Dutch words from Proto-West Germanic
284 Dutch words with Proto-West Germanic in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
aan
It is inherited from Middle Dutch āne, inherited from Old Dutch ana, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ana, inherited from Proto-Germanic *ana. Old Dutch had ⟨an⟩ as a preposition and ⟨ana-⟩ in…
achter
It is inherited from Middle Dutch achter, inherited from Old Dutch after, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, inherited from Proto-Germanic *after (“behind, after”). Middle Dutch also wrote…
af
It is inherited from Middle Dutch af (oldest ⟨ave⟩), inherited from Old Dutch ava, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ab, inherited from Proto-Germanic *ab (“away from”), which the EWN writes…
al
It is inherited from Middle Dutch al, inherited from Old Dutch al, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *all, inherited from Proto-Germanic *alla- (“all, whole”). The same word is Old Saxon al, Old…
als
It is inherited from Middle Dutch alse, a weakened form of also, inherited from Old Dutch alsō (“as, just as”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *allswā (“completely so”), an old compound of al…
ander
It is inherited from Middle Dutch ander, inherited from Old Dutch andar, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *anþar, inherited from Proto-Germanic *anþeraz (“other, second”). The same word is Old…
avond
It is inherited from Middle Dutch âvont, inherited from Old Dutch āvont, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ābanþ, inherited from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs (“evening”). The same word is Old Saxon…
balken
It is inherited from Middle Dutch balken beside belken, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *balkōn (“to bellow, roar”) (Kroonen's *balkōn-), a variant of bulken. The same group has Middle Low German…
bed
It is inherited from Middle Dutch bedde, inherited from Old Dutch beddi, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *badi, inherited from Proto-Germanic *badją (“bed, bedding”). The same word is Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌳𐌹…
beek
It is inherited from Middle Dutch bēke, inherited from Old Dutch beki, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *baki, inherited from Proto-Germanic *baki. The same word is Old Saxon beki and Old High…
beginnen
It is inherited from Middle Dutch beginnen, inherited from Old Dutch biginnan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *biginnan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *biginnaną (“to begin”), made with the…
begrijpen
It is inherited from Middle Dutch begripen, inherited from Old Dutch bigrīpan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bigrīpan, made with the prefix be- from grijpen “to grasp”. The same formation is…
berg
It is inherited from Middle Dutch berch, inherited from Old Dutch berg, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *berg, inherited from Proto-Germanic *berga- (“mountain, hill”). The same word is Old Saxon…
betekenen
It is inherited from Middle Dutch betekenen, inherited from Old Dutch bitēkanen, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bitaiknijan, formed with be- on a verb of the same meaning that survives as…
beter
It is inherited from Middle Dutch beter, inherited from Old Dutch betiro, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *batiʀō, inherited from Proto-Germanic *batiza-. The same comparative is Old Saxon…
bij
1. The preposition is inherited from Middle Dutch bi, inherited from Old Dutch bī, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bī, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bi (“by, at”). The same word is Old Saxon…
bleek
1. The word for the colour is inherited from Middle Dutch bleec, inherited from Old Dutch *blēk, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *blaik, inherited from Proto-Germanic *blaikaz (“pale, white”)…
bles
It is inherited from Middle Dutch blasse and bles, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *blasī, inherited from Proto-Germanic *blasį̄ (“blaze, white mark on the forehead”). The EWN gives the Germanic…
blij
It is inherited from Middle Dutch blide, inherited from Old Dutch *blīthi, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *blīþī, inherited from Proto-Germanic *blīþi-. The modern form lost the ⟨d⟩ between…
blijven
It is inherited from Middle Dutch blîven, inherited from Old Dutch blīvan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bilīban, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bilībaną (“to remain”). It was formed with the…
bloed
It is inherited from Middle Dutch bloet, inherited from Old Dutch bluot, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *blōd, inherited from Proto-Germanic *blōda- (“blood”). The same word is Old Saxon blōd…
boeg
It is inherited from Middle Dutch boech, inherited from Old Dutch *buog, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bōgu, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bōgu- (“shoulder, upper arm”). The same word is Old…
boer
1. The word for the farmer is inherited from Middle Dutch gheboer, an originally eastern Middle Dutch form of ghebuur “fellow inhabitant, neighbour; countryman”, the word that became modern buur…
boven
It is inherited from Middle Dutch bōven, inherited from Old Dutch bovan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *biobanā. It was formed with the prefix Proto-Germanic *bi- (see be-) on an adverb…
braam
It is inherited from Middle Dutch brāme, inherited from Old Dutch brāma, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brāmijō, inherited from Proto-Germanic *brēm- (“thorny shrub”). The same word is Old…
brengen
It is inherited from Middle Dutch brengen (usually ⟨bringen⟩ in Middle Dutch), inherited from Old Dutch bringan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bringan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bringaną…
broek
1. The word for the garment is inherited from Middle Dutch broec, inherited from Old Dutch *bruoc, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brōk, inherited from Proto-Germanic *brōks. The same word is…
broer
It is inherited from Middle Dutch broer, a contracted form of broeder, inherited from Middle Dutch broeder, inherited from Old Dutch bruother, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brōþer, inherited…
buiten
It is inherited from Middle Dutch bûten, inherited from Old Dutch būtan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *biūtan (“outside of, without, except”). It was formed with the Germanic prefix *bi- (see…
daar
It is inherited from Middle Dutch daer, inherited from Old Dutch thār, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *þār, inherited from Proto-Germanic *þar. The same word is Old Saxon thār, Old High German…
dag
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dach, inherited from Old Dutch dag, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dag, inherited from Proto-Germanic *dagaz (“day”). The same word is Old Saxon dag, Old High…
dagen
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dāghen, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dagēn, inherited from Proto-Germanic *dagāną (“to dawn”), a verb made from Proto-Germanic *dagaz (“day”), the source of…
dan
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dan, inherited from Old Dutch than, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *þan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *þan (“then, at that time”). The same word is Old Saxon…
denken
It is inherited from Middle Dutch denken (also dinken), inherited from Old Dutch thenken, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *þankijan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *þankijaną (“to think”). The…
deur
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dore, inherited from Old Dutch duri (“doors”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dur, inherited from Proto-Germanic *durz (“door”), from Proto-Indo-European…
dier
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dier, inherited from Old Dutch dier, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *deuʀ, inherited from Proto-Germanic *deuzą (“(wild) animal”). The same word is Old Saxon…
dijk
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dijc, inherited from Old Dutch dīk, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dīk, inherited from Proto-Germanic *dīka- (“dam; ditch”). The same word is Old Saxon dīk…
ding
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dinc, inherited from Old Dutch thing, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *þing, inherited from Proto-Germanic *þinga- (“meeting, case, thing”). The same word is Old…
dingen
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dinghen, inherited from Old Dutch *thingon, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *þingōn, inherited from Proto-Germanic *þingōną (“to hold a meeting, discuss”), a…
dochter
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dochter, inherited from Old Dutch dohter, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dohter, inherited from Proto-Germanic *duhtēr, inherited from Proto-Indo-European…
doden
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dôden, inherited from Old Dutch *dōden, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *daudijan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *daudijaną (“to make dead, kill”). The verb was…
doen
It is inherited from Middle Dutch doen, inherited from Old Dutch duon, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dōn, inherited from Proto-Germanic *dōną (“to do, to put”). The same verb is Old Saxon dōn…
dood
1. The adjective “dead” is inherited from Middle Dutch doot, inherited from Old Dutch dōd, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *daud, inherited from Proto-Germanic *daudaz (“dead”). The same word is…
dragen
It is inherited from Middle Dutch drāghen, inherited from Old Dutch dragan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dragan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *draganą (“to draw, pull, carry”). The same verb…
drie
It is inherited from Middle Dutch drie, inherited from Old Dutch thrī, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *þrīʀ, inherited from Proto-Germanic *þrīz (“three”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European…
duin
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dûne, inherited from Old Dutch dūn, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *dūnā, a word of unclear origin. The same word is Middle Low German dūne and Old English dūn…
dus
It is inherited from Middle Dutch dus, inherited from Old Dutch thus, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *þus, inherited from Proto-Germanic *þus. The same word is Old Saxon thus, Old Frisian thus…
echt
1. It is inherited from Middle Dutch echt, inherited from Old Dutch *ēhaft, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *aiwahaft. It is a very old compound, Germanic ⟨*aiwō-hafta-⟩: the first part is the…
een
It is inherited from Middle Dutch een, inherited from Old Dutch ēn, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ain, inherited from Proto-Germanic *aina- (“one, alone”). The same word is Old Saxon ēn, Old…
eerst
It is inherited from Middle Dutch eerst (also ⟨erst⟩, ⟨ierst⟩), inherited from Old Dutch ērist, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *airist, inherited from Proto-Germanic *airista- (“earliest…
eerste
It is inherited from Middle Dutch eerste, inherited from Old Dutch *ēristo, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *airist, the superlative of an adverb Proto-Germanic *air (“early”). The comparative of…
eigen
It is inherited from Middle Dutch eighen, inherited from Old Dutch *eigan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *aigan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *aiganaz (“own”). The adjective was probably at…
erg
It is inherited from Middle Dutch arch or erch, inherited from Old Dutch arug, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *arg, inherited from Proto-Germanic *argaz (“unmanly, cowardly”). The change of ⟨a⟩…
eten
It is inherited from Middle Dutch eten, inherited from Old Dutch etan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *etan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *etaną (“to eat”). The same verb is Old Saxon etan, Old…
even
It is inherited from Middle Dutch even, a by-form of the more usual Middle Dutch adjective effen, inherited from Old Dutch *evan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *ebn, inherited from…
ezel
It is inherited from Middle Dutch esel, inherited from Old Dutch esil, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *asil, borrowed from Latin asinus (“donkey”), a very old borrowing, with ⟨n⟩ replaced by ⟨l⟩…
gaan
It is inherited from Middle Dutch gâen, inherited from Old Dutch gān, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *gān, inherited from Proto-Germanic *gāną (“to go”). Kroonen sets up Proto-Germanic *gēn- and…
gaffel
It is inherited from Middle Dutch gaffele, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *gabulu (“fork, pitchfork”). The EWN reconstructs Proto-Germanic *gabló, found only in West Germanic: Old Saxon gafala…
gebeuren
It is inherited from Middle Dutch geburen, inherited from Old Dutch giburen, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *gaburjan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *gaburjaną, formed with the prefix ge- on the…
geld
It is inherited from Middle Dutch gelt, inherited from Old Dutch geld, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *geld, inherited from Proto-Germanic *geldą (“payment, compensation”). The noun is formed…