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wijf. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
wijf, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
wijf in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
wijf you have here. The definition of the word
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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 came to be associated first with lower-class women from the seventeenth century onwards, and over the following centuries developed into a largely derogatory term for woman who is disliked or at least somewhat disrespected by the speaker. Nonetheless, in some dialects the word remained neutral even into the twentieth century.
Pronunciation
Noun
wijf n (plural wijven, diminutive wijfje n)
- (now generally derogatory) woman, potentially being as pejorative as bitch
- (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
Descendants
Middle Dutch
Etymology
From Old Dutch wīf, from Proto-West Germanic *wīb.
Noun
wijf n
- woman
- wife, married woman
Inflection
Descendants
Further reading
Middle English
Noun
wijf (plural *wijve)
- Alternative spelling of wyf