schoonbroer

Dutch edit

Alternative forms edit

schoonbroeder (formal, dated)

Etymology edit

From schoon +‎ broer, calque of Middle French beau-frere.

Pronunciation edit

IPA^(key): /ˈsxoːn.bruːr/
audio (file)
Hyphenation: schoon‧broer

Noun edit

schoonbroer m (plural schoonbroers, diminutive schoonbroertje n)

(chiefly Belgium and Suriname) brother-in-law
Synonym: (Netherlands) zwager

Usage notes edit

The word schoonbroer is mostly used in Belgium, Suriname, and the southern Dutch provinces Limburg and North Brabant. In the rest of the Netherlands, the more common word for “brother-in-law” is zwager, but schoonbroer is naturally understood from association.

Descendants edit

Negerhollands: skonbutji (from the diminutive)