klucht

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch cluft, clucht, from Old Dutch *kluft, from Proto-Germanic *kluftiz (whence also German Kluft, English cleft). The word is related to klieven (“to cleave”), and the Middle Dutch meaning was at first "separation, department", later also "neighbourhood of a town". The sense shifted to its modern meaning only in early modern Dutch times, starting with "nonsense, prattle" and then "joke, humorous story".

Pronunciation
  • Audio(file)

Noun

klucht f or m (plural kluchten, diminutive kluchtje n)

  1. (dated) kind of theater play, farce
  2. (esp. Brabantian, figuratively) chaotic, loud and/or ridiculous situation
    "Was me dat daar een klucht zeg, 'k ben 't maar vlug afgetrapt!"
    'Twas such a mess over there, I left as soon as I could!
    "Da's geen bedrijf, maar een klucht!"
    That company is sooo mismanaged, hilarious!

West Flemish

Etymology

From Middle Dutch cluft, clucht, from Old Dutch *kluft, from Proto-Germanic *kluftiz.

Noun

klucht f (plural kluchtn, diminutive kluchtje)

  1. joke
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