schoft

Dutch

Etymology

The sense of "withers" is ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *skuft, from Proto-Germanic *skuftą.

The sense of "mean guy" is borrowed from Low German schofft, schufft (“robber knight”), for which see schavuit (“rogue, rascal, crook”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔft

Noun

schoft m (plural schoften, diminutive schoftje n or (Netherlands, informal) schoffie n)

1. withers
2. (derogatory) bastard, trash, a person with no moral

Usage notes

• The regional diminutive schoffie is less harsh and has connotations of mischief or roguishness which may be positive in certain contexts, whereas schoft itself is always negative.

Derived terms

• straatschoffie