Series
language
Series
Babel in the Low Countries
Series
Translating Quaco
language
Joss Wibisono
10 min reading time
Why Indonesia Never Really Became Dutch, but Is Now Becoming Anglicised
There is something about the development of the Indonesian language that irritates journalist Joss Wibisono - it is being mixed with English.
language
Marc van Oostendorp
8 min reading time
That’s Why I Happily Write With My Chatbot
Dutch linguist Marc van Oostendorp is still astonished by what ChatGPT. Nonetheless, he has seamlessly integrated this artificial intelligence into his work.
language
Nicoline van der Sijs
9 min reading time
The Bold and the Bawdy: How Sexual Slang Became Mainstream in Dutch
Sexually charged words are so ubiquitous in the Dutch language that we no longer bat an eye. Yet, talking about sex still carries a lingering sense of taboo – one that might be staging a comeback.
Series
Dutch in the World
language
Marten van der Meulen
5 min reading time
The Smell of Masculine Fullness and Rotten Eggs
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.
language
Michael Douma
6 min reading time
Colonial Echoes. When Americans Spoke Dutch
Historian Philip Dröge cycled along American roads in search of what remains of the Dutch-speaking past of the United States.
Series
Babel in the Low Countries
language
Tom Christiaens
2 min reading time
Dutch Term For 'Greedflation' Has Been Voted Word Of The Year 2023
The word has been voted in Flanders and the Netherlands well ahead of 'joy beer', 'nepo baby' and 'pyjama tourist'.
language
Tom Christiaens
2 min reading time
Our Top Language Stories of the Year
Join us in bidding goodbye to 2023 with some of the most surprising stories we have published on the Dutch language this year.
Series
Translating Quaco
language
Marten van der Meulen
5 min reading time
How "Local" Is Local Food?
There is quite a bit of confusion surrounding the concept of ‘local,’ particularly in relation to food.
language
Marten van der Meulen
7 min reading time
The Dutch Language in 2050? More Diverse Than Ever
Will the Dutch language still exist in the future? 'In 2050, Dutch is flourishing like never before. However, it would be more appropriate to refer to it as Dutches in the plural form.'
language
Joss Wibisono
10 min reading time
Why Indonesia Never Really Became Dutch, but Is Now Becoming Anglicised
There is something about the development of the Indonesian language that irritates journalist Joss Wibisono - it is being mixed with English.
language
Marten van der Meulen
4 min reading time
Even in Microstate Andorra, There Is Room for Language Variation
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.
language
Leonie Cornips
7 min reading time
There Is More to the Cow’s Voice Than Just Moo
Dairy cows are social beings that communicate with each other and with humans. However, sociolinguistics has paid little attention to this kind of interaction. Leonie Cornips aims to shed light on this through her language research on cows.
language
Marten van der Meulen
5 min reading time
'Yes, I Do' and Other Words That Change the World
Linguist Marten van der Meulen had the honour to perform one of the rarest and most extraordinary speech acts: the wedding ceremony.
language
Ingrid Glorie
8 min reading time
A Matter of Awareness: Language Variation in International Dutch Studies
Dutch is a pluricentric language. That raises the question of which variety of Dutch foreign students might be offered.
language
Miet Ooms
9 min reading time
Why the Final Word on Gender and Language Is Not Yet Said
Gender-inclusive language is not a new phenomenon, but an additional layer has recently been added. Where do we stand today in 2023?
language
Marc van Oostendorp
11 min reading time
Why We Will Never Agree About Dutch
Linguist and Professor of Dutch Marc van Oostendorp debunks the consensus that Dutch would be a pluricentric language.
language
Marten van der Meulen
4 min reading time
Thingy
There is something you should know about the word thingy. 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.
language
Lode Delputte
11 min reading time
Courses in English at Our Universities? Yes, but in Moderation
Should we consider the increasing anglicization of higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders a good or bad evolution?
language
Christopher Joby
9 min reading time
An Audible Accent When Speaking Dutch? It Doesn’t Matter
Native speakers of Dutch should adopt a more tolerant and empathetic attitude towards non-native speakers, argues Christopher Joby, a Dutch Studies scholar from Norwich.
language
Tom Christiaens
2 min reading time
The Top 7 Language Stories of the Year
Join us in bidding goodbye to 2022 with seven of the finest language stories we published this year that are worth re-reading or listening to again.
language
Nicoline van der Sijs
8 min reading time
Blep, Sploot and Zoomies: Online Cats and Dogs Leave a Pawed Imprint in Dictionaries
Cats and dogs on the internet use lolspeak to address their owners. How long will it be before this new language takes hold in Dutch?
language
Derek Blyth
2 min reading time
Everyone in the Low Countries Knows 'Fat Van Dale'
The most famous dictionary of the Dutch language is named after its creator, a nineteenth-century teacher from the Dutch border town of Sluis.
