Gracht

• (Friesland) First attested as De Oude Gracht in 1851-1855. Calque of West Frisian De Grêft, derived in turn from grêft (“excavated canal”).
• (Limburg) First attested as Die Gracht around 1776. Derived from Limburgish gracht (“hollow road”). See also Central Franconian De Jraat.

• IPA^(key): /ɣrɑxt/

• Audio:

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• Hyphenation: Gracht
• Rhymes: -ɑxt
• Homophone: gracht

Gracht n

1. a hamlet in Weststellingwerf, Friesland, Netherlands
2. a neighbourhood of Kerkrade, Limburg, Netherlands

• van Berkel, Gerard, Samplonius, Kees (2018) Nederlandse plaatsnamen verklaard (in Dutch), Mijnbestseller.nl, →ISBN

Borrowed from Dutch gracht, which pertains to the cognate of German graben (“to dig”).

• IPA^(key): /ɡraxt/, [ɡʁäχt]

• Audio:

  (file)

Gracht f (genitive Gracht, plural Grachten)

1. canal within a city (with residential buildings on either side)

• The word is generally known and usual to indicate such canals in Dutch cities. Less commonly, it may also be used for similar ones elsewhere (cf. the Friedrichsgracht in central Berlin). In some northern German cities, especially Hamburg, Fleet is used instead.

• Grachtenrundfahrt