According to the Oxford English Dictionary, sooterkin, a rare word of Dutch origin is (1) an imaginary kind of afterbirth formerly attributed to Dutch women; (2) slang for a Dutchman; and a term applied to literary compositions of a supplementary or imperfect character. As an example of this last meaning it offers two examples from Carlyle.
What does Carlyle's use of such arcane words do to the tone and texture of his polemic? [GPL]
Last modified 23 October 2002