menistenleugen

Dutch

Alternative forms

• mennistenleugen

Etymology

Compound of menist (“Mennonite”) +‎ -en- +‎ leugen (“lie”). In reference to untruthful statements by Mennonites to escape from the Spanish-initiated inquisition during the sixteenth century; Mennonites were the primary victims of the inquisition in the Habsburg-ruled Low Countries.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /məˈnɪs.tə(n)ˌløː.ɣə(n)/, /meːˈnɪs.tə(n)ˌløː.ɣə(n)/, /mɛˈnɪs.tə(n)ˌløː.ɣə(n)/
• Hyphenation: me‧nis‧ten‧leu‧gen

Noun

menistenleugen f (plural menistenleugens, diminutive menistenleugentje n)

1. a tactical half-truth or ambiguous statement to deceive one's audience and save one's skin [from 19th c.]