scharminkel
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch scheminkel, from older siminkel (“monkey, ape”), ultimately from Late Latin *simiunculus or its feminine form, from simius (“monkey”) - or possibly a Dutch diminutive of Middle Dutch simme (“monkey, ape”) which is from a non-diminutive form of Latin simius.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˌsxɑrˈmɪn.kəl/
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: schar‧min‧kel
Noun
scharminkel n (plural scharminkels, diminutive scharminkeltje n)
- (mildly derogatory, usually of animals or children) scrag (someone or something scrawny)
- Denk je echt dat ik die scharminkels van jou ga kopen? Ik zal de caviapolitie bellen!
- Do you really think that I am going to buy those scrags from you? I will call the guinea pigs [animal cops] instead!
Descendants
- Afrikaans: skarminkel
- → West Frisian: skarminkel
Further reading
- van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “scharminkel”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute