wijf

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch wijf, from Old Dutch wīf, from Proto-West Germanic *wīb, from Proto-Germanic *wībą. While initially a neutral term for "woman", the word gradually acquired negative connotations in some dialects from the late 16th century onwards, developing over the centuries to the current situation in which it is generally regarded as a derogatory term in standard Dutch (although in some dialects the word remains fairly neutral). As a neutral descriptor for a woman, the void left by the wijf was filled by vrouw, which in the Early Modern period similarly developed to this neutral meaning; previously, in Middle Dutch, it had had positive connotations and referred specifically to a well-off or noble woman. Similarly, dame filled the void left by vrouw as a descriptor for an aristocratic woman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʋɛi̯f/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: wijf
• Rhymes: -ɛi̯f

Noun

wijf n (plural wijven, diminutive wijfje n)

1. (now generally derogatory) woman, potentially being as pejorative as bitch
2. (often derogatory) broad, bint

Usage notes

• The diminutive of this word, wijfje, has an independent meaning (“female animal”) which is a diminutivum tantum in that sense.
• Colloquial diminutives (e.g. wijfie, wijffie) often have a familiar meaning and lack negative connotations.

Derived terms

• appelwijf
• die een wijf trouwt om het schoon lijf, verliest het lijf en houdt het wijf
• groentewijf
• kutwijf
• manwijf
• moordwijf
• takkewijf
• veelwijverij
• viswijf
• warmoeswijf
• wereldwijf
• wijfje

Descendants

• Afrikaans: wyf
• Jersey Dutch: wāif
• Negerhollands: wief, wif
• Skepi Creole Dutch: weef
• Sranan Tongo: wefi

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch wīf, from Proto-West Germanic *wīb.

Noun

wijf n

1. woman
2. wife, married woman

Inflection

Declension of wijf

	Singular	Plural
nominative	wijf	wijf, -ve
accusative	wijf	wijf, -ve
genitive	wijves, -fs	wijf, -ve
dative	wijve, -en	wijve, -en

Descendants

• Dutch: wijf
  • Afrikaans: wyf
  • Jersey Dutch: wāif
  • Negerhollands: wief, wif
  • Skepi Creole Dutch: weef
  • Sranan Tongo: wefi
• Limburgish: wief
• West Flemish: wuuf
• Zealandic: wuuf

Further reading

• “wijf”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “wijf”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Noun

wijf (plural *wijve)

1. Alternative spelling of wyf