the Netherlands, formerly part of the Zuiderzee


IJssel

From Proto-Germanic *Īsalō, probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eys- (“to move quickly”).

der

A river in the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel, the Netherlands; a branch of the Rhine


strandmeer

nl-noun

strandmeer n (plural strandmeren, diminutive strandmeertje n)

strandmeren (plural)
strandmeertje (diminutive neuter)

Afrikaans: strandmeer

Compound of strand (“beach”) + meer (“lake”).


Drontermeer

A lake in the Netherlands, located between Flevoland, Gelderland and Overijssel.


estuarium

estuarium n (plural estuariums, diminutive estuariumpje n)

estuariums (plural)
estuariumpje (diminutive neuter)


Arabische Zee

the Arabian Sea, part of the Indian Ocean south of peninsular Arabia


Vlist

First attested as in den vlist in 1259. The toponym is derived from the river name, which is potentially derived in turn from Middle Dutch vlies (“layer of intertwined vegetation growing on top of a swamp”) suffixed with the collectivising suffix -t or, alternatively, from Proto-Germanic *flu-.


Jordaan

Attested as Jordane in 1691. The use of this name for the neighborhood dates to the 17th century, when the Prinsengracht canal was first constructed, which was at that time apparently jokingly referred to by the name of the Jordan river. The neighborhood that was built beyond the canal around that time then came to be known by the same name (possibly first being referred to as over de Jordaan, "beyond the Jordan river [i.e., Prinsengracht]", before simply being referred to as Jordaan).
Other etymologies for the name of the neighborhood have been proposed (such as a derivation from French jardin), but are generally considered less plausible.

Jordan (a river in Western Asia, in the Middle East, that empties into the Dead Sea, flowing through Israel, the Golan Heights, the West Bank and Jordan)


Gein

First attested as Middle Dutch gheyne in 1321, deriving either from the Germanic hydronym *Gaginô or from a term cognate to German gähnen (“yawn”).
The hamlet and neighborhood are both named after the river.
Compare Geyen.

A minor river in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands.


Zenne

An old Germanic or Gaulish word for a watercourse. Zenne, Sinne and Seine are derivatives that can be found as names of Belgian and French rivers, but also in the original name of the municipality of Zonnebeke as Sinnebeche. French speakers call the Belgian river Zenne the Senne and a tributary is the Senette. A more distant relative would be the Dutch river Zaan.

Senne (a now partially covered river in Hainaut, Walloon Brabant and Flemish Brabant, Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium)


Samber

the Sambre (a river in France and Belgium)


IJmeer

A lake in the Netherlands between Amsterdam and Almere; formerly part of the Zuiderzee


Gouwzee

Holonym: Markermeer

A lake in the Netherlands, specifically the part of the Markermeer that is located to the west of Marken


Quackjeswater

A lake in South Holland, Netherlands, near the western shore of the island of Voorne.


Biebrza

Unadapted borrowing from Polish Biebrza.


Drentse Aa

From Drents and the common hydronymic element Aa.

A river in the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen, Netherlands


Lauwers

A river in the provinces of Friesland and Groningen, Netherlands


Eem

From Middle Dutch Eme. The hydronym Amer/Hamer (as in Amersfoort and Hamersveld-Oud) is of the same origin.


zoutmeer

nl-noun

zoutmeer n (plural zoutmeren, diminutive zoutmeertje n)

zoutmeren (plural)
zoutmeertje (diminutive neuter)


Taedong

The river that flows through Pyongyang in North Korea.


Geul

A river in Belgium and Netherlands. In the Netherlands the river flows into the Meuse as a tributary in the province of Limburg.