klucht
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch cluft, clucht, from Old Dutch *kluft, from Proto-Germanic *kluftiz (whence also German Kluft, English cleft). Equivalent to klieven (“to cleave”) + -t (“verbal noun”), and the Middle Dutch meaning was at first "separation, department", later also "neighbourhood of a town". The sense shifted to its modern meaning only in early modern Dutch times, starting with "nonsense, prattle" and then "joke, humorous story".
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Noun
klucht f or m (plural kluchten, diminutive kluchtje n)
- farce, coarse comedy
- a small flock of birds; covey, brood
- Ik zag een klucht patrijzen in het veld. ― I saw a flock of partridges in the field.
Descendants
- Afrikaans: klug
West Flemish
Etymology
From Middle Dutch cluft, clucht, from Old Dutch *kluft, from Proto-Germanic *kluftiz.
Noun
klucht f (plural kluchtn, diminutive kluchtje)