grauw

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Dutch

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch grau, from Old Dutch *grāo, from Proto-West Germanic *grāu, from Proto-Germanic *grēwaz.

Adjective

grauw (comparative grauwer, superlative grauwst)

  1. (literally) grey, not brightly colored, ashen, grubby, grimy
  2. (figuratively) dreary, grim, gloomy, desperate
    In Victoriaanse sloppenwijken waren grauwe lompen tekenen van grauwe armoede, in een moderne favella zie je vooral felle kleuren
    In Victorian slums grey rags ware indicative of grim poverty, in a modern favella one sees mostly bright colors
Declension
Declension of grauw
uninflected grauw
inflected grauwe
comparative grauwer
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial grauw grauwer het grauwst
het grauwste
indefinite m./f. sing. grauwe grauwere grauwste
n. sing. grauw grauwer grauwste
plural grauwe grauwere grauwste
definite grauwe grauwere grauwste
partitive grauws grauwers
Derived terms
Descendants
  • Afrikaans: grou
  • Jersey Dutch: xrāuje, grô
  • Negerhollands: grou

Noun

grauw n (uncountable)

  1. (uncountable) the colour grey
  2. (uncountable, chiefly in compounds) grey stone or brick
    • 2011, Monika Sauwer, Het raadsel vader. Een ongemakkelijk afscheid, Nieuw Amsterdam:
      ‘De buitenmuren op te halen in grijskleurig hard grauw waartussen banden van geele Friesche steen.’
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  3. (collective) poor people
  4. (collective, derogatory) plebs
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From grauwen.

Noun

grauw m (plural grauwen)

  1. growl, snap; a snappy, gruff statement