slachtoffering

Slachtoffering is a Dutch noun with two main senses. In religious and historical contexts it denotes the act of offering something as a sacrifice to a deity or sacred power, typically involving animals and, in some traditions, humans. In secular usage it more often refers to victimization—the state or act of being harmed as a victim, or the act of causing someone to become a victim. The two senses can overlap in discussions of ritual violence or symbolic substitution.

Etymology: the word derives from slachtoffer, meaning “victim,” with the suffix -ing forming a noun that denotes a process or result.

Contexts and usage: In anthropology and the history of religion, slachtoffering describes ritual sacrifices across cultures and periods. It is used to analyze the role of offerings in ritual life, belief, and social structure. In modern social science, criminology and law, the term appears in discussions about victims and the harms they suffer, though Dutch speakers more commonly use terms like slachtofferschap (victimhood) or het slachtoffer zijn (to be the victim) for everyday language.

See also: In English-language discussions, the closest equivalents are sacrifice and victimization, while in Dutch the related terms include offer, offering, and slachtofferschap. Slachtoffering thus reflects both historical-religious practices and contemporary concerns about harm and victimhood.