hunebed

Dutch

Alternative forms

huinebed (obsolete)
hunnebed

Etymology

From hune (“giant”) +‎ bed (“bed”), roughly meaning "a bed (of stones) built by giants". Cognate to and probably formed after German Hünenbett (“dolmen”).

The alternative form hunnebed (“dolmen”) also exists, which is a conflation with the word Hunnen (“the Huns, an Asian tribe which lived in Europe and Central Asia between the 1st century AD and the 7th century”). As a consequence preference is given to the etymologically correct hunebed.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈɦynəbɛt/, /ˈɦʏnəbɛt/
Audio (file)

Noun

hunebed n (plural hunebedden)

(archaeology) dolmen