Dutch Roots Still Here
The Dutch founding of our region more than 300 years ago has left many remnants behind. The early Dutch influence can be seen in much of our geographic names of the region and even in the foods we eat. For example, you might not know that Greenbush is actually Dutch; “Grene” is Dutch for Pitch Pine, a common tree in the area, while “Bosch” is Dutch for forest. Bosch is anglicized to Bush. Likewise Halfmoon is from the Dutch “Halve Maen,” the name of Henry Hudson’s ship. Watervliet is Dutch for Water Brook or River. The word “kil” that you see in words such as the Normanskill, Binnekill, and others means creek and “vly” such as in Vly road is Dutch for a marshy area.
The Dutch influence lasted in the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys even though the English took over in 1664 and wrote our history books. Dutch was still the language of the Reformed Church as late as 1764 in NYC, and here in the hill towns, Dutch was still spoken and the practice of “bundling” (look that one up) was still occurring in the 19th century.
Here in the Mohawk Valley and Schenectady County in particular, certain Dutch words became part of the regular vocabulary. See if you recognize some of them.
Kip: a word used in calling chickens, “come kip kip”
Mont: means basket
Wurst: means sausage [Du. worst, same meaning]
Sluck: a noun that means swallow, draught [Du. slock, same meaning]
Offdoch: a noun that means enclosed stoop [Du. afdak, shed, penthouse]
Herk’ies, herk’eys: n. pl., haunches, e.g., “squat down on your herkies”
[Du. hurk: op de hurken zitten, to squat; hurkjes (dim.)]
Door’slag: a noun, means colander, strainer [Du. doorslag, same meaning]
Mohawk Valley Generally
Blum’mie, blum’mey: a noun that means flower, blossom [Du. bloempje (dim.), same
Additionally, you visit many Dutch named regions throughout the State and Northeast.
Block Island, R.I. Named after the Dutchman Adriaen Block, who explored the area in the early seventeenth century on the Onrust, a small ship, and in which a replica is being built at the Mabee Farm in Rotterdam Junction.
The Bowery, N.Y. This section of New York City owes its name to the farm, or “bouwerij” in Dutch, owned by Peter Stuyvesant that was located there.
The Bronx, N.Y. This New York City borough takes its name from a New Netherland settler, Jonas Bronck, who had a farm there.
Bushwick, N.Y. Originally called Boswyck, or “woods district” in Dutch.
Coney Island, N.Y. Originally called Conyne Eylandt, or “rabbit island” in Dutch.
Catskill, N.Y. Originally named Kats Kil, or “cats stream” in Dutch. The many other place-names of the region ending in kill are also of Dutch origin.
Hells Gate, N.Y. This treacherous set of currents in New York’s East River was designated Helle Gadt on a Dutch map of 1639.
Long Island, N.Y. The explorer Adriaen Block called the island Lange Eylandt in 1614.
Rhode Island This name is said to be derived from Roode Eylandt, or “red island” in Dutch.
Sandy Hook, N.J. The name stems from what the Dutch called the place: Sant Hoek.
Spuyten Duyvil, N.Y. A New York City district whose name (meaning “devil’s spout” or ”in spite of the devil” in Dutch) refers to some dangerous currents at the northern end of the Harlem River, and was the name for the first torpedo boat built for the northern army during the Civil War.
Staten Island, N.Y. Dutch settlers named the island Staten Eylandt in honor of the States General, the governing body of the United Provinces.
Yonkers, N.Y. This name is believed to derive from the title of an early Dutch settler, Jonkheer Adriaen Van der Donck, who had an estate in the area. Van der Donck wrote one of the first accounts of the New Netherland settlement.
It doesn’t end here. Peter Kalm, the Swedish Botanist during his visit here in the 18th century was fed a special Dutch salad, called “cole slaw” which means cabbage salad.
Finally, the phrase “going Dutch” probably originates from Dutch etiquette. In the Netherlands, it is not unusual to pay separately when dating, although the English used it as a negative, along with others, during the Dutch-Anglo wars of the 17th century