landleeuw

Dutch edit

Etymology edit

Coined by Joost van den Vondel in Aen den Leeuw van Hollant (1641), a work of propaganda for draining the Haarlemmermeer. Compound of land (“land”) +‎ leeuw (“lion”).

Pronunciation edit

IPA^(key): /ˈlɑnt.leːu̯/
Hyphenation: land‧leeuw

Noun edit

landleeuw m (plural landleeuwen, diminutive landleeuwje n)

(literary, Netherlands) land area of the Netherlands (personification of the Dutch land mass as in a perpetual battle against water)
(literal) terrestrial lion

Antonyms edit

(antonym(s) of "personification"): waterwolf