streek

Streek is a Dutch noun with several related meanings. Its primary sense designates a region or stretch of land that shares geographic, historical, or cultural characteristics. In common usage, een streek refers to a part of a country or a locality with a distinct identity, landscape, or traditions. The boundaries of a streek are not fixed by law; they are fluid and depend on context, usage in tourism, media, or local perception.

In Dutch toponymy the word is used in combination with place names to describe local areas, such as Zaanstreek. The term also appears in discussions of culture and language, including the notion of streektaal, a regional language or dialect variety associated with a particular streek, and the broader umbrella of streektalen that encompasses several local speech varieties. The concept plays a role in identifying regional culinary traditions, costumes, and landscapes.

Beyond geographic use, streek has a separate informal sense meaning a trick or playful wrongdoing, as in iemand een streek uithalen. This meaning is common in conversational Dutch and is distinct from the geographic sense.

Etymologically, streek derives from older Dutch ideas of a stretch or tract of land and is linked to the idea of continuity across a defined area. Today, streeks are not administrative entities; they function as culturally or historically meaningful designations whose exact boundaries vary by context and perspective.