zothuis

zothuis

Dutch

Alternative forms

• sothuys (obsolete)
• zothuys (obsolete)
• zottenhuis

Etymology

From zot (“fool, crazy; insane”) +‎ huis (“house”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzɔt.ɦœy̯s/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: zot‧huis

Noun

zothuis n (plural zothuizen, diminutive zothuisje n)

1. (Belgium, literally) A madhouse, asylum for the insane
2. (Belgium, figuratively) A madhouse, crazy place and/or situation

   Tijdens de les van de schuchtere stagiair wordt de klas een zothuis.

   During the timid apprentice's course the class turns into a madhouse.

3. (Belgium, figuratively) A bad place of abandon, notably (Can we clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)
   1. where nobody listens to reason
   2. where one wishes one's enemies

Synonyms

• gesticht
• gekkenhuis
• (literal sense only): krankzinnigengesticht