schoonbroer

Dutch

Alternative forms

• schoonbroeder (formal, dated)

Etymology

From schoon +‎ broer, calque of Middle French beau-frere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsxoːn.bruːr/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: schoon‧broer

Noun

schoonbroer m (plural schoonbroers, diminutive schoonbroertje n)

1. (chiefly Belgium and Suriname) brother-in-law

   Synonym: (Netherlands) zwager

Usage notes

The word schoonbroer is mostly used in Belgium, Suriname, and the southern Dutch provinces Limburg and North Brabant. In the rest of the Netherlands, the more common word for “brother-in-law” is zwager, but schoonbroer is naturally understood from association.

Descendants

• Negerhollands: skonbutji (from the diminutive)