onruwe

Onruwe is a Dutch term that is largely literary or archaic in contemporary usage. It generally refers to a state of unrest, disturbance, or turbulence, whether in a social context or within a person. In everyday modern Dutch, the common word for this idea is onrust, while onruwe appears most often in historical texts, poetry, or stylistically elevated prose.

Etymology and form: Onruwe is formed with the prefix on- attached to ruwe, a root meaning rough or unsettled. The construction signals a stronger or more formal sense of disturbance than the more common onrust. The term is sometimes treated as both a noun and an adjective in older or literary Dutch.

Usage and nuance: Onruwe tends to convey a heightened or more formal sense of upheaval than everyday language. It can describe external unrest in a society, turbulent events, or an inner state of turmoil in a character or speaker. Because it is infrequent in modern usage, it is most likely encountered in historical writings, translations, or stylistic prose aiming for a classical tone.

Examples of context: descriptions of towns or regions experiencing upheaval, or expressions of intense emotional disturbance in literary narration. The word is not commonly used in contemporary everyday speech, where onrust or tumult would be more natural choices.

See also: Unrest, Turmoil, Disorder (in a literary or historical sense).