Both in Flanders and The Netherlands the standard language spoken is Dutch. However, just like between say, British English and American English, there are subtle differences. For one thing, there is a difference in pronunciation. Dutch Dutch (I'll say Dutch and Flemish now one, just to mark the difference) is generally "harder", containing more guttural sounds like the hard "g" (try the German ch as in Bach, but form the sound more towards the top of your mouth. Yes, that is very difficult), while Flemish is smoother and sounds more melodious, with a soft "g". As a result, even to Dutch speakers Flemish sounds more "civilized", so to speak, and friendlier. The soft g is also used in the south of The Netherlands, immediately identify the southerner to anyone from above the great rivers. Also, Flemish makes more use of the rolled "r", which, as a born westerner, I am completely unable to pronounce. Even after more than ten years in Belgium, people almost instantly recognize my Dutch accent. Also, some words are peculiar either to The Netherlands or Flanders. The Flemish still use many words that are considered obsolete in The Netherlands, and many words in Flemish are derived from French (like trailer, remork, from the French remorque), and are completely unknown in Holland. Only about 4% of words are really different, but that's enough to cause some from confusion now and then. On the other hand, in Dutch there are a great many loan words from English, more so than in Flanders. Also, some words have a slightly different meaning in both countries; famously, "een schoon kleedje" means "a nice dress" in Flemish and "a clean carpet" in Dutch. All that being said, both peoples are usually easily capable of understanding each other, and it is not for nothing that in every Flemish municipality the Dutch are the greatest group of foreigners and there are many Belgians working in The Netherlands.
Not much confusion about the great posts for today, few in number though they may be.
- From PeterD: Driving your Chariot
- From GregB: When family planning goes wrong
- From PeterD: Outdoor Archery
And who knows what may come up during the day?
Enjoy!
As a Limburgian I regularly get midtaken for being Belgian in the Netherlands, yet in Belgium I still get recognised for being Dutch...
ReplyDeleteHaha! The funny thing is that Belgian Limburgian is very recognizable; whenever I try Flemish my wife accuses me of speaking with a Limburg accent 😂
DeleteInteresting stuff, I’ll consider you a Dutch ‘Enry ‘Iggins
ReplyDeleteWonderful post on the nuances of a 'common language', Martijn. Your "een schoon kleedje" example made me laugh as I know I'd always be getting it wrong, thinking myself a great Lothario by complimenting a lass on her dress, but in reality she's thinking that I'm talking about cleaning her carpet. ;)
ReplyDelete