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Hear The Names of Tulips

tulp tulpen

tulpen (picture © Rimmer de Vries 2010 all rights reserved)

'Standard Silver' - Zilveren Standaard

Broken Red Tulip with A Yellow Ground

(De) kleur 2 ('color') - plural: kleuren ('colors') - >> Dutch Colors

Heirloom Tulips

Admiraal van der Eijck - mentioned in Mary Mapes Dodge's Hans Brinker >> - it says the admiral was the first owner of this tulip. I'd never heard of the man before. Also known as: Admiraal Verijck 2 *

Admiraal van Enkhuizen 2 ('Enkhuizen Admiral') - Enkhuizen was an important port on the old Zuider Zee 2 - a naval base with its own fleet of warships.

Bontlof 2 (probably: 'in praise of rich, varied colors')

Dillenburg - the castle in Nassau (Germany) where William of Orange (see below) was born.

Estella Rijnveld (a woman's name - 'Estella' is a Spanish name. The Dutch version is Stella )

Gele Prins ('Yellow Prince') - geel / gele 2 ('yellow')

Generaal De Wet 2 - South-African leader in the Boer War (1899-1902.) A famous quote: Alles sal reg kom ('everything is going to be all right.')

Greuze (French painter (1725-1805) - the name is here said in the Dutch way)

Insulinde - 'the Dutch Indies,' a name thought up by famous Dutch author Multatuli 2 (Latin: 'I have suffered much')

Keizerskroon 2 ('Emperor's Crown') - (de) keizer ('emperor' - from Latin Caesar) - (de) kroon ('crown')

Lac van Rijn - Van Rijn 2 is a family name ('river Rhine,') 'Lac' (also: 'Lack') means red coloring.

Philippe de Commines - a medieval nobleman from Flanders with a French name

Prinses Irene - a younger sister of present Queen Beatrix (Koningin Beatrix 2)

Professor Schotel 2 - as a word, (de) schotel means 'saucer' - kop en schotel ('cup and saucer.')

Purperkroon 2 ('Crown of Purple') - (de) kroon ('crown') - and as you might have guessed, purper is 'purple,' but it's an old-fashioned word. Modern Dutch is paars 2 (paars / paarse 2)

Schoonoord 2 ('A beautiful place' - also a town in the Eastern province of Drente ) - see 'Zomerschoon' for note about 'schoon.'

Spaendonck - a family of artists

Standaard Zilverbont ('Standard Silver-with-Rich-Varied-Colors'?)

Van der Neer (an uncommon last name)

Het Wapen van Leiden ('Leyden Arms') - in the Dutch Revolt (1568-1648) Leiden was the second city in Holland that withstood a Spanish siege, and in honor of that the first Dutch university was established there

Willem van Oranje (William of Orange, nicknamed 'William The Silent' Willem de Zwijger 1533-1584) was the Dutch George Washington, the first leader of the Dutch Revolt (1568-1648) - after his 1584 assassination succeeded by his sons Maurits and Frederik Hendrik .

Zilveren Standaard 2 ('Silver Standard') - zilver 2 ('silver') - Periodic Table of The Elements

Zilverschoon ('Silver Beauty')

Zomerschoon 2 ('Beauty of Summer,' a 1620s tulip) - (de) zomer ('Summer') - schoon ('beauty' - though in Northern Dutch it now usually means 'clean')

Zwanenburg ('Swans' Town' - a town in the West of Holland)

De Keukenhof 2 is a large tulips park in Lisse 2 (between Haarlem and Leiden ) open from about March 25 to May 20.

Als de lente komt, dan stuur ik jou tulpen uit Amsterdam. ('When Spring comes, [then] I'll send you tulips from Amsterdam.')

tulpenboom = (?) magnolia 2

tulpenboom

(de) knop 2 - (plural:) knoppen

tulpenboomtulpen

tulpenboomtulpen

The P. Cos Book

Jacob Isaacsz. van Swanenburgh 2

Adriaen van Witvelt 2

Wageningen University in The Netherlands has beautiful scans of the P.Cos book on their website

OldTulips.org is a website in development by Ed Wall that has links to beautiful paintings of the old tulips - Ed has my permission to use my tulip names sound files.

According to an article by Liesbeth Missel, curator of Wageningen University Library, Holland, 'admiral' (admiraal 2) and 'general' (generaal 2) in tulip names refers to coloring; there were no actual military men by those names.

I am just a Dutchman of general education, a native speaker of Dutch without special knowledge of 17th Century Dutch - my pronunciation and translations are based on modern Dutch - let Ed or me know if you think I'm wrong and you have a better idea.
Dutch spelling was only standardized in the 1800s.

P. Cos, bloemist te Haarlem P. Cos, Haarlem florist

2. Purper en Wit Jeroen 2 Purple and White Jerome

3. Tulp uit Saet of Bellert 'Tulip from seed or ? (bell-ringer??)'

4. Pargoen Lifiens (Liefkens): Pargoen Liefkens 2 - paragon 2 is a large diamond: Paragon Liefkens

5. Gel en Rot van Leijen - probably modern Dutch: Geel en Rood van Leiden 2 'Yellow and Red of Leyden'

6. Uyt Roepien probably modern Dutch: uitroepen 'crying out' (proclaiming its beauty?)

7. Admiraal Verijck 2 aka Admiraal Van der Eyk Admiral V.

8. Soomerschoon - modern Dutch: Zomerschoon 2 summer beauty

9. Petter 2 maybe: 'from the town of Petten' ?

10. Lagrandt (Legrandt): Legrand 2 (a French name)

11. Schone Brabantson - probably: Schone Brabantse 2 'a beauty of Brabant' In the Middle Ages, Brabant was a large duchy - now divided between Belgium and The Netherlands - in Modern Dutch, schoon usually means 'clean,' but in the South and in Belgium it still means 'beautiful.'

12. Gouda town in Holland, famous abroad for its cheese

13. Viseroij: Viceroy (pronounced half-French) 'a high official ruling in a king's name'

14. Admeral Rotgans: Admiraal Rotgans 'Admiral R.'

15. Admirael Liefiens (Liefkens): Admiraal Liefkens 2 'Admiral L.'

16. Latoer 2 probably Dutchified French, meaning unknown

17. Admiral Golsien: Admiraal Golsien 2 'Admiral G.'

18. IJslijf 2 'ice-body' - colored like ice?

19. Parel 2 pearl

20. Admirael Backer: Admiraal Bakker Bakker is a common Dutch family name, like in English, meaning 'baker,' .

21. Otto de Man (Otter de Man) 2 a person's name - though 'otter' 2 means (as you might have guessed) 'otter.'

22. Nieuwenburgher 2 'new citizen:' the new tulip on the block?

23. Admiral de Fransche: de Franse Admiraal 'The French Admiral'

24. Blijenburgher 2 3 'Happy Citizen' - gladdens the heart? de vroege 2 the early (blooming) de laaste probably: de late 2 the late (blooming) - laatste 2 'last' looks unlikely

25. Wit en Rood Boode 'white and red messenger?' - 'bode' means 'messenger, servant'

26. Coorenaert - modern Dutch: korenaar ear of wheat

27. Tarlon (Tourlongh): Tourlon (?) or maybe Toulon (the city in France)

28. beste ijurij (Iorij) 2 best ? (I have no idea what it means or if I say it right) ijurij or ? - Iorij or - I don't know.

29. Max a name like in English

30. Branden-burgher: Brandenburger 'from Brandenburg,' an area in the East of Germany'

31. ghevlamde boterman - modern Dutch: gevlamde boterman 2 'flamed butterman' - my best guess: a flame-patterned version of a yellow tulip

32. Bruine purper: Bruin Purper 'brown purple' (a dark-red purple?)

33. Roosje van Catolijn 2 small rose of C.

34. Nons wit I can only think of "Nun's White" but it doesn't make much sense (catholics were in hiding at the time) - although there is also a white-headed pigeon called 'non.' de vroege 2 the early (blooming) de laate - modern Dutch: de late 2 the late (blooming)

35. Admiral Catolijn: Admiraal Catolijn 2 'Admiral C.'

36. pocgher - modern Dutch: pocher 2 'boaster'

37. vroege blijenburgher 'early Blijenburger'

38. Saijbloem: zaaibloem 2 'sowing flower'?

39. Lijon: Lyon The French city

40. Faber Latin 'maker' - also a family name in Holland

41. manna cier 2 decorative nutrition? feeding the sense of beauty?

42. Jan Ghertsen 2 (Jan Gerrtsz 2 - an unlikely name) - more likely: Jan Gerritsz 2

43. Spinnekop spiderhead

44. Admeraal de Man - Admiraal De Man 2 Admiral De M.

45. Asientier 2 The only thing I can think of is German 'animal from Asia' - I may be entirely wrong

46. Rector 2 'head of a religious college or high-level school'

47. Admerael Crintiens (Krijntjes) - Admiraal Krijntjes Admiral K.

48. Oudenerder 'from the Belgian town of Oudenaarde' 2 famous for its medieval tapestries.

49. Generael Ver IJck (Van der Eyk): Generaal Verijck General V. - see also Admiraal Verijck

50. Witte Marvelijen (Marveilje): Witte Marvelijen 2 'Marveilje' Probably: Dutchified French 'merveille' (mriacle, marvel)

51. Enghels admeral: de Engelse Admiraal 'the English Admiral'

52. Mols wijck: Molswijk family name, maybe a small village

53. Lack van Rijn 'Van Rijn' is a family name, 'Lack' (or 'Lac') means 'red pigment.'

54. Ghememert van Kaer an unusual name

55. Troij cluer van Noviel (Troijs coleur van Noville): Troijs Couleur van Noville 'Couleur' is of course French for 'color,' but I have no idea what 'Troijs' or 'Noville' stand for

61. Orangie Camelot (half-French)

62. Tulipa aga Latin, meaning unknown to me

63. gebiesd van Coornart ~ modern Dutch: gebiesd van korenaar 2 - gebiesd 2 means 'striped,' like strips of cloth sewn onto a larger piece of fabric, so I assume this is a striped version of the Coornaart/Coorenaert (korenaar) tulip

65. Tulipa sulph(urea): Tulipa Sulphurea 2 Latin, probably 'sulphur-colored tulip' - yellow; the Dutch word for sulphur is zwavel

66. Tulipa anassos Latin, meaning unknown to me

67. Tulipa zescv sla (?) - I have no idea what 'zescv' could mean. 'Sla' means 'lettuce' in modern Dutch, but it may well be a misspelling or have meant something else at the time

other old tulips

Gouden Standaard 2 golden standard

Goudvink 2 goldfinch

Pottenbakker 2 potter (ceramics artist)

Sent - modern Dutch: cent 2 'penny' - an unlikely name for an expensive tulip? 100 cents in a gulden ('guilder) - 5 cents in a stuiver 2 'nickel.'

Aes, Asen

The weight of the tulip bulbs was often given in 'Asen' 2 (singular: aes 2) - a jeweler's measurement (1 Aes = 0.048 grams - there are about 4 Asen in a carat.)

Asen Conversion Table, Asen compared with Grams and Ounces - more Metric and Imperial Compared

1630s Prices of Everyday Items

From: 'Clare Ontdekking' (#19) (from: Wageningen University Tulips Portal) twee lasten tarwe = (2x3000) 6000 liters = 1500 gallons of wheat - f448 vier lasten rogge = (4x3000) 12000 liters = 3000 gallons of rye - f558 vier vette Ossen = 4 fat oxen - f480 acht vette verckens = 8 fat pigs - f240 twaelf vette schapen = 12 fat sheep - f120 twee oxhoofden wijn = 2x220 liters - 100 gallons of wine - f70 vier tonnen bier (van acht gulden) = 4 barrels of beer - f24 twee tonnen boter = two barrels of butter - f192 duysent pont kaes = 1000 Lb of cheese - f120 een bedde met fijn toebehoren = a bed with quality bedding - f100 een pack kleeren = a suit of clothes (?) - f80 een silveren beecker = a silver cup - f60 --------------------------------------- all together: f2500 een schip om alle dese waren te voeren a ship to transport all these goods: f500 Old Dutch Measurements

witte tulp 2 3

tulpen