Series
language
language
Christopher Joby
5 min reading time
From Dwile to Forlorn Hope. This Is Why English Sometimes Sounds Like Dutch
Due to its geographical closeness to the Low Countries, Britain has played an important role in the history of the Dutch language.
language
Christopher Joby
5 min reading time
Bīru and Kōhī Are Not the Only Japanese Words Dutch Speakers May Understand
There are well over 150 Dutch loanwords in common use in Japanese and many more words which owe their origin to Dutch.
language
Anna P.H. Geurts
5 min reading time
Why Dutch-Speakers Have Such a Hard Time with Gender-Neutral Language
The English language knows 'they' for one person. But in Dutch a gender-neutral alternative to 'he' and 'she' is still a long way off. This may have to do with a grammatical rule that Dutch speakers consider important.
language
Reinier Salverda
6 min reading time
The Future of Dutch Language Studies in Indonesia is Secure
The Dutch language has all but vanished from Indonesia. However, it remains an important language of education in the country.
language
Anna P.H. Geurts
4 min reading time
Why Vondel Looked Like A Fisherman in Harem Trousers
In the Dutch language, bloomers have been known under a variety of names that refer to the Middle East, New York and Dutch fishermen.
Series
Babel in the Low Countries
language
Luc Devoldere
2 min reading time
FROM THE ARCHIVES: The Language Border in Belgium
Anyone who wants to understand the linguistic complexity of Belgium must be aware of the language border, declared in 1963, that divides the country into two big regions.
language
Christopher Joby
5 min reading time
Young Taiwanese Had to Learn Dutch at School in the Seventeenth Century
Although the Dutch stayed in Taiwan for less than forty years in the seventeenth century, Dutch has had a lasting impact on the language the islanders still speak today.
language
Christopher Joby
5 min reading time
From Dwile to Forlorn Hope. This Is Why English Sometimes Sounds Like Dutch
Due to its geographical closeness to the Low Countries, Britain has played an important role in the history of the Dutch language.
language
Jaap de Jong
11 min reading time
Who Gave the Most Royal Corona Speech?
Many European rulers gave speeches during the corona crisis. How did they infuse their words with power? What meanings did Willem-Alexander’s concerned look and Filip’s stiff facial expression lend to their messages? And who gave the best speech?
language
Fieke Van der Gucht
3 min reading time
Is the E-Bike Superseding the M-Bike?
While cycling and snarling, linguist Fieke van der Gucht might spur a change in language.
language
Christopher Joby
5 min reading time
Bīru and Kōhī Are Not the Only Japanese Words Dutch Speakers May Understand
There are well over 150 Dutch loanwords in common use in Japanese and many more words which owe their origin to Dutch.
language
Fieke Van der Gucht
4 min reading time
Pals, Stop Complaining About Student’s Language Skills!
Linguist Fieke Van der Gucht doesn't like teachers who complain about the decline in students' language skills.
language
Fieke Van der Gucht
4 min reading time
Nomen Est Omen
Linguist Fieke Van der Gucht investigated the way the old Germanic people chose their first names. As for her own name? Turns out her parents weren’t very good at German.
language
Anna P.H. Geurts
5 min reading time
Why Dutch-Speakers Have Such a Hard Time with Gender-Neutral Language
The English language knows 'they' for one person. But in Dutch a gender-neutral alternative to 'he' and 'she' is still a long way off. This may have to do with a grammatical rule that Dutch speakers consider important.
language
Fieke Van der Gucht
3 min reading time
Who Gives a Fuck About an Oxford Comma? Me!
Linguist Fieke Van der Gucht declares her love to a comma.
language
Luc Devoldere
3 min reading time
Who Is in Charge of Language?
When it comes to Dutch, editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere states that it is not clear who determines which language norms to respect and which rules to adhere to.
language
Fieke Van der Gucht
4 min reading time
Do You Know What ‘a Flandrian Facial’ Is?
The Flemish tenacity for cycling inspired the English to invent much of today’s cycling lingo.
language
Luc Devoldere
4 min reading time
Why Language Is Always Linked to Territory
Luc Devoldere rejects the existence of a bond between language and ethnicity – or Blut und Boden. Instead, he suggests the term ‘territory’.
language
Luc Devoldere
4 min reading time
A Standard Language Is a Dialect With an Army
Have you ever heard of “suburban Flemish” and “Polderdutch”? Editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere about the tension between dying dialects, weird "in-between-languages" and overpowering standard languages.
language
Abdelkader Benali
10 min reading time
Abdelkader Benali: 'The Bastard Language is the Language of the Future'
Abdelkader Benali has been awarded the Golden Goose Feather as an ambassador of the Dutch language who reaches young people with his enthusiasm and dedication. This is his ode to ‘bastard Dutch’.
language
Luc Devoldere
3 min reading time
French Still Resonates in the Linguistic Universe of the Fleming
For centuries, the Dutch language in Belgium had to pave the way for French. And yet, editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere, a Fleming, wouldn’t miss French for the world.
language
Kieran O'Keefe
7 min reading time
When Did New York Stop Speaking Dutch?
Despite the English conquest of the northeast coast of North America in 1664, the Dutch language continued to thrive in New York and northern New Jersey for generations, persisting into the twentieth century in certain areas.
language
Tom Christiaens
1 min reading time
The Top 5 Language Stories of the Year
Our best language stories of 2019, handpicked by the editor.
language
Luc Devoldere
3 min reading time
Flemings have a problematic and complex relationship with their language
Flemish and Dutch people have a totally different relationship with their language. Editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere explains why.
language
Nicoline van der Sijs
4 min reading time
New Study Shows That Dutch and Flemish Emigrants Cling to Their Language and Culture
Remarkable conclusions from the very first global study of the preservation of Dutch language, culture and identity.
language
Luc Devoldere
4 min reading time
A Fleming Is a Belgian Who Speaks Dutch
When it comes to language, Belgium has a complex history. That is beautifully illustrated by the position of French-language literature written at the end of the 19th century by Flemings.
