sprokkelen

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch sprockelen, a derivation from Middle Dutch sproc (“twig, faggot”) (whence sporkehout (“alder buckthorn”) and sprok (“brittle, fragile”)), with the frequentative verbal suffix -elen. Alternatively analyzable as sprokkel +‎ -en, but Middle Dutch sprockel is attested more sparsely and later than sproc and sprockelen, so it may actually be a back-formation from this verb.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔkələn

Verb

sprokkelen

1. (transitive or intransitive) to glean. To harvest what has been left
2. (archaic, transitive or intransitive) to gather brushwood
3. (transitive or intransitive) to gather small stuff without paying for it

   Ik heb wat sigaretten gesprokkeld bij mijn vrienden — I have gathered some cigarettes from my friends.

4. (intransitive) to cheat (in competitions)

Usage notes

In the sense of "gathering brushwood", sprokkelen is no longer used absolutely (intransitively), but rather pleonastically, as in hout sprokkelen.

Conjugation

Conjugation of sprokkelen (weak)
infinitive	sprokkelen
past singular	sprokkelde
past participle	gesprokkeld
infinitive	sprokkelen
gerund	sprokkelen n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	sprokkel	sprokkelde
2nd person sing. (jij)	sprokkelt, sprokkel2	sprokkelde
2nd person sing. (u)	sprokkelt	sprokkelde
2nd person sing. (gij)	sprokkelt	sprokkelde
3rd person singular	sprokkelt	sprokkelde
plural	sprokkelen	sprokkelden
subjunctive sing.1	sprokkele	sprokkelde
subjunctive plur.1	sprokkelen	sprokkelden
imperative sing.	sprokkel
imperative plur.1	sprokkelt
participles	sprokkelend	gesprokkeld
1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion.

Derived terms

• gesprokkel
• sprokkelhout