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    -t
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    -t /t/ is an unproductive Germanic cohering stress-neutral suffix found in nouns of common gender based on Germanic verb stems, e.g. teelt [telt] cultivation < teel [tel] to grow. Nouns in -t typically denote things (e.g. heft hilt < hef to lift) or abstract concepts (e.g. klacht complaint < klagen complain); semantic specialization is quite common (e.g. schrift < schrijv to write can both mean writing (system) and notebook). The plural form, if applicable, is in -en (schriften writing systems, notebooks ).

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    -t /t/ is a Germanic suffix found in nouns based on simplex Germanic verb stems.

    extra

    Words like schoonschrift calligraphy and bloementeelt floriculture are compounds with -t formations as right-hand members, not to be taken as exceptions to the generalization that -t takes only simplex stems; cf. formations such as mesheft knife handle where there is no complex verb *mesheffen. inteelt inbreeding, on the other hand, is a calque from German Inzucht or English inbreeding (Etymologiebank).

    Nouns in -t are of common gender, taking the definite singular article de. The plural form, if applicable, is in -en (schriften writing systems, notebooks, klachten complaints).
    extra

    There is quite some stem allomorphy in -t formations, De Haas and Trommelen (1993: 246) mention jacht hunt (< jagen to hunt), klacht complaint (< klagen to complain), dracht gestation, costume, load (< dragen to carry, to wear), bocht curve, bend (< buigen to bend), drift passion, drift (drijven to float, to drift), vlucht flight, flock (< vliegen to fly), gift gift, present (< geven to give), plicht duty (< plegen to commit), schrift writing, notebook (< schrijven to write), zicht view (< zien to see), zift sift (< zeven to sieve). Certain -t formations have a verbal use as well, e.g. vlucht to escape, ziften to sift, to split hairs, jachten to hurry, to rush.

    Note that another suffix -t can be distinguished in non-native nouns such as fantast dreamer and product product that correspond to nouns in -ie or verbs in -eren (fantasie phantasy and produceren to produce, respectively) (De Haas and Trommelen 1993: 226-7), as well as in non-native adjectives like abstract abstract, correct correct and corrupt corrupt that correspond to verbs in -eren (abstraheren to abstract, corrigeren to corrrect and corrumperen to corrupt) (De Haas and Trommelen 1993: 343). It is questionable, however, whether these relationships of form and meaning belong to the morphology of Dutch.

    The suffix merges with the final syllable of the stem, i.e., it is cohering; the stress pattern of the base does not change with suffixation of -t.

    References
    • Haas, Wim de & Trommelen, Mieke1993Morfologisch handboek van het Nederlands. Een overzicht van de woordvormingSDU Uitgeverij
    • Haas, Wim de & Trommelen, Mieke1993Morfologisch handboek van het Nederlands. Een overzicht van de woordvormingSDU Uitgeverij
    • Haas, Wim de & Trommelen, Mieke1993Morfologisch handboek van het Nederlands. Een overzicht van de woordvormingSDU Uitgeverij
    About this article
    Author(s): Ton van der Wouden
    Category: Dutch Morphology
    Keywords: suffixderivationnounnativeunproductivedeverbal
    Version: 1.0, December 2015
    Version history:
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    1.0 Ton van der Wouden December 2015
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