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Bird Entertainment for a Linguist

1 July 2024

Intrigued by the superstitions and etymology surrounding the magpie, linguist Marten van der Meulen explores the rich and varied history of bird names across different cultures.

Show Empathy for Those Struggling with Dutch Grammar Rules

21 May 2024

Language rules remind linguist Marten van der Meulen of national borders: both are historically evolved, arbitrary agreements. Showing a little compassion for those who can’t immediately recall these rules is therefore warranted.

The Smell of Masculine Fullness and Rotten Eggs

19 February 2024

How do you describe a fragrance when you lack the words for it? Linguist Marten van der Meulen sees possibilities in dialects and non-European languages.

How “Local” Is Local Food?

17 October 2023

There is quite a bit of confusion surrounding the concept of ‘local,’ particularly in relation to food. Linguist Marten van der Meulen highlights the implications of this. ‘It’s unfair if one person limits themselves to a 20-kilometre radius to get their food, while the other person consider

The Dutch Language in 2050? More Diverse Than Ever

20 September 2023

Will the Dutch language still exist in the future? Linguist Marten van der Meulen addresses this question, as we specified, in the book The Low Countries in 2050: A Past with a Future. His response, written as if it’s already 2050, is also available here. “Let’s discuss Dutch, considering its

Even in Microstate Andorra, There Is Room for Language Variation

18 August 2023

Variation exists in everything, and language is no exception. No matter how small an area is, there is always room for language variation, writes linguist Marten van der Meulen.

‘Yes, I Do’ and Other Words That Change the World

3 May 2023

Linguist Marten van der Meulen had the honour to perform one of the rarest and most extraordinary speech acts: the wedding ceremony. This led him to reflect on the functions of language. ‘The language you use, shows the group you belong to.’

Thingy

14 March 2023

There is something you should know about the word thingy (dinges in Dutch). It refers to something, but what it represents is at the same time unknown. So how come this yet seems to work, linguist Marten van der Meulen wonders.

Tips on How to Create an Escher Sentence and Other Ambiguities

8 November 2022

Linguist Marten van der Meulen is fascinated by a special phenomenon: the Escher sentence. And although it can drive you crazy, he is happy to provide some tips on how to create ambiguous sentences.

There Is No Such Thing as an Untranslatable Word

12 October 2022

What do the French mean by esprit de l’escalier? It can easily be explained, writes linguist Marten van der Meulen. That’s why he finds it odd that this expression often appears in lists of “untranslatable words”. Surely those kinds of words do not actually exist?

Destroy Language to Demonstrate Your Love for Writing and Speech

12 September 2022

How do you show your love for language, according to linguist Marten van der Meulen? By playing, fooling around and experimenting with it, in the same way William Shakespeare, Georges Perec, and their translators Guido van der Wiel and Gilbert Adair did. With or without the letter e? That’s the qu

Why I Will Never Again Refer to the Ukrainian Capital City as Kiev

19 April 2022

Yes, even spelling can be important in the war of Ukraine, writes linguist Marten van der Meulen. This is why he will never again refer to the embattled capital city as Kiev.

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