schoft
Dutch
Etymology
The sense of "withers" is ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *skuft, from Proto-Germanic *skuftą.
The sense of "mean guy" is borrowed from Low German schofft, schufft (“robber knight”), for which see schavuit (“rogue, rascal, crook”).
Pronunciation
Audio: (file) - Rhymes: -ɔft
Noun
schoft m (plural schoften, diminutive schoftje n or (Netherlands, informal) schoffie n)
- withers
- (derogatory) bastard, trash, a person with no moral
Usage notes
- The regional diminutive schoffie is less harsh and has connotations of mischief or roguishness which may be positive in certain contexts, whereas schoft itself is always negative.
Derived terms
- straatschoffie