cleine

Middle Dutch

Alternative forms

• clêne, clein, cleen

Etymology

From Old Dutch cleini, from Proto-West Germanic *klaini, from Proto-Germanic *klainiz.

Adjective

cleine

1. small
2. short
3. unimportant
4. fine, finely ground

Inflection

Adjective

		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	indefinite	cleine	cleine	cleine	cleine
	definite	cleine	cleine
accusative	indefinite	cleinen	cleine	cleine	cleine
	definite	cleine
genitive	indefinite	cleines	cleinere	cleines	cleinere
	definite	cleines, cleinen	cleines, cleinen
dative		cleinen	cleinere	cleinen	cleinen

Descendants

• Dutch: klein, kleen (dialectal)
  • Afrikaans: klein
  • Jersey Dutch: klāin
  • Negerhollands: kleen, klen
  • Skepi Creole Dutch: klenk
• Limburgish: klein

Further reading

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