vakidioot

Dutch

Etymology

From vak (“occupation, profession”) +‎ idioot (“idiot”), calque of German Fachidiot. Equivalent to a back-formation from vakidiotisme. The term entered common usage in 1968, at the time of Marxist student protests.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvɑk.i.diˌoːt/

• Audio

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• Hyphenation: vak‧idi‧oot

Noun

vakidioot m (plural vakidioten, diminutive vakidiootje n)

1. (derogatory) A fachidiot; a (very) capable professional with little societal awareness or engagement outside one's narrow expertise, especially one who exaggerates the importance of one's specialism. [from early 20th c.]

Related terms

• vakidiotisme