spelonk

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch spelonk, from Middle Dutch spelonke, from Old French spelonque, from Italian spelonca, from Latin spelunca (“cave, cavern; grotto; den”), from Ancient Greek σπῆλυγξ (spêlunx, “cave”), from Ancient Greek σπέος (spéos, “cave, cavern”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spɪə̯ˈlɔnk/, /spəˈlɔnk/

Noun

spelonk (plural spelonke, diminutive spelonkie)

1. cave, cavern, grotto

   Synonym: grot

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch spelonke, from Old French spelonque, from Italian spelonca, from Latin spelunca (“cave, cavern; grotto; den”), from Ancient Greek σπῆλυγξ (spêlunx, “cave”), from Ancient Greek σπέος (spéos, “cave, cavern”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /speːˈlɔnk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: spe‧lonk
• Rhymes: -ɔnk

Noun

spelonk f (plural spelonken, diminutive spelonkje n or spelonksken n)

1. (literary) grotto

   Synonym: grot

2. (Brabant) bad, dank, poorly-lit housing

   Synonym: kruipkot

Derived terms

• grotspelonk

Descendants

• Afrikaans: spelonk
• → Papiamentu: spelonk (dated)

Further reading

Middle English

Noun

spelonk

1. Alternative form of spelunke