oorlogsverleden
Dutch
editEtymology
editFirst attested in 1917 in relation to the replacement of Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg with Georg Michaelis. Compound of oorlog (“war”) + -s- + verleden (“past”), calque of German Kriegsvergangenheit.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editoorlogsverleden n (plural oorlogsverledens)
- wartime past, past relating to a war
- 1917 July 16, "De kanselierswisseling in Duitsland", De Maasbode, page 1, quoting the "Börsencourier" (only in translation).
- Zijn werkzaamheid naar buiten is niet ziek door giften van het oorlogsverleden.
- His activity involving foreign nations is not afflicted by poisons of the wartime past.
- 1917 July 16, "De kanselierswisseling in Duitsland", De Maasbode, page 1, quoting the "Börsencourier" (only in translation).
Usage notes
editVery often associated with negative connotations, often used euphemistically for a past that involved atrocities or association with e.g. Nazis.