Etymology

hor lan

Today it means: To have unexpectedly lost one's way and gone off course; to get lost and end up in some faraway place. Full definition →

Dutch Holland
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The story

  1. Dutch · derived fromHolland
  2. English todayhor lan

Pronunciation spelling of Hokkien 荷蘭／荷兰 (Hô-lân) and Cantonese 荷蘭／荷兰 (ho⁴ laan⁴⁻¹, “the Netherlands”), itself from Dutch Holland. Analyzable as a shortening of the alternative expression go hor lan or go Holland, literally “to go to Holland; to end up in Holland”.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.