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hutselen

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Etymology and origin of the Dutch word hutselen

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1548 More words from the 16th century
Ultimate origin
Middle Dutch hutsen,-elen
Derivations
From the same root
English hustler ← hutselen

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle Dutch hutselen, formed from Middle Dutch hutsen (“to shake, rock”) + -elen as a frequentative (iterative) verb.[1][2][3][4][5] The base verb ⟨hutsen⟩ is first recorded in a Flemish text of 1351 about shaking a wounded man; it has the variants hotsen and hossen.[2][6][3] Its further origin is unclear: the EWN thinks it may be imitative, and Van Veen compares, with ⟨hotsen⟩ and ⟨hotten⟩, Latin quatiō (“to shake”).[6][3] Related forms are Middle Low German hutseken (“to turn”) and Middle High German hützern, beside hutzen (“to swing to and fro”), and Frankish *hottisōn gave Old French hochier (“to shake”).[1][2][6]

The modern variant husselen arose from ⟨hutselen⟩ by assimilation of ⟨ts⟩ to ⟨ss⟩.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Dutch Wiktionary dates the word, in the sense “to mix together”, to 1548.[4] Middle Dutch hutselen is found in a rule that carters may not hutselen coins nor draw lots.[2]

Semantic evolution

Kiliaan (1599) gives hutsen and hutselen with the Latin verbs for shaking.[2][3][8] As a transitive verb hutselen is to shake, stir or mix together, as when Minos shakes the lots in a verse of 1660.[1][9] Used without an object it named a game of chance from 1563, when young men and children were forbidden to dice or hutselen in the street: coins were shaken, for example in closed hands, and dropped, and the players guessed heads or tails, like the Middle Dutch hutsecruussen.[1][2][10] From this probably came the jocular curse loop hutselen “go and toss coins”, roughly “get lost”, recorded in 1618.[1][10]

English hustle (1680s), first “to shake to and fro”, especially money in a cap, comes from Dutch hutselen or husselen.[11][6]

Timeline

  • 1548 – Hutselen “to mix together” is first recorded.[4]
  • 1563 – Hutselen, a game of tossing coins, is forbidden in the street.[1]
  • 1599 – Kiliaan has hutselen.[3][8]
  • 1618 – The curse loop hutselen is first recorded.[1]
  • 1660 – Hutselen is used of shaking lots.[1]
  • 1680s – English hustle is borrowed from the Dutch verb.[11]
  • 1914 – The variant husselen is first recorded.[6]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To shake again and again; to jumble, mix things together by shaking.[1][9][4]
  2. To toss coins: to play a game of chance in which coins are shaken and dropped and the players guess which side lies up.[1][4][10]

Usage notes

Loop hutselen! (or loop, hutselt!) is an old jocular curse meaning roughly “go away”.[1][10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Vries, Matthias de; Winkel, L. A. te, et al. (1882–1998), Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, 29 vols., 's-Gravenhage / Leiden: Nijhoff / Sijthoff / SDU; supplement 2001; gtb.ivdnt.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Verwijs, Eelco; Verdam, Jacob (1885–1929), Middelnederlandsch woordenboek, 11 vols., 's-Gravenhage: Nijhoff; gtb.ivdnt.org
  3. ^ a b c d e Veen, P. A. F. van; Sijs, Nicoline van der (1997), Etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van onze woorden, 2nd ed., Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Lexicografie
  4. ^ a b c d e WikiWoordenboek (Dutch Wiktionary), nl.wiktionary.org
  5. ^ Vercoullie, Jozef (1925), Beknopt etymologisch woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal, 3rd ed., 's-Gravenhage / Gent: Nijhoff / Van Rysselberghe & Rombaut
  6. ^ a b c d e f Philippa, Marlies; Debrabandere, Frans; Quak, Arend; Schoonheim, Tanneke; Sijs, Nicoline van der (2003–2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, 4 vols., Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press; online via etymologiebank.nl
  7. ^ Debrabandere, Frans (2007), Zeeuws etymologisch woordenboek: de herkomst van de Zeeuwse woorden, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Atlas
  8. ^ a b Sijs, Nicoline van der (2001), Chronologisch woordenboek: de ouderdom en herkomst van onze woorden en betekenissen, Amsterdam / Antwerpen: Veen
  9. ^ a b Van Dale Groot woordenboek hedendaags Nederlands (2014), Utrecht / Antwerpen: Van Dale Uitgevers
  10. ^ a b c d Sterkenburg, P. G. J. van (2001), Vloeken: een cultuurbepaalde reactie op woede, irritatie en frustratie, 2nd ed., Den Haag: Sdu
  11. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Hutselen.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/nl/hutselen. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.

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