Vloek

Vloek is a Dutch noun with two principal senses: a curse or imprecation, and a swear word or profanity. In traditional and folkloric contexts, a vloek is an utterance believed to bring harm or bad luck upon someone, sometimes associated with ritual or magical thinking. In everyday language, the term also refers to profanity—the crude or obscene words used to express anger, pain, or emphasis, often collected under the umbrella of vloekwoorden.

Etymology and forms: The word is of Germanic origin, attested in Middle Dutch as vloeck or vloek, and has cognates in other West Germanic languages. The verb vloeken means to utter a curse or to swear, while the noun denotes either the act of cursing or the resulting ill will or misfortune.

Usage and context: The sense of a curse appears in literature, folklore, and religious or superstitious speech, where a person might claim that a spell or curse has been placed on another. The sense of profanity is common in informal speech and media, but is generally judged rude or offensive in formal settings or mixed company. Social norms around swearing vary by region, context, and audience, with some speakers drawing a clear line between mild exclamations and stronger, taboo terms.

See also: Curse (imprecation); profanity; Dutch profanity; language and culture.