Dutch Language
From Halbeeg, the open encyclopedia · Af-Soomaali
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Dutch (Nederlands) is a language of the Indo-European family, in the West Germanic branch. It is the official language of the Netherlands, and is one of the official languages of Belgium, where it is spoken in the Flemish region. It is also the official language of Suriname and Caribbean islands such as Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.
Dutch is closely related to German (Deutsch) and English. Its vocabulary and sentence structure occupy a middle position between the two: its grammar is simpler than German's (it lacks a complete case system for nouns), but some patterns of verb word order are similar.
Geographic distribution
The vast majority of native speakers live in the Netherlands and northern Belgium. The total number of native speakers is estimated at over 20 million. Second-language speakers are found in Suriname and in the Caribbean islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Dialects and Afrikaans
Dutch has various dialects. Belgian dialects are commonly known as Flemish (Vlaams), though formal spelling is shared. Afrikaans, spoken in South Africa and Namibia, developed from Dutch dialects brought by settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries, but is now a separate language. Speakers of both varieties can understand each other to some extent.
Writing and pronunciation
Dutch is written in Latin characters. It uses digraphs such as 'ij', 'oe', and 'ui'. The sounds 'g' and 'ch' are guttural and characteristic of the language, and present difficulty for learners. Spelling is regulated by a joint body of the Netherlands and Belgium, which regularly updates the official word list.
Global influence
Because of maritime trade in the 16th to 18th centuries, Dutch words reached many languages, particularly those relating to ships and the sea. English, Indonesian, and Japanese have absorbed Dutch words. Additionally, creole languages based on Dutch developed in places including the Caribbean.