snelle

Snelle is the Dutch word for fast or quick. As an adjective, snelle is used to describe a noun and is the inflected form that appears before certain nouns; for example, de snelle auto means “the fast car” and het snelle paard means “the fast horse.” The base form, snel, is used in other grammatical contexts.

Etymology and cognates: Snelle derives from Old Dutch snella-, from Proto-Germanic roots related to the German schnell and the English archaic snell. The word has cognates in several Germanic languages and shares a common origin for the concept of speed or quickness.

Grammar and usage: In standard Dutch, snel is the base adjective and is also used as an adverb (as in “het gaat snel,” meaning “it goes fast”). Snelle appears as the attributive inflection before a noun and changes with grammatical context according to Dutch spelling and agreement rules. The form snelle is common in everyday usage before singular common- or neuter-gender nouns, and it also adapts in plural forms and with definite articles.

Notable usage: Snelle is also used as the stage name of a Dutch rapper who rose to prominence in the late 2010s. In this context, the name plays on the generic meaning of the word and functions as a brand identity rather than a direct grammatical form.

See also: Snel (base form of the adjective) and Schnell (German cognate).