laken

See also: Laken

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch laken.

Noun

laken (plural lakens)

1. sheet, bedsheet

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaːkə(n)/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: la‧ken
• Rhymes: -aːkən

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch lāken, from Old Dutch *lakan, from Proto-Germanic *lakaną (“linen, cloth”).

Noun

laken n (plural lakens, diminutive lakentje n)

1. (uncountable) woollen broadcloth (fulled and woven fabric made of wool), very sought-after for clothing in the feudal era
2. (countable) bedsheet

Derived terms

• beddenlaken
• bedlaken
• de lakens uitdelen
• hoeslaken
• lakenbereider
• lakenfabriek, lakenfabrikant
• lakenhal
• lakenhandel
• lakenhandelaar
• lakenhoes
• lakenlood
• lakenscheerder
• lakenstad
• lakenstempel
• onderlaken
• steellaken
• strandlaken
• tafellaken

Descendants

• Negerhollands: laak, laeken, laken
• → Caribbean Javanese: laken
• → Papiamentu: laken, laker

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch lāken. Equivalent to lak +‎ -en.

Verb

laken

1. (transitive) to criticize, reproach, denounce

   De gasten van dat groezelig motel laken tevergeefs de gebrekkige hygiëne van de lakens.

   The guests in that sleazy motel denounce in vain the poor sheets hygiene.

Conjugation

Conjugation of laken (weak)
infinitive	laken
past singular	laakte
past participle	gelaakt
infinitive	laken
gerund	laken n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	laak	laakte
2nd person sing. (jij)	laakt, laak2	laakte
2nd person sing. (u)	laakt	laakte
2nd person sing. (gij)	laakt	laakte
3rd person singular	laakt	laakte
plural	laken	laakten
subjunctive sing.1	lake	laakte
subjunctive plur.1	laken	laakten
imperative sing.	laak
imperative plur.1	laakt
participles	lakend	gelaakt
1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion.

Derived terms

• laakbaar

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

laken

1. plural of laak

Middle Dutch

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch *lakan, from Proto-Germanic *lakaną.

Noun

lāken n

1. broadcloth

Inflection

Strong neuter noun

	singular	plural
nominative	lāken	lāken, lākene
accusative	lāken	lāken, lākene
genitive	lākens	lākene
dative	lākene	lākenen

Descendants

• Dutch: laken
• Limburgish: lake

Etymology 2

From lac +‎ -en, from Proto-Germanic *laka-, related to *lak(k)ōn- (“to blame, reproach”), from Proto-Indo-European *lok-néh₂-. Cognate with English lack.

Verb

lāken

1. to decrease, to diminish, to become less
2. to lack, to be insufficient
3. to criticise, to denounce
4. to stain, to soil, to violate (honour or value)

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: laken

Further reading

• “laken (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “laken (III)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “laken (IV)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page IV

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Middle Low German laken.

Noun

laken n (definite singular lakenet, indefinite plural laken or lakener, definite plural lakena or lakenene)

1. a bedsheet

Derived terms

• hvit som et laken

Etymology 2

Noun

laken m

1. definite singular of lake

References

• “laken” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

laken m

1. definite singular of lake

Swedish

Noun

laken

1. definite singular of lake

Anagrams

• alken, ankel, enkla, kanel