The Flemings - Flemish migrations and influence

Various combinations of Grave appear before Grave itself. Palsgrave (1548), a count Palatine; ad. 16th-century Du. paltsgrave (Kilian), Du. paltsgraaf. Rhinegrave (1548), a count whose domain borders on the Rhine; ad. M.Du. Rijngrave. Margrave (1551), a German title originally given to the military governor of a border province; ad. M.Du. markgrave (Du. markgraaf). The wife of a margrave is a Markgravine (1692), ad. Du. markgravin, the feminine of markgraaf.

Dikegrave (1563), in Holland, an officer in charge of the dikes or sea-walls; ad. M.Du. dijcgrave (Du. dijkgraaf), from dijk, dike, and grave. Grave (1605), a count, chiefly used of the Counts of Nassau; ad. M.Du. grave (Du. graaf).

Portery, Portary (1565, from Sc.), citizenship or burghership in a Flemish or Dutch city; the body of citizens collectively; the rights and privileges of a burgher; in the quotation of 1565, Reg. Privy Council Scotl., the reference is to Scottish merchants or factors resident hi Flanders; ad. M.Flem. porterie, porterije, from porter, citizen, from port, town, city. Burgher (1568), a citizen; in this sense it is now somewhat archaic; in the 16th century, burgher, ad. Du. or e.mod.G. burger, citizen of a burg or fortified town; the origin of the Du. word is HG. Amtman (1587), ‘one in charge’, a bailiff, steward, magistrate, officer; the term is used in Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia; ad. M.Du. ambtman, amtman, amman, or MLG. amtman, amptman. Stadholder, Stadtholder (1591), the governor of a fortress; (1668), in Netherlands history; ad. Du. stadhouder, one who occupies another's place, a lieutenant, from stad, place, and houder, holder.

Hogen Mogen (c. 1645, Howell), their High Mightinesses, the States General; (1672), hence the Dutch, a Dutchman, contemptuous; a popular corruption or perversion of the Du. Hoogmogendheden, High Mightinesses, the title of the States General. Mynheer (1652), the courteous form of address or title of courtesy, corresponding in Du. to ‘sir’ or ‘Mr.’, hence a Dutchman; Du. mijnheer, from mijn, my, and heer, lord, master.

Drossard (1678), a steward, high bailiff, prefect; ad. Du. drossaard, a transformation through drossaet, drossaert (Kilian, 1599) of M.Du. drossâte, court functionary, steward. Postholder (1812), in Dutch colonial administration, a civil official in charge of a trading post; ad. Du. posthouder, from post, post, and houder, holder.

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In the Middle English period a number of words appear which seem to have been introduced by vagrants, beggars, and strolling minstrels from the Low Countries. Such people would mix with the corresponding English class along the roads and in the inns, and words from their speech would pass into our vagrants' cant and slang, to appear later, perhaps, in more respectable dialects.

Bouse, Bowse (a. 1325, E.E.P., 1567, Harman, Caveat), to drink; to drink to excess, or for enjoyment or good fellowship, to swill, guzzle, tipple; ME. bousen is apparently from M.Du. bûsen (e.mod.Du. buizen), to drink to excess; the Du. word is probably related to buise, a large drinkingvessel; both vb. and sb. occur once in ME. and then appear as common words in thieves' and beggars' cant in the 16th century, and are then probably reborrowings from Du.; they then passed into colloquial use. The vbl. sb. Bousing (a. 1529, Skelton) occurs earlier in the 16th century than the sb. or vb. Since the 18th century both sb. and vb. are often written as Booze (sb. 1732, vb.

1768).

Loiter (13.., E.E.Allit.P. as loltrande, c. 1440, Pr. Parv.), in early use, to idle, to waste one's time in idleness, to linger indolently on the way when sent on an errand or when making a journey; ad.

M.Du. loteren, to wag about, Du. leuteren, to shake, totter, also to dawdle, loiter over one's work (Kilian, loteren j leuteren ‘morari’); the sense which the vb. has in English has not been found in Du. earlier than the 16th century, but may be much older in slang use; O.E.D. states that the word was probably introduced into English by foreign ‘loiterers’ or vagrants; the diphthong -oi- is probably a substitution for the unfamiliar vowel of the Du. word, which was 55