doetje

Dutch edit

Etymology edit

Of unclear origin, possibly related to dutten (“to doze off”). Also compare dot (“tuft, clump”).^[1]

Originally the word only referred to women, but over the course of the twentieth century it became more common to also use it for men who were considered insufficiently masculine.

Pronunciation edit

IPA^(key): /ˈdut.jə/
Audio (file)
Hyphenation: doet‧je

Noun edit

doetje n (plural doetjes)

(derogatory) A softie, a weak-willed or cowardly person.
(archaic, derogatory) An unintelligent or weak-willed woman.

References edit

^ van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “doetje”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

[1] van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “doetje”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

[1]