Om te voorkomen dat onze mooie taal roemloos ten onder gaat, bij deze mijn commentaar in het Nederlands. Nee, ik denk niet dat de Nederlandse taal snel verdwijnt, hoewel de invloed van vooral sociale media tegenwoordig tamelijk duidelijk is. Het lijkt er soms ook op dat het (vooral) jongeren nauwelijks meer interesseert om de eigen taal fatsoenlijk te spreken en te schrijven. Ik moet toegeven dat het soms makkelijker is om iets in het Engels te zeggen, maar ik probeer dan in ieder geval voor mezelf er een goede Nederlandse vertaling voor te vinden. Wellicht moeten we een voorbeeld nemen aan de Vlamingen, zij zijn er een stuk beter in om termen uit andere talen in het Nederlands te vertalen en vervolgens vast te houden aan die vertalingen. Waar wij Nederlanders het over AI, artificial intelligence (en zelfs de afkorting wordt op z'n Engels uitgesproken!) hebben, zeggen de Vlamingen steevast KI ofwel kunstmatige intelligentie.
Thank you for your comment (and for responding in Dutch). It is interesting what you say about the Flemish steadfastly sticking to Dutch translations of such English words as artificial intelligence. It reminds me of the French, who are remarkable in this way, too. There is no doubt that the Dutch language is changing (as are all languages), but I have confidence that it will continue to be a vital and valid living language. Long live Nederlands! 😊
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 De IJslanders hebben zelfs een speciaal comité die nieuw ontstane woorden een fatsoenlijke IJslandse vertaling geven. Af en toe Belgische televisie kijken (en in dit geval ook luisteren) brengt een hele nieuwe dimensie van het Nederlands aan het licht.
I find that there are some things in Dutch that can't be translated into English. The are also some nice expressions in Dutch that are just more fun. However, if higher education is going to be in English, than its more likely that the Dutch language will peter out.
@@monicas-b1658 Dat werkt twee kanten uit. Uitdrukkingen en gezegden vertalen is altijd hilarisch en zelden accuraat. Ook hoger onderwijs in Nederland zou primair in het Nederlands gegeven moeten worden. Uitleg in het Engels is wat mij betreft geen probleem, maar Nederlands hoort in Nederland de voertaal te zijn.
People forget Dutch is the official language in 3 countries, not just one. In Belgium there are very strict language rules and packaging MUST be labelled in Dutch as well as French and German.
As long as there is the Netherlands there will be Dutch. I mean.. why wouldn't it. Take Friesland... it has been part of the Netherlands for a gazillion year and Frisian still is a language. Languages are always evolving, English, French and German have always entered the Dutch language without having the language go away. Now if the Netherlands for whatever reason would no longer be there... it might go away. That happens to all languages that no longer have a solid base group of natives speakers. But as long as there are Dutch people, the Dutch language will endure. Edit: Just noticed that "ItsCharlieVest" did a reaction video to your "10 things you should never do in the Netherlands" video. Not bad being spotted by reaction tubers after such a short time uploading :)
@@mavadelo Thanks for your comment. You make very valid points, and I completely agree. Thanks, too, for spotting the reaction video. I was delighted to be reviewed by Charlie. I’ve always enjoyed his honest reactions and relatable style, so it was a thrill to be “discovered” by him, especially at this early stage. 😊
I raise you a counter example: Italy. Italy in the north has been slowly loosing native speakers of the regional dialects (although, it'd be better to call them "languages", or at most, "celtic dialects"). The number of dialect speakers is slowly decreasing over time, and soon enough, they'll probably be all but replaced by italian in domestic settings aswell (i only speak italian with my parents) In the case of italy though, the language was also deemed the "national language", and there *have been* campaigns to suppress and disincentivise native speakers of languages other than italian. So perhaps we're worrying too much.
If you look at english, it was "invaded" by french to the point that it essentially became a different language. I think a similar thing could happen with dutch, where it slowly merges with english until it becomes different to the point where it becomes it's own language. IF dutch disappears I think it will happen this way, but I am not convinced it will.
@@treeman12815 Luckily we still have a few surviving languages. Neapolitan, Roman (which sounds a lot like italian), Sicilian, and Sardinian. I suppose you could also count the Florence dialect since that's what italian's based off of? lol. The northern Celtic dialects are sadly way less spoken. (it's a common misconception that they're italian dialects, they're actually variations of Celtic languages)
Ik reageer even bewust in het Nederlands, want ook ik heb geleerd dat we soms te makkelijk overschakelen naar het Engels . Dat hangt samen met de oeroude handelsgeest van de Nederlanders, waaruit ook de "Dutch Directness" is te verklaren. Tijd is geld, en dat is voor Nederlanders van oudsher heel belangrijk. Dus schakelen we heel makkelijk over naar een andere taal, omdat dat nu eenmaal sneller is om "to the point" the komen. Ik ben vrijwilliger in een taalcafé in Den Haag en ik ken dus ook de frustratie van mijn deelnemers die hun Nederlands willen oefenen en vervolgens een antwoord in het Engels krijgen. Mijn advies is altijd: zeg duidelijk dat je je Nederlands wil oefenen en de Nederlanders zullen daar op reageren in het Nederlands. Nederlands is niet stervende, maar in ontwikkeling. Er zijn zoveel leenwoorden in het Nederlands, die je in het land van herkomst op een andere manier uit moet spreken, anders begrijpen ze je niet. Bestel in een Frans kafeetje maar eens een kresantje en een sjuus deransj . En die woorden zijn ruim 200 jaar geleden ons land binnen gekomen tijdens de Franse overheersing door Napoleon. Engels spreken we hier vrijwel allemaal, we leren het op school vanaf jonge leeftijd en op televisie wordt het Engels (en het Frans, Duits, Spaans, etc) niet nagesynchroniseerd, maar ondertiteld. Het is voor mij dus ook logisch dat de jongere generatie Nederlanders Engelse woorden integreert in hun spreektaal. Maar de "Amaaaazing" van mijn nichtje betekent wel iets anders dan de Amaaaaazing van een Amerikaanse. Don't worry, ook de Nederlandse taal groeit nog steeds. Er zijn elk jaar weer nieuwe woorden en uitdrukkingen die ook voor Nederlanders niet te begrijpen zijn in eerste instantie. Dus ik kladiladi nu en ga mijn bed googlen. BTW (oh dat is ook een uitdrukking die we vanuit het Engels hebben overgenomen!) ik vind je video's erg leuk Mike!
Thank you, Saskia, for your kind words, your comment, and for responding in Nederlands. I understand (and agree with) every word. I am replying in English for the sake of my international audience (and to more fully express myself). I agree that Dutch is not dying, but rather developing, as you so succinctly put it. Like English, Dutch is a living language, and continues to evolve. The influx of English (there are more than 2100 English words in the Dutch language) may, in fact, enrich the language and ensure its survival. “Adapt or die”, as the saying goes. Thank you again for your engagement. 😊
First of all, I agree that it's a shame we in the Netherlands think English is so cool that we replace parts of our own language with it. But I’m not worried about it anymore. That same English can actually serve as an example of how a language can survive despite heavy foreign influences. English, like Dutch, is a Germanic language. It used to look a lot like our language. But after the Norman invasion, English came heavily under the influence of French. The elite spoke French. French was considered "cool," just like we mistakenly think English is cooler. Up to 60% of English vocabulary comes from French. This influence was so strong that English borrowed from French during multiple periods. Some words even entered English twice from French, developing slightly different meanings. For example, "warranty" and "guarantee" came into English once from Norman French and later from standard French. Yet despite all this, English remains a Germanic language. Its structure and grammar prove it. So English is the perfect example of how a language can absorb a lot of foreign influence without losing itself-like a sponge. (If you want to learn more about this, I highly recommend RobWords’ videos. They’ve taught me a lot about the influence of French on English.)
@@GerritJanLutkehaus Thank you, Gerrit. I’m not worried either. The Dutch language is resilient and evolving, like every living language. What you say about English is absolutely true. It’s an amalgamation of many languages, which has only served to make it richer. Thanks for the recommended videos. I will definitely take a look. 👍
I live in Texas which was once a part of Mexico and we also have a large immigrant population. Many people only speak Spanish but a lot are bilingual. I hope the Dutch language doesn't die because I'm looking forward to learning
I doubt it will die. I certainly hope not. But there’s no doubt it’s changing. That’s the nature of language. I’m sure you will have a great time learning Dutch. It is a fascinating language. Thanks, as always, for your comments. 😊
Even in het Nederlands, Nederlands is een vrij goed gestandardiseerde taal met vele dialecten maar ook een overkoepelend standaard Nederlands, er is best een kans dat het standaard Nederlands verdwijnt, zoals we dat kenden door de meer Engelse invloeden. Echter de discussie van wat een taal is is ingewikkeld. Nederland ligt bijvoorbeeld voor een grootdeel in het Nedersaskisch taalgebied. De dialecten uit die talen worden gebruikt en is goed te verstaan tussen de Duitse gebieden met dezelfde taal. Daarnaast zijn er nog verschillende stads en streek dialecten die enorm ver buiten het standaard Nederlands vallen. Er bestaat best een kans dat de dialecten die dat wel doen binnen 100 jaar een zelfde status hebben als Nedersaksisch of Limburgs. Maar het volledig verdwijnen van de taal lijkt me stug inmiddels. Ook zien we al langeren tijd dat veramerikanisering toch beperkt is. Het gaat volledig samenheangen met internationale ontwikkelingen en de EU hoe levensvatbaar het standaard Nederlands straks is. Maar er is al een huidige ondermaat die we echt wel zullen behouden.
Thank you for your considered reply. I appreciate the additional background that you have provided. This video has generated quite a bit of discussion, and I am learning a lot from the comments. Thanks again for contributing to the conversation. 👍
I'm a big fan of all things Dutch and have been a regular visitor to your country for decades (yes, I'm old...). One thing I've noticed over the years, especially in big cities, is that many young people employed in the service industry (hotels, restaurants, cafés...) don't speak or understand a word of Dutch. They come from foreign countries (Italy, Australia...) and apparently see no point in learning the local language - especially as their customers are often English-speaking expats themselves. I'm seeing the same trend in other European cities like Berlin and even Zurich, where I live.
Yes, I have observed this as well. One of my favourite breakfast spots here in Haarlem employs young wait staff from Ukraine, Lithuania, the UK, etc. and they speak English to customers, even Dutch customers. The ever-tolerant, long-suffering Dutch take it in stride, but I can only imagine how perplexing (even irritating) this must be.
As a dutch guy born in the mid 90s that was very much raised online and now working in the tech sector I can say with certainty that I speak and read more English on a given day than I use my mother tongue. So the assessment that it might relegate to personal life rings very true to me. I almost exclusively speak Dutch to my childhood friends and family members. My significant other is an immigrant (originally came here to study) and she struggles to bring herself to even learning Dutch because English is spoken at work, it was spoken at school and at home we choose the easy way out by just sticking to English. Erg jammer, maar de online wereld is toch gemakkelijker te navigeren in het Engels...
@@J3dotgg Thank you so much for sharing your perspective. It does seem that, in your case, Dutch serves as a second language. Erg jammer, as you say, but I suspect that there are others like you. The world is moving at an accelerated rate, and languages are changing with it. We no longer live in a world in which it takes centuries for influences to be felt or changes to transpire.
vraag dan voor een andere Ober, of zeg "If I cannot even order a beer in dutch, here in the netherlands this business sucks at customer service" en loop weg, klagen en geen geld uitgeven bij zulke terrassen is de beste manier om er mogelijk een verandering in te brengen. Overigens zal men dit dan wel op een grotere schaal moeten doen.
Those English words that Dutch people use while there are normal Dutch words for them always irritate me. When someone says: ik ga shoppen, I always say: nee, je gaat WINKELEN! And that is just one example of totally unnecessary English words used by Dutch people.
I’m with you there, Monique. I love the word “winkelen”. Why would anyone want to say “shoppen”? Mind you, I am guilty of using such wonderful words as “lekker” and “gezellig” even when I’m speaking English. I guess you could say that I’m doing my best to introduce Dutch words into the English language. 😊
Absoluut mee eens. Spreek of Nederlands, of Engels, maar niet tegelijk. De ergste zin die ik wat dat aangaat ooit hoorde was "De core business van onze company is het outsourcen van electrical engineers" van een net beginnend bedrijfje. Dat was op TV, dus de opmerking "Wat is er mis met: 'De kernactiviteit van ons bedrijf is het uitbesteden van elektrotechneuten' " was zeer gemeend, maar helaas tegen dovemansoren gericht.
Over het algemeen ben ik het met jou eens. Toch wil ik noemen dat shoppen en winkelen voor mij een andere betekenis heeft. Het woord shoppen is voor mij specifiek gelinkt aan kleding en bijbehorende accessoires. Winkelen daarentegen zie ik als een algemener begrip. Ik heb geen idee of anderen ook dit verschil in betekenis ervaren.
@@larabijkerk7848 In mijn geval zijn winkelen en shoppen hetzelfde. Lekker het centrum (van welk dorp of stad(je) dan ook) ingaan en elke winkel bezoeken die interessant lijkt. Of je wat koopt is altijd de vraag, maar kijken, kijken niet kopen is heel Nederlands. En ja, ik ben schuldig.
There is no denying that English (and especially American English) has had a strong influence on the Dutch as it has on other countries. But an influence is something different from an invasion or a dying out. Don't forget that the Netherlands has actually been Spanish and French for hundreds of years in the past. And despite the Dutch royals even having French as their first language at one point, all that has happened is that we've borrowed a handful of words. The Dutch language has remained and most likely will remain. I think that the worst that can happen is that languages merge and alter eachother, but historically I believe language geographies have to actually be adjacent to eachother, so that language changes by marriages between people of different cultures. You have to wonder why British English doesn't have a larger influence. The Dutch perhaps accomodate a little too easily. We have a lot of foreign students and employees and we perhaps don't demand strongly enough that they speak Dutch. And English being such an easy language to learn, it's an obvious choice to communicate with others, regardless of their background. Being accomodating is hardly a threat to any language I would think. Last year, by the way, the Dutch government has stopped their campaigns to lure foreign students. There are apparently limitations to our accomodation too. TikTok, TH-cam and the Eurovision song contest aren't going to change a language. And language "experts" claiming that are likely putting out clickbait (which is a synonym for a lie in my book, but that's another matter). I've heard self-proclaimed language experts utter complete untrue drivel before, so I tend to not have much faith in their theories. Don't forget that "Europapa" stood a very good chance to win last time around. Many countries have used English at the song contest after the rule was dropped that demanded songs be performed in each country's own language. Many countries have now dropped English again in favour of their own language. I don't think the Eurovision Song Festival, or any form of entertainment can be used as evidence in this matter.
@@TheHighlander71 Thank you for commenting on this subject. Dutch, like English, is a living language, so it will naturally evolve over time. English has been enriched by adopting words from many other languages, including Dutch. The same can be said for Dutch. There was an article in recent years that accounted for 2100+ English words that have been adopted by the Dutch. As you said, languages merge and alter each other. I wonder if, one day, long after we are dead and gone, all languages will merge into a global uni-language. It’s the stuff of science fiction but interesting to consider. 😊 Thanks, as always, for your engaging comments. 👍
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 We've spent roughly 20.000 years to get to this point...Either we all agree on making Esperanto a success (which it hasn't been so far) or we all move to different planets and develop common languages there...who knows what the future has in store. Either way, if we ever meet actual space aliens, I doubt they will speak English out of the box, so we'll have to invent a true inter galactic language. Or am I going too far now :)
@@TheHighlander71 Haha. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if the aliens had already picked up some of the catchier English expressions. Who knows? Maybe when we finally encounter alien beings, in response to our terror, they will tell us to “chillax”. And I bet there’s no alien equivalent to “gezelligheid”. 😉
Thank you for your comment. I also am not worried about Dutch. It is as resilient as the people who speak it. It is a living language and, like all living languages, it is evolving. Thanks for providing a bit of background re: Eurovision, etc. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Long Live Nederlands! ❤️
Language changes all the time. It is not static. There is also influence on the Dutch language from Africa, Marocco, Suriname etc. There is also a difference between language from the street and the more formal language. Dutch language will not disappear it will change. Just like the Dutch language from today is not the same as Dutch from e.g 200-500 years ago. I sometimes use Dutch words that my 30 years younger colleagues never heard off
Yes of course, languages change and influence each other, that's normal. But in the situations described in the video, it's not a matter of evolution but of outright substitution. For example, when teaching and research are carried out in English rather than Dutch at universities. In major cities, it's now possible to live one's life entirely in English: work, study, leisure, shopping... and it's the local population that is adjusting to expats when it should be the other way around. As a frequent visitor to the Netherlands, I see this trend towards English getting stronger every year with my own eyes.
Well in the 1800s it was French... it went out of fashion though.. In the Middle ages it was Latin... I went out of fashion, we picked up a lot of Malay and German words, Yiddish words, Greek words, Hebrew words, I'm not really worried...The most popular English word in Dutch is "Shit". More like 25 million speakers, In Suriname, Belgium, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, the Dutch Antilles...
@@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands Nah, I’m not really worried either. The Dutch (and their language) are resilient. They have weathered the worst of everything and survived. So will Nederlands. ❤️
Ik maak me ook niet zoveel zorgen. Heb ruim 10 jaar Engelstalige expats lesgegeven in het Nederlands........en dat was hard werk voor mijn studenten. Heel hard werk.
@@fabaries7613 Thank you for your comment, and thank you for patiently teaching English-language students the intricacies of the Dutch language. Long live Nederlands! ❤️
It's not dead yet, nor will it ever be. It's evolving like most languages. We also adopted many french words centuries ago. Proper use of grammar seems to be an issue. In english the word 'fewer' has all but disappeared, everybody says 'less' these days 😮
@@gertstolk Indeed, Dutch is a living language and, as such, it is evolving. I, for one, hope it never disappears. Long live Nederlands! Grammar is certainly an issue in all languages, I imagine. I have heard few/less used interchangeably. That, of course, should not be the case. One is for countable nouns (few dogs); the other is for non-countable nouns (less money). But I guess I would be considered a bit of dinosaur. 🦕 An aging grammarian. 😊
@ As you should, Gert. The boomers paved the way! We owe so much to your generation. I was very nearly a boomer myself. Missed it by a few years. It seems I’m Gen X, which always sounded so ominous to me. 🫣
Dutchman here. I love English, but I like to keep it separated from Dutch. I'm also from the west of the Netherlands, and many young people around here mix in English into their Dutch a lot. Sometimes you might even hear full English conversations between Dutch people. But by far, most of the English you'll hear is just words inserted into Dutch sentences. I'm not afraid of Dutch going extinct. I think the bigger problem is the lack of language skills among young people in general. Very often you'll hear people say that 'the word in Dutch wouldn't come up', so they went for English. I reckon most of the media being consumed by Dutch people is in English, and sometimes (though seldomly), Dutch just doesn't have the words to describe something specific, so it's hard for me to blame young people for lack of language skill. Such a shame, because we have perfectly usable words in Dutch to say things like 'awkward' (ongemakkelijk) and 'cool' (gaaf). I use them all the time.
@@mugi2595 Thank you so much for your comment. What you have expressed is shared by some of the other viewers who have left comments. Ultimately, the consensus (and I agree) is that Dutch will survive the influx of English and, as with any living language, it will continue to evolve. Gaaf! ❤️
Ik ben een Brit, maar hier opgegroeid. Spreek derhalve beide talen vloeiend en accentloos. De Nederlandse taal is stukje bij stukje aan het uitsterven. Voorbeeld, "een wasbare dekbed" reclame! Met daarin de zin, ,, ik was maar aan het struglen met de hoes...." Sinds wanneer is worstelen in onbruik?
I'm Hungarian and I always heard that Dutch people always can speak English and German. It's true for most country in the west, but the Netherlands always mentioned more. The same isn't true here, as the younger generations can speak English, but not as broadly. Packaging most of the time have Hungarian description and local product obviously use Hungarian. When Hungary was in Eurovision if I remember correctly they singed more song in our language; and artists if singed English it's usually a translation. Here we also experience some English words coming into common language, but as it looks nowhere near as drastic as in Dutch. Hungary population is around 9.8 million with some using the language in neighboring countries. And now the comperassion is full!
@@pasztorferenc6741 Thank you for your comment. I am grateful to receive your perspective and experience from Hungary. From my own experience, I can say that the Dutch are quite adept at languages and almost always speak English and German. Their ability with languages is impressive, especially from an American perspective. Americans as a whole are hopeless when it comes to foreign languages. This is due, in part, because they live in a vast country (you can fly for six hours and still be in the same country, speaking the same language) and partly because American (pop) culture is so prevalent, so it is easy to overlook the fact that there is a whole world out there. Thank you again for taking the time to share your side of things. And thank you for watching my video. 😊
For most of these examples there's a rather large economic incentive to switch to EN though. It's a market of 28 million Dutch speakers vs 400 million native English speakers plus 1 billion with EN as a secondary language. That's a lot of people who need soap or listen to songs.
Using words of other languages is different from those languages 'taking over', these words are being 'dutchified', and so become dutch words following dutch grammar. Using another language like normal as it is in for instance universities is another matter. The song-thing is another matter altogether, that is not really a language thing. The dutch language is not in any danger, as language is a very important part of a countries identity, though I understand that it may seem that way for a foreigner hearing all this english. I would think the same if in Chicago waiters asked me in perfect dutch if I want a cookie with my coffee. Some laws may need to be put in place to protect dutch in certain cases, but other than that, what the world needs is everybody speaking a universal second language, and in Europe english plays an important role in that. Obviously it would be a huge loss if languages like german, french, spanish, swedish, dutch etc. were lost completely and simply replaced. That would be like bulldozing the Arc de Triomphe, The Sistine Chapel and the Hagia Sophia to make parking lots. Personally I would be in favor of making it mandatory for all Europeans to learn three languages; their own and two others. That way all can communicate with each other in Europe. 🙂
Welnee! And sometimes English terms get replaced, you can see that especially in football. A penalty is now a vrije trap, a corner is now a hoekschop. Dutch has always absorbed foreign terms, used to be French mostly, now English mostly. ETA: there are 18 million people in the Netherlands and 6.8 and something in Flanders, plus about 600.000 Surinamese, so over 25 million speakers.
I agree, although I think the tide is turning, and I'm starting to get the same vibe from the Dutch and Flemish as I do from the Quebecois. They're realizing this isn't good news for their country overall.
Ik heb een alternatieve theorie (tov andere mensen in de comments, waar ik me ook in kan vinden.) waarom ik denk dat de Nederlandse taal niet snel zal uitsterven. Namelijk vanwege AI. Vertaalmodellen worden op den duur zo goed en breed beschikbaar (Ook in real-time met oortjes etc.) dat mensen minder geneigd zijn om een tweede taal echt te leren en te beheersen. Hierdoor zullen juist meer mensen uitsluitend Nederlands spreken. Daarnaast zorgt generatieve AI ervoor dat mensen vaker nieuwe woorden tegenkomen en beter worden in het gebruik van correcte interpunctie. Ook technologieën zoals real-time tekstvertaling, zoals Google nu al aanbiedt, kunnen een belangrijke rol spelen. Hierdoor is het niet meer nodig om beschrijvingen of inhoud in het Engels te schrijven, omdat iedereen direct toegang heeft tot vertalingen. Dit kan ervoor zorgen dat het Nederlands in verschillende contexten beter behouden blijft, zelfs in een steeds meer Engelstalige wereld.
That is an interesting angle and one I had not considered. Although AI may be a Pandora’s box, there is no doubt that it provides unique solutions and can be an effective tool when used judiciously. Thanks for your comment. 👍
The short answer is no, absolutely not. Dutch is our identity, both cultural and language. After the age of roughly 30 people prefer Dutch over English. English on packages makes sense, it gives you the opportunity to sell stuff in the whole of the 🇪🇺, without having to change package (save €'s). In the past 5 centuries we've borrowed words from French, Spanish, English,, Yiddish, French, German and now English again, yet Dutch always survived, just with a few extra words.
The dutch have always had a knack for foreign languages. Before English was big there were French and German. We adapt new vocabulary from other languages like any other language does, only a language that exists in isolation is able to ward loans from entering day to day vocabulary. You will see that because there are more expats English is becoming more prominent in the big cities. At the same time English is much more important in the academic world compared to Dutch. If you want to achieve anything globally it is difficult to do it through dutch, it simply does not have the same reach compared to the hundreds of millions English has reach to. One of the reasons we switch to English is to prevent confusion, we feel like it is more likely to be misunderstood by someone not understanding the dutch language well. I think the dutch language is not at risk at all, far from it even. English in more formal settings is still only a supplement and not a replacement for the original sources; National television is still broadcast in Dutch and even if both were to become English, dutch will be spoken at home. The only way the language would die out is if it were made illegal to communicate through the language.
Its not really how lamguage works. Neighboring countries have influenced each others languages for a very long time. Dutch has influenced english and english has influenced dutch.
Dutch survived elite languages of Latin, Spanish and French, so it will survive the English as well. It will change, as any language changes. Some English words will be part of Dutch, like "downloaden". But I don't see Dutch disappear, to be honest. The song contest is a bad example as in the beginning it was a rule that all countries' entries would be in their own language. Of course Dutch is never to be a central world language with only 28 million speakers. Personally I think we should abandon Dutch and go over to German or English as our country will be taken by the sea in 200 years time.
The dutch language always had lend word's so I'm honestly not to worried For example we have a word for mushrooms in dutch : paddenstoel but we also use the french word champignon The dutch/the Netherlands are very trade orientated and English is a more widely spoken language than Dutch so just as days of the past we take words
@@tipoqueen I am not worried either. As I’ve said to some others, the Dutch language is as resilient as the people who speak it. It’s a living language that is evolving and absorbing some English (more than 2100 words by one count) along the way.
I, a Belgian, for one embrace our new English overlords. But then again I am quite the globalist, having a single global language would not go amiss towards cooperation and unity, and my vote is for English, or whatever amalgamation it turns into by then, to be that language.
What is definitely dying is my mother tongue Limburgs. The main problem is that limburgs-speaking people are raising their children with non-limburger partners.
We won 5 times at Eurovision: three times with Dutch songs, Ding-a-dong is mixed, and Arcade is number five. Europapa was stolen from us. But in general, English songs received higher ratings, and it's all about winning. Thus, English songs became a thing.
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 Okay, sorry ik reageerde op de inhoud van deze video. Waar het op neer komt is dus de dominantie van het Amerikaans Engels globaal, en dat het de lingua Franca is. Niet dat Nederlands uitsterft maar wel "besmet" raakt met Amerikaanse neuro-linguïstische programmeringen en patronen.
@@schiffelers3944Indeed, English words are entering the Dutch language at a fast clip. There was an article some years ago by a Dutch guy who had counted 2100 English words in the Dutch language. It is probably more accurate to say that Dutch is evolving (as all living languages do) rather than dying. English is not immune to outside influences; it is an amalgamation of languages. But that has only made it richer. Thanks again for your comments. 😊
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 YW, just look at how many American English words are related to technology, also. And are generational/POPcultural/Hype culture. "Stop trying to make Fetch happen." "Spill the Tea" I mean as a fellow gay man, you know our sub-culture also had it's influence on the dominant culture. I use a mix of languages, in my Dutch. I almost always say merci. There are some other French words or influenced by Frech like toillet and WC, we use to day still. I prefer the word geschiedenis above the german Geschichte and English history. Stuff like that. But if I would use geschiedenis in my vocabulary (French), only people who understand Dutch would understand, Only 28 million people, as you pointed out in this video.🤪
Honestly, I think it's just clever to put English on the label. Foreigners would not know what it says and therefore would probably not buy it, we have a lot of migrants that speak English but not much Dutch... I don't think the Dutch language will die. It may change somewhat, but no, i don't think it will die...
@@Lilygirl283 I agree, Lily. It makes sound marketing sense to use English on packaging, and although Dutch is evolving - as all living languages do - it’s not dying. ❤️
We had a German, French, Spanish, Roman and probably more occupations in our past. We have quite a few words from those area's so I think we will survive. We are a small company in a global marketplace so yeah English will be important for us to communicate in but it doesn't bother me or am afraid it's going away.
@@ottot3221 Thanks, Otto. Personally, I think it’s here to stay. Sure, it will change over time as all languages do, but I don’t think it’s likely to disappear.
Ik maak me eerlijk gezegd niet erg veel zorgen om het Nederlands. In de 19e eeuw maakte men zich zorgen over de invloed van het Frans, in de jaren 30 werd Onze Taal opgericht om het Nederlands te behoeden van het Duits. Engels is nu cool en de lingua franca maar die term zelf laat al zien dat niet per se een positie tot in de eeuwigheid hoeft te zijn. Wat betreft de taalkeuze in liedjes zie ik eerder een ommezwaai waar in mijn jeugd Nederlandse muziek enkel uit kinderliedjes en volkszangers bestond , zijn er nu ook hippe singer-songwriters (gut is daar een Nederlands woord voor? zangertekstschrijver?) als Froukje die in het Nederlands werken. En in de Eurovisie was het aan het begin een verplichting om te zingen in de taal van je land, toen won Ierland vaak genoeg had gewonnen werd die verplichting losgelaten, maar daar zie je ook de trend van de meer Nederlandse liedjes, met S10 en Joost Klein. Ik geloof dat nieuwsuur en de NOS er de afgelopen jaren aandacht aan hebben besteed. Verder als je Vlaams ook als Nederlands telt, België moet uit elkaar vallen voor Vlaanderen Vlaams opgeeft.
@@grewdpastor Liedjesschrijvers zingen niet perse hun eigen nummers singer-songwriters wel, zangerliedjesschrijver zou kunnen maar singer-songwriter bekt lekkerder.
So I"m dutch myself, and yes I could respond in dutch but my point would kinda go away. In the netherlands kids of a young age start learning english, mosly in primary school. That and the fact that more and more stuff is english nowedays, you notice that you learn english very quickly. I'm thirteen right now, and yes, there are probebly spelling mistakes in this comment, but the general messages is clear. En natuurlijk is het handig om jongere kinderen alvvast engels te leren, hierdoor onthouden ze het beter omdat hun taal nog niet helemaal ontwikkeld is, maar een risico is dus ook dat ze op een gegeven moment het verschil tussen de talen door elkaar halen. Ik ben in groep zeven (11-jarige leeftijd) begonnen met engels te leren. Door veel deze dagen ook in het engels te moeten doen merk je dat het snel gaat en dat je het prima kan spreken en volgen. Gramatica is af en toe nog een dingetje, maar als ik met de buitenlandse vrienden van mijn tante praat, krijg ik te horen hoe netjes ik al Engels spreek. Een groot gedeelte van de Nederlandse cultuur blijft handelen, omdat dit over de hele wereld gebeurt is Engels dan ook in grote steden de voertaal, mede omdat er veel buitenlanders zijn. Ik woon zelf vlak bij een havenstad, dus even winkelen of iets eten gaat al snel in het engels. Nederlands is een mooie taal, daar niet van, maar de lessen Nederlands die ik op dit moment krijg op de middelbare (2 gymnasium) zijn minder interresant als de lessen Engels. Ik heb zelfs het gevoel af en toe dat ik meer over de Nederlandse taal leer tijdens klassieke talen of Frans, dan tijdens Nederlands zelf. Dit kan natuurlijk aan de docenten of de school liggen, maar waarom krijg ik bij latijn over het algemeen een betere en duidelijkere uitleg over het Nederlandse systeem om werkwoorden te vervoegen dan bij Nederlands zelf? Dit komt volgens mij doordat ze het daar veel compacter uitleggen dan bij Nederlands. Al met al, het is triest om te zien dat ze in 2 gymnasium nog steeds het meervoud van boom proberen aan te leren.
Thank you so much for your reply (both in excellent English and flawless Dutch, I’m sure). You are obviously an exceptional student; your intelligence is evident in your keen observations. I agree with your comment about English being essential for international trade. I don’t have to tell you, of course, that the Dutch are legendary business people and have long been engaged with trading. Your point about the prevalence of English in the big cities because of the presence of foreigners is also true. Dutch is, indeed, a beautiful language, as you have said. There are things which cannot be said as well in English, such as “gezelligheid”. 😊 What kind of world would it be without that? I love your enthusiasm for English and your devotion to Dutch. You and your generation are our future, and your sincere and sensible comment gives me great confidence in that future. Thank you again for taking the time to watch my video and leave a comment. You made my day. 😊
Mijn voorouders zijn Nederlandse Kelten. Zij spraken 2000 jaar geleden gewoon Keltisch. En toen kwamen de Romeinen en daarna de Franken. En we gingen Germaans spreken met een Keltisch accent, net als de Schotten Engels spreken met een Keltisch accent. Bij mij in de straat zijn diverse huishoudens van immigranten die slecht Nederlands spreken of denken dat Engels beter is. De rest van de bewoners vindt hen arrogant.
@@addeenen7684 Thank you for providing a bit of background. Certainly, no language is “better” than another. Certain languages are dominant, but that doesn’t make them better. English, for example, is spoken by 1.5 billion people. Does that make it better? No, I wouldn’t say so. It just makes it widely understood. 👍
Engels is ook een Germaanse taal, wat een heel sterke invloed heeft van de Franse taal!! Beauty, Joy, Adventure, Courage, Honour, Nature, Treasure, Village, Comfort, Marriage zijn o.a. engelse woorden met (oud) Franse afkomst. Je hebt ook Oud-Engels en dat lijkt veel sterker op het Fries en/of oud Nederlands, maar in de hoogtijd dagen sprak iedereen met een beetje aanzien Frans en heeft de Germaanse taal sterk beïnvloed.
Fun fackt about dutch book stores, somtimes they release the dutch version first because otherwise most wil buy the English version (German version tends to be cheaper for some books like manga, and don't even get translated in dutch)
It is very ironical to listen, and respond now, to this question in English! Lately i started to think that Dutch is actually my second language since my parents spoke Westfries with each other and my first yrs were there. Westfries hardly exists anymore which is strange if i compare it to Volendams. Once Simon Keizer (of Nick en Simon) told that he and his wife never speak Dutch with eachother. Like Westfries, and probably other dialects, Dutch will disappear. It is a worldwide trend, so many languages already are lost. (Seems like a contradiction, the more ppl, the less languages). Hardly anyone writes Dutch properly, they say due to do all the changes have been made in teaching Dutch. I am old, i learned the old fashioned method which is not difficult at all but you need to learn some grammar. I cannot compare it with how it is taught nowadays, i do not know. What i do know, when i try to explain the method i have learned, it is like i talk abacadabra and then i do not know where to start to explain. But that is when it is written. In talking Dutch there are many influences and it seems there are children that can speak a language that their parents do not understand and they like that. I can relate to that. As a girl i had a friend at our house when there were visitors from my native region. Later my friend told me that she could not understand what they were saying and i felt proud. Silly though. I was thinking about talking slowly to foreigners. Actually, you do but normally English speaking persons do not when they are here. Some neighbours here are learning Dutch but talking Dutch to them does not really work well. They'll answer in English and then i talk English back. Your husband must be very mindful if he can stick to Dutch.
@@margreetdoodeman1441 Thank you, Margreet. I can appreciate the irony of your comment in English. It is very astute of you to point that out, I might add. 😊 I find you and your story fascinating, and I am grateful that you have taken the time to share some of it here. The truth is, English is also changing. I suspect that may have something to do with social media and texting. What a strange and fast-paced world we live in. Well, as long as we find a way to communicate and stay connected, I will be happy. But I sure hope that Dutch does not disappear altogether. How else will we describe ‘gezelligheid’? 😊 Thank you again for your engagement with my channel, Margreet. ❤️
@BetterTogether-UnIr1 i had to look up 'astute', being so often is a bit double. I do like both parts without meaning to hurt someone. Speaking about meaning of words and things being double: I wonder do you ever experience in your native language that you use a word and the other native speaker understands it differently, or even when reading realizing there are different meanings of this one word? It is like colours to me, we all see something different. Might be bc i was raised in dialect.
@ Just to be clear, by “astute” I meant to say that you are intelligent and perceptive. 😊 To answer your question, I have not always been understood by other native English speakers. Words can be nuanced, and meaning can depend on one’s definition of a particular word. Sometimes, we find the truth “between the lines”. There is an American poet who once said that much of his meaning could be found in what he did NOT say.
@BetterTogether-UnIr1 the translation for astute is scherpzinnig. Zinnig is about mind and scherp you can see as clever but also as sharp and i can very much be the last, a bit teasing. It is difficult though in writing. I am glad you read it as i meant. I am also glad for the second part of your reply, i feel i have this strange relation with language while i like languages as well. It is nice when others have similar experiences. Looking forward to another vid 🙂
What you refer to as 'Dutch' is ABN, a common dialect for people who in large part speak local dialects and languages informally. Fries, Low-Saxon... There has always been a divide between the lingua-franca, the common language of commerce, 'business', academia and the informal local languages. English is just taking the place of vulgar Latin. English itself came to be because the Anglo-Saxons needed words for new things, and took words from other languagas that already had a word for that thing. With the advent of modern technology, we take English words like computer, and ignore the far-right who insist we say 'rekenaar'. This weird idea we developed in late modernity that our cultures are now 'finished', peoples are now properly sectioned off in 'nations' and culture, language and nations should be frozen in time is a nationalist fiction. Languages evolve with the culture around them. Words that were adopted as covert speak for things people thought of as shameful become common usage, pronouns and their use evolves, new ideas require new words, academia uses a metric ton of Latin words forced to do a job they never signed up for... US English is basically a creole... A 'mistake' to include Spanish? Really? Sounds to me that it is you who is bringing US-exceptionalist dogma where it's not wanted. You go worry about 'preserving' US English if you like, over here outside of the far-right, the attitude is mostly loat mer kuul'n 't löp wa los.
Thank you for your comment. Actually, I think we are quite aligned in our thinking. I agree that living languages evolve, and I agree that the idea that cultures are finished and frozen in time is a fiction. You’ve got me all wrong if you imagine that I have any intention of importing what you call “US-exceptionalism dogma”. Goodness. You gave me a good laugh with that one. When I made reference to the proliferation of Spanish in the U.S., I couched my statement by saying “perhaps” the U.S. is making the same mistake as the Dutch by so readily accommodating another language, particularly in official documents such as ballot. I intended for the video to raise a question that has been posed by others, including linguists. Personally, I fully expect that the Dutch language will evolve - as all living languages do. Furthermore, I recognize that English is an amalgamation of other tongues. It is this that gives the language its character and richness. I do apologize if my video in any way offended your sensibilities. Again, I merely intended to raise a question, and I am grateful for the responses - including yours - that the question has generated.
Mike it has always been so, since I came here which was 55 years ago! Dutch is a living language so it will change as English does. Nothing remains the same. It was chic to have your whole product in English even when I came here. Now with the EU things are just accelerating. Dutch is a very minor language.
As we were in contact before. I am British, and Dutch. When I was in primary school, ages ago, no one spoke English here. I did of course. Later years, as I went in to English class, and the teacher got to the famous "the' pronunciation I had the time of my life. Again in retrospect, early fifty's , no one used english words in a Dutch sentence then, nowadays it's an epidemic. But what irritates me most, is the terrible accent, and the fact many think they can speak English, with a very poor vocabulary. Ps, school Aloysius, Overveen!
@@cirrus1964 Thank you for sharing your story as it relates to this subject. There is no doubt that the presence of English words in the Dutch language is increasing. Mind you, I am not worried about the longevity of the Dutch language. I could be wrong, of course, but I expect it will simply evolve over time - as all living languages do - and ultimately survive the test of time, just as the Dutch themselves. Then again, maybe one day we’ll all be speaking Mandarin! Thanks again for watching and commenting. 👍
@@cirrus1964 that is rather unfriendly of you to say about the Dutch. Our English accent and vocabulary might not be perfect, but did you ever hear a native English person speak Dutch?
Old Dutch looks more to the German language and since the last century our language looks more to English.. Mainly grammatical. And don't forget, the English language is important for our international trading and the position in the world.
@@AdvdW It’s true what you say. The Dutch are savvy and legendary business people who will use English when necessary to retain their position on the world stage. They’ve been international players for centuries.
You have to remember that the Dutch want to WIN Eurovision and a song in English is much more likely to. That's also why Dutch bands have been singing in English since the 1960s. On the other hand there have been times when most bands sang in Dutch, in the 1980s. There have been megahits in Dutch, but they know it won't sell anywhere else, so it's a career choice.
France also wants to WIN Eurovision. Nevertheless, they generally perform their songs in French. I recognize the commercial basis for choosing English over Dutch in popular songs and advertising and business/trade and academia. But will these decisions, in the end, cause Dutch to be relegated to the kitchen table? I don’t know. But it seems to me that it may not be possible to “have our cake and eat it, too”. 🎂
in my younger days .. say 20+ years ago, i used "cool" among other words, all i try and say is, language is a evolving thing. Dutch itself will not dissapear is my guess.
We may know many english words and idioms, but still you'll hear quite often what's called 'steenkool' english. So my guess is that it will take a long time before we can express ourselves in english as fluently as in dutch. Secondly the US has dominated the world economy since WOII and that has had much influence on our culture. But that's no guarentee that it will stay that way, perhaps Africa with all its precious minerals needed for the energy-transition will become even more influential in the near future and with it the french language as it used to be.
@@oldebarneveldt5326 Good points. 👍 The power dynamics are certainly shifting. Who can say what the future holds? Maybe we’ll all be speaking Chinese. 😊
It will not even last 100 years. Change of the language is not any longer a slow proces, like it has been for centuries, where an occasional foreign traders/visitors brought some new words or they slowly infiltrated from across the border. We are surrounded and immersed by English language. It is everywhere: music, movies, books, TV and especially the internet that allows direct communication. The rate of change will ever increase.
There is no doubt that things are moving at an accelerated rate. I think that is an important point. With the advent of AI and machine learning, we have entered uncharted terrain. It’s anybody’s guess where we’ll end up. Thanks for your comment. 👍
The funny thing is that's feel like payback time😂 Americans speak English but a lot of words are dutch. Cookie/koekje but in English biscuit, coleslaw /koolsla, NY Yankees from the names Jan en Kees and much more examples. Many interesting video's you can find on YT. All since New Amsterdam before the brits took over. You speak some words of dutch since you're born. It's the other way around a couple of hundreds years later
I had not thought about it like that: payback time. English is indeed an amalgamation of many other languages, predominantly French (due to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066). The Dutch language includes more than 2100 English words. It is an evolving language, as all living languages are, and I am confident that it will survive the ongoing influx of English and perhaps be enriched by it.
Het zijn niet alleen woorden die verdwijnen, ook de klank van klinkers wordt volgens mij door het Engels beinvloed. De ei gaat heel subtiel richting (a)ai. De ui en eu begint ook anders te klinken. Het zijn klanken die het Engels niet kent.
For newfangled inventions and products, we don't even bother to come up with a Dutch word for them. And what's more, Dutch is seen as old-fashioned and irrelevant by young Dutch people. In addition, higher and university education has been geared towards foreign students for years and the language of instruction has therefore also become English. It is a form of language poverty and lack of pride that we have our own language. In addition, the language level of a secondary school student is already pitiful, not to mention the arithmetic skills. It is poverty at its best.
Ik maak me er niet heel erg druk om. Thuis, op school en op het werk wordt er vooral in het Nederlands gesproken. Buiten Amsterdam is het niet gebruikelijk dat er veel engels wordt gesproken in winkels of op het terras. Het klopt inderdaad dat wij heel makkelijk engelse woorden opnemen in ons dagelijks vocabulaire, maar dat heeft denk ik vooral te maken met effectiviteit en snel een punt willen maken. Ik denk wel dat je engels nu bijna als een 2e taal kan beschouwen in Nederland. Btw the comment about english being the main language in a lot of college courses is a problem that is well known, and they actually wanna change that. A lot off politicians have already pointed that out. The motivation behind that, though, is not to preserve the Dutch language, but actually the ongoing housing shortage. They hope that if they change the language of the courses it will stop a lot of foreign students to come and study here, because they don't wanna learn the language. This will hopefully result into more availability of student housing for our own students who can't find any.
Thank you for your comment, Kelly. I agree with you. I would absolutely say that English is a 2nd language in the Netherlands. I find it interesting what you say about the intention to revert to Dutch at the universities and that this is motivated by the housing crisis. Certainly, the housing crisis is very real here (not just here, of course). I am astounded by the increase in the cost of housing since I first came here in 2002. It is unsustainable. 🏠
1 The Netherlands has always been faced to the west and historically England has to do with that. 2 Dutch of all languages is the most close to English. 3 there are many more Dutch speakers than all scandinavian speakers together.... 't is wat het is...4 in the supermarkets EVERYTHING is in Dutch. All gouvernement communication is in Dutch , and so on. 5 English is the language in pop-music in any country in Europe.
@@jsb7975 Excellent points. Mind you, I recently bought a package of Mi-tsu-ba rice crackers (based in NL) in AH that had “SEA SALT CRISPY RICE CRACKERS” blazoned across the packaging, so not everything in the supermarket is in Dutch. 😊
De taal verloedert door de vreemde bro en dada taal (die de jeugd nu hanteert), een Nederlander verstaat grotendeels niet wat er mee bedoeld wordt, en inderdaad de Engelse woorden die ook nog eens toegevoegd zijn en dat deze allemaal in de Van Dale worden opgenomen. Natuurlijk veranderd taal omdat het leeft, maar het is niet nodig om jeugdtaal die tijdelijk gesproken wordt door ieders strot te duwen, omdat dit om de zoveel jaar weer eens anders is. Helemaal verdwijnen doet onze taal niet. Gewoon geen Engels accepteren als je daarin bediend wordt en moord en brand schreeuwen als je in een winkel geen hulp buiten Syrisch kunt krijgen of een andere Arabische taal. Dit is mij al twee keer overkomen, te gek voor woorden in een gewone supermarkt. Ik gun iedereen werk, maar dan moet je wel iets van de Nederlandse taal spreken als je op die plekken wilt werken.
Wat de scholing aangaat, er gaan al stemmen op om deze ook in het Nederlands te gaan voeren. Ik hoop dat dit doorzet. Nu je mij erop gewezen hebt dat er al producten zijn geheel in Engels ga ik deze ook niet meer kopen, Er staan vaak zoveel talen op de verpakking dat je dit niet eens waarneemt. Maar als er geen NL aanwezig is zet ik het terug en zeker als het product uit ons eigen land komt, dan verkopen ze het maar in het buitenland.
De jeugd in elke generatie gebruikte jongerentaal. Natuurlijk gaat het nu wat sneller dankzij het internet en makkelijkere communicatie. Maar in 1920 waren oude mensen net zo overstuur als de jeugd het had over jolige bakvissen. In de jaren 30 kon je meer dan zat opa's vinden die aan het klagen waren als de jeugd iets mieters vond. In de jaren 60 kwamen de blitskikkers gelukkig met een nieuwe term om deze oude mensen te beschrijven, graftak. Zoals je je kunt voorstellen waren de graftakken in de jaren 60 hier totaal niet blij mee. In de tijd dat mijn ouders jong waren, de jaren 70 stonden de graftakken te trillen met emotie als de jeugd iets maf of te gek vond. In de jaren 80 snapten de graftakken er helemaal niks van als er iets goeds gebeurde en de jeugd dat wreed vond. En ik kan me heel goed herinneren dat mijn oma in de jaren 90 absoluut niet begreep wat er bedoeld werd als de jeugd aan het bekken was. Moord en brand schreeuwen in een supermarkt is schandalig en kinderachtig gedrag. Daar hoort een vrouw van uw aanzienlijke leeftijd al uit gegroeid te zijn. Gedraag je. Iedereen die 10 jaar of ouder is en stennis schopt in een super markt zou zich kapot moeten schamen. Door normaal tegen mensen te praten krijg je veel meer voor elkaar, en wordt je geen graftak genoemd.
Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective. I also do not think that Dutch is at risk of disappearing. Like the Dutch themselves, the language is resilient and will weather the influx and influence of other languages.
As a linguist I am quite amused by your examples to prove that the Dutch language might be dying. You clearly have no idea what the true indications are to show that a language is dying. You list some very specific brands that market their product in English, clearly a specific marketing choice. Contrary to that, there are literally thousands of products that don't do this. You mention how the Dutch entries to the Eurovision song contest have recently been in English while they were in Dutch before. This is because previously there was a rule that you had to sing in an official language of your country, which created an unfair advantage for Britain and Ireland, as only they could sing their songs in a language widely understood. Now that this rule has been let go, almost all entries from all countries are in English as it's simply the most logical choice for an international contest where you have to get the audience to vote for you. This is hardly proof of the Dutch language dying, to choose an international language in an attempt to win. Pretty much all other countries that don't have English as its native language send in English songs. Are all those languages dying too? You also state that a lot of music by Dutch artists is in English. This is true, but you are probably missing out on the huge Dutch language music scene that definitely exists. And again, singing in English because big artists from large countries do so and thereby appealing to a wider audience, is no proof our language is disappearing. You state there are some words from English that the Dutch use. Contrary to that, there are thousands of words the Dutch don't use. Just beacuse the Dutch switch to English when they hear an accent, doesn't mean they no longer use that language when they are among natives. The Dutch want to accommdate someone who doesn't know their language, and perhaps like to show off their English skills a bit too much, so they switch. In Suriname, perhaps people are not always able to make the switch. Suggesting that the Dutch speak Dutch to outsiders as if that will "save" the language from dying, implies that a great many conversations the Dutch are having are with non-natives. This couldn't be further from the truth. Personally, speaking to a non-native once a month would already be quite a lot. The very vast majority of conversations that Dutch people have are with other Dutch speakers, and there is zero reason to conduct such conversations in any language other than Dutch. You mention English words used in business and technology, but this is what's called lexical borrowing. Using a term from another language to fill a gap or to convey a specific meaning, has no impact on other significant language components, such as grammar, structure, pragmatics, etc. Also, it doesn't mean that word will be used as a foreign intruder indefinitely. I think the word e-mail is a perfect example. I remember it coming into use in the late nineties, and first everyone pronounced it in English. We would say "een e-mail sturen". But within a very short timeframe, the "e" was dropped, the pronunciation became Dutchified to "meel" and it became fully integrated as a verb: ik mail, jij mailt, wij mailen, ik heb gemaild. How English is that word today? Only the spelling still betrays its origins. Conducting tertiary education in English isn't a sign that Dutch is dying. Because most research is done in English, you need a good command of that language in pretty much any academic field, perhaps the study of Dutch being the only exception. Dutch was only ever a true academic language in the 17th century. After that it's been either German or French, and now English. The population size is simply too small to sustain a full academic community in all the various fields using this language. In conclusion, nothing you have said is actual proof that the language is dying. What you are proving is that Dutch and English are in contact with each other, and language users are engaging in some minor lexical borrowing. Dutch has actually a very strong position linguistically because the language is used in very many areas: conversation, child rearing, school, shops, business, health care, law, newspapers, tv, cinema, comedy, literature, to name just the most important ones. What would be some true signs that a language is dying? If people no longer use the language in a wide variety of contexts, and if people no longer raise their children in this language. None of that is happening to Dutch as of yet. I am unfamilier with those linguists that accoridng to you say the Dutch language could soon be relegated to the dinner table only, and I doubt very many linguists would be in agreement with them.
@@Jantrao Thanks for the feedback. 👍 It’s great to hear from a linguist. Personally, I don’t think the Dutch language is at risk. As mentioned several times in the video, I simply pose the question. Dutch, like English, is a living language and, as such, is evolving. Again, I am grateful for your informed feedback. I appreciate t you taking the time to weigh in on the matter.
Your writing has a hostile tone. I am sure you can add much to this conversation as a linguist, but your polemical writing style (i.e. poor communication) makes it hard to take you seriously.
@@jelmar35 Thank you for saying so. I agree. The respondent may raise some valid points, but they are sadly clouded by his rancor. I stopped reading after the first whiff of condescension. 👍
I don´t think survive the English invasion is correct to say. Languages always change. Dutch people have problems already with reading the old Dutch from 150 years ago. A language that not modified dont exist. Also English. Will English survive the rap culture? Sure, only different. And thats a good thing. If the world choose 1 language it will be good. I like the Italian sound.
@@jurgenkersjes2150 The Italian sound is great. Let’s go with that! 😊 I admit that “survive the English invasion” is dramatic. Indeed, as a living language, Dutch will adapt in the same way English has. You are quite correct, in my opinion. English has borrowed words from many languages along the way. It has only made the language richer. Thanks for your comment. 👍
Eurovision to prove that the dutch language is dying? Seriously? Have you looked at all the other non-native english speaking countries in euroviosion? English language for song entry is on the rise in pretty much all of the participating countries. If the world uses english as a lingua franca then yes, it happens in songs too. Even your example of a dutch dj having a song in portuguese falls into deaf ears. What's the percentage of a DJ singing the lyrics for his own song? The vast majority uses vocal talent and if that vocal talent happens to be from a different country it is not unlikely for that vocal talent to sing in their native tongue or again, sing in english because it's a lingua franca able to reach a larger audience. It's also a bit of a joke to not include the second largest group of dutch speakers in your "research". And the most hilarious of all, an english speaker talking about a language dying when there own language is filled to the brim with foreign influences. Dutch won't die, it will evolve, like the english language did when the romans invaded, when the vikings invaded, when the normans invaded, ... English is the only language in the world with more 2nd language learners then native speakers, so really, as the native speaking minority, are you pronouncing english correctly or should the incorrect pronounciation of the 2nd language learning majority be seen as correct because they outnumber you?
@@DJarr216 I never said that I thought the Dutch language is dying. What I did say is that the Dutch language is being tested by the infiltration of English. I do not think the Dutch language is at risk. As a living language - like English - it is evolving. My TH-cam video is not intended to be a dissertation on the subject. It’s TH-cam, my friend. Take it with a grain of salt. Pick up a book if you are interested in scholarly research. Thanks, in any case, for watching and chiming in. It goes a long way towards helping my channel. 👍
Along the lines of what you are saying, I read that “Frisian is the language most closely related to English and Scots, but after at least five hundred years of being subject to the influence of Dutch, modern Frisian in some aspects bears a greater similarity to Dutch than to English”. Thanks for your comment. 👍
@BetterTogether-UnIr1 as beeing Dutch, my language doesnt define the person who i'am and i don't judge anyone based on their language. Its just a means to communicate. A universal language just makes it more easy to communicate with everyone.
@@peterk3008 Thanks, Peter, for expanding on your comment. I appreciate your perspective, and I absolutely agree that language we speak does not define who we are. I’m with you 100% on that. 😊
As a Dutch person I honestly couldn't care less. People dictate language. Language does not dictate people. If the Netherlands over the course of history wants to become English speaking then that's just what's going to happen. As the world gets more connected, more and more languages will disappear. Honestly I think the world will be better for it. Language barriers do nothing but divide.
Thank you for your comment. It is certainly true that language barriers can divide people, whereas a shared language brings people together. I like your statement that people dictate language; language does not dictate people. Language, culture, nationality are all identifiers/labels. They do not define us. 😊
No it is not, you are living in north Holland, North holland is not a reflection, of the totale of the country, in the rest of the Netherland ,Dutch is the main spoken language, , north Holland is not the whole country.
Hallo Mike, ik heb denk ik een leuk, humoristisch filmpje voor je om over de 2 talen!! th-cam.com/video/RspvjBQmXxs/w-d-xo.html Ik hoop dat je erom kunt lachen!!!
@@Yochemm Hilarious! I love this! Thanks for the great “tieten”. Haha. I love how the actress can barely contain her laughter. It reminds me of the Carol Burnett show back in the day. “Learning all the time, learning all the time”. You made my morning with this. 😂
I think the entire Dutch culture will be dead with the huge influx of foreigners. If you look back 40 years to now a days you can see a worrying trend of the decline of Dutch culture.
Om te voorkomen dat onze mooie taal roemloos ten onder gaat, bij deze mijn commentaar in het Nederlands.
Nee, ik denk niet dat de Nederlandse taal snel verdwijnt, hoewel de invloed van vooral sociale media tegenwoordig tamelijk duidelijk is. Het lijkt er soms ook op dat het (vooral) jongeren nauwelijks meer interesseert om de eigen taal fatsoenlijk te spreken en te schrijven. Ik moet toegeven dat het soms makkelijker is om iets in het Engels te zeggen, maar ik probeer dan in ieder geval voor mezelf er een goede Nederlandse vertaling voor te vinden.
Wellicht moeten we een voorbeeld nemen aan de Vlamingen, zij zijn er een stuk beter in om termen uit andere talen in het Nederlands te vertalen en vervolgens vast te houden aan die vertalingen. Waar wij Nederlanders het over AI, artificial intelligence (en zelfs de afkorting wordt op z'n Engels uitgesproken!) hebben, zeggen de Vlamingen steevast KI ofwel kunstmatige intelligentie.
Thank you for your comment (and for responding in Dutch). It is interesting what you say about the Flemish steadfastly sticking to Dutch translations of such English words as artificial intelligence. It reminds me of the French, who are remarkable in this way, too. There is no doubt that the Dutch language is changing (as are all languages), but I have confidence that it will continue to be a vital and valid living language. Long live Nederlands! 😊
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 De IJslanders hebben zelfs een speciaal comité die nieuw ontstane woorden een fatsoenlijke IJslandse vertaling geven.
Af en toe Belgische televisie kijken (en in dit geval ook luisteren) brengt een hele nieuwe dimensie van het Nederlands aan het licht.
I find that there are some things in Dutch that can't be translated into English. The are also some nice expressions in Dutch that are just more fun. However, if higher education is going to be in English, than its more likely that the Dutch language will peter out.
@@monicas-b1658 Dat werkt twee kanten uit. Uitdrukkingen en gezegden vertalen is altijd hilarisch en zelden accuraat.
Ook hoger onderwijs in Nederland zou primair in het Nederlands gegeven moeten worden. Uitleg in het Engels is wat mij betreft geen probleem, maar Nederlands hoort in Nederland de voertaal te zijn.
@@AbeIJnst Indeed. And in homes around the world that were blessed with Dutch parents. 🙂
People forget Dutch is the official language in 3 countries, not just one. In Belgium there are very strict language rules and packaging MUST be labelled in Dutch as well as French and German.
@@Frahamen Good point. There are even Dutch speakers in the U.S. 😊
As long as there is the Netherlands there will be Dutch. I mean.. why wouldn't it. Take Friesland... it has been part of the Netherlands for a gazillion year and Frisian still is a language. Languages are always evolving, English, French and German have always entered the Dutch language without having the language go away. Now if the Netherlands for whatever reason would no longer be there... it might go away. That happens to all languages that no longer have a solid base group of natives speakers. But as long as there are Dutch people, the Dutch language will endure.
Edit: Just noticed that "ItsCharlieVest" did a reaction video to your "10 things you should never do in the Netherlands" video. Not bad being spotted by reaction tubers after such a short time uploading :)
@@mavadelo Thanks for your comment. You make very valid points, and I completely agree. Thanks, too, for spotting the reaction video. I was delighted to be reviewed by Charlie. I’ve always enjoyed his honest reactions and relatable style, so it was a thrill to be “discovered” by him, especially at this early stage. 😊
I raise you a counter example:
Italy.
Italy in the north has been slowly loosing native speakers of the regional dialects (although, it'd be better to call them "languages", or at most, "celtic dialects"). The number of dialect speakers is slowly decreasing over time, and soon enough, they'll probably be all but replaced by italian in domestic settings aswell (i only speak italian with my parents)
In the case of italy though, the language was also deemed the "national language", and there *have been* campaigns to suppress and disincentivise native speakers of languages other than italian. So perhaps we're worrying too much.
@@Koreleyitaly still has regional dialects? i thought that was done with by the 1940s or 1930s with mussolini
If you look at english, it was "invaded" by french to the point that it essentially became a different language. I think a similar thing could happen with dutch, where it slowly merges with english until it becomes different to the point where it becomes it's own language.
IF dutch disappears I think it will happen this way, but I am not convinced it will.
@@treeman12815 Luckily we still have a few surviving languages. Neapolitan, Roman (which sounds a lot like italian), Sicilian, and Sardinian.
I suppose you could also count the Florence dialect since that's what italian's based off of? lol.
The northern Celtic dialects are sadly way less spoken. (it's a common misconception that they're italian dialects, they're actually variations of Celtic languages)
Ik reageer even bewust in het Nederlands, want ook ik heb geleerd dat we soms te makkelijk overschakelen naar het Engels . Dat hangt samen met de oeroude handelsgeest van de Nederlanders, waaruit ook de "Dutch Directness" is te verklaren. Tijd is geld, en dat is voor Nederlanders van oudsher heel belangrijk. Dus schakelen we heel makkelijk over naar een andere taal, omdat dat nu eenmaal sneller is om "to the point" the komen.
Ik ben vrijwilliger in een taalcafé in Den Haag en ik ken dus ook de frustratie van mijn deelnemers die hun Nederlands willen oefenen en vervolgens een antwoord in het Engels krijgen. Mijn advies is altijd: zeg duidelijk dat je je Nederlands wil oefenen en de Nederlanders zullen daar op reageren in het Nederlands.
Nederlands is niet stervende, maar in ontwikkeling. Er zijn zoveel leenwoorden in het Nederlands, die je in het land van herkomst op een andere manier uit moet spreken, anders begrijpen ze je niet. Bestel in een Frans kafeetje maar eens een kresantje en een sjuus deransj . En die woorden zijn ruim 200 jaar geleden ons land binnen gekomen tijdens de Franse overheersing door Napoleon. Engels spreken we hier vrijwel allemaal, we leren het op school vanaf jonge leeftijd en op televisie wordt het Engels (en het Frans, Duits, Spaans, etc) niet nagesynchroniseerd, maar ondertiteld. Het is voor mij dus ook logisch dat de jongere generatie Nederlanders Engelse woorden integreert in hun spreektaal. Maar de "Amaaaazing" van mijn nichtje betekent wel iets anders dan de Amaaaaazing van een Amerikaanse. Don't worry, ook de Nederlandse taal groeit nog steeds. Er zijn elk jaar weer nieuwe woorden en uitdrukkingen die ook voor Nederlanders niet te begrijpen zijn in eerste instantie. Dus ik kladiladi nu en ga mijn bed googlen.
BTW (oh dat is ook een uitdrukking die we vanuit het Engels hebben overgenomen!) ik vind je video's erg leuk Mike!
Thank you, Saskia, for your kind words, your comment, and for responding in Nederlands. I understand (and agree with) every word. I am replying in English for the sake of my international audience (and to more fully express myself). I agree that Dutch is not dying, but rather developing, as you so succinctly put it. Like English, Dutch is a living language, and continues to evolve. The influx of English (there are more than 2100 English words in the Dutch language) may, in fact, enrich the language and ensure its survival. “Adapt or die”, as the saying goes. Thank you again for your engagement. 😊
First of all, I agree that it's a shame we in the Netherlands think English is so cool that we replace parts of our own language with it. But I’m not worried about it anymore. That same English can actually serve as an example of how a language can survive despite heavy foreign influences.
English, like Dutch, is a Germanic language. It used to look a lot like our language. But after the Norman invasion, English came heavily under the influence of French. The elite spoke French. French was considered "cool," just like we mistakenly think English is cooler. Up to 60% of English vocabulary comes from French. This influence was so strong that English borrowed from French during multiple periods. Some words even entered English twice from French, developing slightly different meanings. For example, "warranty" and "guarantee" came into English once from Norman French and later from standard French.
Yet despite all this, English remains a Germanic language. Its structure and grammar prove it. So English is the perfect example of how a language can absorb a lot of foreign influence without losing itself-like a sponge. (If you want to learn more about this, I highly recommend RobWords’ videos. They’ve taught me a lot about the influence of French on English.)
@@GerritJanLutkehaus Thank you, Gerrit. I’m not worried either. The Dutch language is resilient and evolving, like every living language. What you say about English is absolutely true. It’s an amalgamation of many languages, which has only served to make it richer. Thanks for the recommended videos. I will definitely take a look. 👍
I live in Texas which was once a part of Mexico and we also have a large immigrant population. Many people only speak Spanish but a lot are bilingual. I hope the Dutch language doesn't die because I'm looking forward to learning
I doubt it will die. I certainly hope not. But there’s no doubt it’s changing. That’s the nature of language. I’m sure you will have a great time learning Dutch. It is a fascinating language. Thanks, as always, for your comments. 😊
Eerst nog een goed en gelukkig nieuw jaar , en uit nieuwsgierigheid , waarom wil jij Nederlands leren ? Nog een fijn weekeinde Heartburn .
Even in het Nederlands, Nederlands is een vrij goed gestandardiseerde taal met vele dialecten maar ook een overkoepelend standaard Nederlands, er is best een kans dat het standaard Nederlands verdwijnt, zoals we dat kenden door de meer Engelse invloeden. Echter de discussie van wat een taal is is ingewikkeld. Nederland ligt bijvoorbeeld voor een grootdeel in het Nedersaskisch taalgebied. De dialecten uit die talen worden gebruikt en is goed te verstaan tussen de Duitse gebieden met dezelfde taal. Daarnaast zijn er nog verschillende stads en streek dialecten die enorm ver buiten het standaard Nederlands vallen. Er bestaat best een kans dat de dialecten die dat wel doen binnen 100 jaar een zelfde status hebben als Nedersaksisch of Limburgs. Maar het volledig verdwijnen van de taal lijkt me stug inmiddels. Ook zien we al langeren tijd dat veramerikanisering toch beperkt is. Het gaat volledig samenheangen met internationale ontwikkelingen en de EU hoe levensvatbaar het standaard Nederlands straks is. Maar er is al een huidige ondermaat die we echt wel zullen behouden.
Thank you for your considered reply. I appreciate the additional background that you have provided. This video has generated quite a bit of discussion, and I am learning a lot from the comments. Thanks again for contributing to the conversation. 👍
I'm a big fan of all things Dutch and have been a regular visitor to your country for decades (yes, I'm old...). One thing I've noticed over the years, especially in big cities, is that many young people employed in the service industry (hotels, restaurants, cafés...) don't speak or understand a word of Dutch. They come from foreign countries (Italy, Australia...) and apparently see no point in learning the local language - especially as their customers are often English-speaking expats themselves. I'm seeing the same trend in other European cities like Berlin and even Zurich, where I live.
Yes, I have observed this as well. One of my favourite breakfast spots here in Haarlem employs young wait staff from Ukraine, Lithuania, the UK, etc. and they speak English to customers, even Dutch customers. The ever-tolerant, long-suffering Dutch take it in stride, but I can only imagine how perplexing (even irritating) this must be.
As a dutch guy born in the mid 90s that was very much raised online and now working in the tech sector I can say with certainty that I speak and read more English on a given day than I use my mother tongue. So the assessment that it might relegate to personal life rings very true to me. I almost exclusively speak Dutch to my childhood friends and family members. My significant other is an immigrant (originally came here to study) and she struggles to bring herself to even learning Dutch because English is spoken at work, it was spoken at school and at home we choose the easy way out by just sticking to English.
Erg jammer, maar de online wereld is toch gemakkelijker te navigeren in het Engels...
@@J3dotgg Thank you so much for sharing your perspective. It does seem that, in your case, Dutch serves as a second language. Erg jammer, as you say, but I suspect that there are others like you. The world is moving at an accelerated rate, and languages are changing with it. We no longer live in a world in which it takes centuries for influences to be felt or changes to transpire.
Het is belachelijk dat ik in Nederland een biertje moet bestellen in het Engels op een terras!!
Dat is vooral in 020.
@@bertoverweel6588 Yes, I can imagine that this must be, at best, perplexing and, at worst, down right irritating. 😠 Thanks for your comment.
vraag dan voor een andere Ober, of zeg "If I cannot even order a beer in dutch, here in the netherlands this business sucks at customer service" en loop weg, klagen en geen geld uitgeven bij zulke terrassen is de beste manier om er mogelijk een verandering in te brengen. Overigens zal men dit dan wel op een grotere schaal moeten doen.
@@apveening Ja daar wil je toch helemaal niet zijn voor de lol.
@@YsUnBranded-rh3tm Juist dit! Wij laten toch alles zomaar gebeuren, dat vind ik kut aan ons volk, zo makkelijk.....
Those English words that Dutch people use while there are normal Dutch words for them always irritate me. When someone says: ik ga shoppen, I always say: nee, je gaat WINKELEN! And that is just one example of totally unnecessary English words used by Dutch people.
I’m with you there, Monique. I love the word “winkelen”. Why would anyone want to say “shoppen”? Mind you, I am guilty of using such wonderful words as “lekker” and “gezellig” even when I’m speaking English. I guess you could say that I’m doing my best to introduce Dutch words into the English language. 😊
Absoluut mee eens. Spreek of Nederlands, of Engels, maar niet tegelijk. De ergste zin die ik wat dat aangaat ooit hoorde was "De core business van onze company is het outsourcen van electrical engineers" van een net beginnend bedrijfje. Dat was op TV, dus de opmerking "Wat is er mis met: 'De kernactiviteit van ons bedrijf is het uitbesteden van elektrotechneuten' " was zeer gemeend, maar helaas tegen dovemansoren gericht.
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 Blijf dat alsjeblieft doen. De wereld zou er een stuk gezelliger op worden 😉
Over het algemeen ben ik het met jou eens. Toch wil ik noemen dat shoppen en winkelen voor mij een andere betekenis heeft. Het woord shoppen is voor mij specifiek gelinkt aan kleding en bijbehorende accessoires. Winkelen daarentegen zie ik als een algemener begrip.
Ik heb geen idee of anderen ook dit verschil in betekenis ervaren.
@@larabijkerk7848 In mijn geval zijn winkelen en shoppen hetzelfde. Lekker het centrum (van welk dorp of stad(je) dan ook) ingaan en elke winkel bezoeken die interessant lijkt. Of je wat koopt is altijd de vraag, maar kijken, kijken niet kopen is heel Nederlands. En ja, ik ben schuldig.
There is no denying that English (and especially American English) has had a strong influence on the Dutch as it has on other countries. But an influence is something different from an invasion or a dying out. Don't forget that the Netherlands has actually been Spanish and French for hundreds of years in the past. And despite the Dutch royals even having French as their first language at one point, all that has happened is that we've borrowed a handful of words. The Dutch language has remained and most likely will remain.
I think that the worst that can happen is that languages merge and alter eachother, but historically I believe language geographies have to actually be adjacent to eachother, so that language changes by marriages between people of different cultures. You have to wonder why British English doesn't have a larger influence.
The Dutch perhaps accomodate a little too easily. We have a lot of foreign students and employees and we perhaps don't demand strongly enough that they speak Dutch. And English being such an easy language to learn, it's an obvious choice to communicate with others, regardless of their background. Being accomodating is hardly a threat to any language I would think. Last year, by the way, the Dutch government has stopped their campaigns to lure foreign students. There are apparently limitations to our accomodation too.
TikTok, TH-cam and the Eurovision song contest aren't going to change a language. And language "experts" claiming that are likely putting out clickbait (which is a synonym for a lie in my book, but that's another matter). I've heard self-proclaimed language experts utter complete untrue drivel before, so I tend to not have much faith in their theories.
Don't forget that "Europapa" stood a very good chance to win last time around. Many countries have used English at the song contest after the rule was dropped that demanded songs be performed in each country's own language. Many countries have now dropped English again in favour of their own language. I don't think the Eurovision Song Festival, or any form of entertainment can be used as evidence in this matter.
@@TheHighlander71 Thank you for commenting on this subject. Dutch, like English, is a living language, so it will naturally evolve over time. English has been enriched by adopting words from many other languages, including Dutch. The same can be said for Dutch. There was an article in recent years that accounted for 2100+ English words that have been adopted by the Dutch. As you said, languages merge and alter each other. I wonder if, one day, long after we are dead and gone, all languages will merge into a global uni-language. It’s the stuff of science fiction but interesting to consider. 😊 Thanks, as always, for your engaging comments. 👍
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 We've spent roughly 20.000 years to get to this point...Either we all agree on making Esperanto a success (which it hasn't been so far) or we all move to different planets and develop common languages there...who knows what the future has in store.
Either way, if we ever meet actual space aliens, I doubt they will speak English out of the box, so we'll have to invent a true inter galactic language. Or am I going too far now :)
@@TheHighlander71 Haha. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if the aliens had already picked up some of the catchier English expressions. Who knows? Maybe when we finally encounter alien beings, in response to our terror, they will tell us to “chillax”. And I bet there’s no alien equivalent to “gezelligheid”. 😉
Thank you for your comment. I also am not worried about Dutch. It is as resilient as the people who speak it. It is a living language and, like all living languages, it is evolving. Thanks for providing a bit of background re: Eurovision, etc. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Long Live Nederlands! ❤️
Language changes all the time. It is not static. There is also influence on the Dutch language from Africa, Marocco, Suriname etc. There is also a difference between language from the street and the more formal language. Dutch language will not disappear it will change. Just like the Dutch language from today is not the same as Dutch from e.g 200-500 years ago. I sometimes use Dutch words that my 30 years younger colleagues never heard off
@@arnoldscheer5558 Thank you, Arnold. Indeed, Dutch is a resilient language and has certainly stood the test of time. 👍
Yes of course, languages change and influence each other, that's normal. But in the situations described in the video, it's not a matter of evolution but of outright substitution. For example, when teaching and research are carried out in English rather than Dutch at universities. In major cities, it's now possible to live one's life entirely in English: work, study, leisure, shopping... and it's the local population that is adjusting to expats when it should be the other way around. As a frequent visitor to the Netherlands, I see this trend towards English getting stronger every year with my own eyes.
Well in the 1800s it was French... it went out of fashion though.. In the Middle ages it was Latin... I went out of fashion, we picked up a lot of Malay and German words, Yiddish words, Greek words, Hebrew words, I'm not really worried...The most popular English word in Dutch is "Shit". More like 25 million speakers, In Suriname, Belgium, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, the Dutch Antilles...
@@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands Nah, I’m not really worried either. The Dutch (and their language) are resilient. They have weathered the worst of everything and survived. So will Nederlands. ❤️
We say 'kut' more here :P
Ik maak me ook niet zoveel zorgen. Heb ruim 10 jaar Engelstalige expats lesgegeven in het Nederlands........en dat was hard werk voor mijn studenten. Heel hard werk.
@@fabaries7613 Thank you for your comment, and thank you for patiently teaching English-language students the intricacies of the Dutch language. Long live Nederlands! ❤️
It's not dead yet, nor will it ever be. It's evolving like most languages. We also adopted many french words centuries ago.
Proper use of grammar seems to be an issue. In english the word 'fewer' has all but disappeared, everybody says 'less' these days 😮
@@gertstolk Indeed, Dutch is a living language and, as such, it is evolving. I, for one, hope it never disappears. Long live Nederlands! Grammar is certainly an issue in all languages, I imagine. I have heard few/less used interchangeably. That, of course, should not be the case. One is for countable nouns (few dogs); the other is for non-countable nouns (less money). But I guess I would be considered a bit of dinosaur. 🦕 An aging grammarian. 😊
@BetterTogether-UnIr1 An aging grammarian is something to be proud of Mike. I take it as a compliment when young people call me boomer 😁
@ As you should, Gert. The boomers paved the way! We owe so much to your generation. I was very nearly a boomer myself. Missed it by a few years. It seems I’m Gen X, which always sounded so ominous to me. 🫣
Another great discussion, Mike. Thank you for posting such interesting content. 🎉
@@kristiina-f9h Thanks so much, Kristiina. It’s always so good to hear from you. I’m glad you are enjoying my channel. 😊
Dutchman here. I love English, but I like to keep it separated from Dutch. I'm also from the west of the Netherlands, and many young people around here mix in English into their Dutch a lot. Sometimes you might even hear full English conversations between Dutch people. But by far, most of the English you'll hear is just words inserted into Dutch sentences.
I'm not afraid of Dutch going extinct. I think the bigger problem is the lack of language skills among young people in general. Very often you'll hear people say that 'the word in Dutch wouldn't come up', so they went for English. I reckon most of the media being consumed by Dutch people is in English, and sometimes (though seldomly), Dutch just doesn't have the words to describe something specific, so it's hard for me to blame young people for lack of language skill.
Such a shame, because we have perfectly usable words in Dutch to say things like 'awkward' (ongemakkelijk) and 'cool' (gaaf). I use them all the time.
@@mugi2595 Thank you so much for your comment. What you have expressed is shared by some of the other viewers who have left comments. Ultimately, the consensus (and I agree) is that Dutch will survive the influx of English and, as with any living language, it will continue to evolve. Gaaf! ❤️
Im not worried about the Dutch language is in real danger. The language always changing bit by bit. As every language. We love our language 🥰
@@MartinWebNatures Thanks, Martin. That is reassuring. 😊
Ik ben een Brit, maar hier opgegroeid. Spreek derhalve beide talen vloeiend en accentloos. De Nederlandse taal is stukje bij stukje aan het uitsterven. Voorbeeld, "een wasbare dekbed" reclame! Met daarin de zin, ,, ik was maar aan het struglen met de hoes...." Sinds wanneer is worstelen in onbruik?
A living language changes all the time, isn't it...
Absolutely. I don’t think Dutch will die. It will evolve. Thank you for your comment. 👍
I'm Hungarian and I always heard that Dutch people always can speak English and German. It's true for most country in the west, but the Netherlands always mentioned more. The same isn't true here, as the younger generations can speak English, but not as broadly. Packaging most of the time have Hungarian description and local product obviously use Hungarian. When Hungary was in Eurovision if I remember correctly they singed more song in our language; and artists if singed English it's usually a translation. Here we also experience some English words coming into common language, but as it looks nowhere near as drastic as in Dutch. Hungary population is around 9.8 million with some using the language in neighboring countries.
And now the comperassion is full!
@@pasztorferenc6741 Thank you for your comment. I am grateful to receive your perspective and experience from Hungary. From my own experience, I can say that the Dutch are quite adept at languages and almost always speak English and German. Their ability with languages is impressive, especially from an American perspective. Americans as a whole are hopeless when it comes to foreign languages. This is due, in part, because they live in a vast country (you can fly for six hours and still be in the same country, speaking the same language) and partly because American (pop) culture is so prevalent, so it is easy to overlook the fact that there is a whole world out there. Thank you again for taking the time to share your side of things. And thank you for watching my video. 😊
For most of these examples there's a rather large economic incentive to switch to EN though. It's a market of 28 million Dutch speakers vs 400 million native English speakers plus 1 billion with EN as a secondary language. That's a lot of people who need soap or listen to songs.
@@frankman90210 I think you’re absolutely right, Frank. Follow the money. 💵 Thanks for your comment. 👍
Using words of other languages is different from those languages 'taking over', these words are being 'dutchified', and so become dutch words following dutch grammar. Using another language like normal as it is in for instance universities is another matter. The song-thing is another matter altogether, that is not really a language thing. The dutch language is not in any danger, as language is a very important part of a countries identity, though I understand that it may seem that way for a foreigner hearing all this english. I would think the same if in Chicago waiters asked me in perfect dutch if I want a cookie with my coffee. Some laws may need to be put in place to protect dutch in certain cases, but other than that, what the world needs is everybody speaking a universal second language, and in Europe english plays an important role in that. Obviously it would be a huge loss if languages like german, french, spanish, swedish, dutch etc. were lost completely and simply replaced.
That would be like bulldozing the Arc de Triomphe, The Sistine Chapel and the Hagia Sophia to make parking lots. Personally I would be in favor of making it mandatory for all Europeans to learn three languages; their own and two others. That way all can communicate with each other in Europe. 🙂
Welnee! And sometimes English terms get replaced, you can see that especially in football. A penalty is now a vrije trap, a corner is now a hoekschop. Dutch has always absorbed foreign terms, used to be French mostly, now English mostly.
ETA: there are 18 million people in the Netherlands and 6.8 and something in Flanders, plus about 600.000 Surinamese, so over 25 million speakers.
Dutch is going to be just fine. 😊
I agree, although I think the tide is turning, and I'm starting to get the same vibe from the Dutch and Flemish as I do from the Quebecois. They're realizing this isn't good news for their country overall.
@bradleyheissmann4538 Thank you, Bradley. There do, indeed, seem to be changes afoot.
Ik heb een alternatieve theorie (tov andere mensen in de comments, waar ik me ook in kan vinden.) waarom ik denk dat de Nederlandse taal niet snel zal uitsterven. Namelijk vanwege AI. Vertaalmodellen worden op den duur zo goed en breed beschikbaar (Ook in real-time met oortjes etc.) dat mensen minder geneigd zijn om een tweede taal echt te leren en te beheersen. Hierdoor zullen juist meer mensen uitsluitend Nederlands spreken. Daarnaast zorgt generatieve AI ervoor dat mensen vaker nieuwe woorden tegenkomen en beter worden in het gebruik van correcte interpunctie.
Ook technologieën zoals real-time tekstvertaling, zoals Google nu al aanbiedt, kunnen een belangrijke rol spelen. Hierdoor is het niet meer nodig om beschrijvingen of inhoud in het Engels te schrijven, omdat iedereen direct toegang heeft tot vertalingen. Dit kan ervoor zorgen dat het Nederlands in verschillende contexten beter behouden blijft, zelfs in een steeds meer Engelstalige wereld.
That is an interesting angle and one I had not considered. Although AI may be a Pandora’s box, there is no doubt that it provides unique solutions and can be an effective tool when used judiciously. Thanks for your comment. 👍
The short answer is no, absolutely not.
Dutch is our identity, both cultural and language.
After the age of roughly 30 people prefer Dutch over English.
English on packages makes sense, it gives you the opportunity to sell stuff in the whole of the 🇪🇺, without having to change package (save €'s).
In the past 5 centuries we've borrowed words from French, Spanish, English,, Yiddish, French, German and now English again, yet Dutch always survived, just with a few extra words.
@@petervanderwoude6316 Very good, Peter. Thank you for your response. 👍
The dutch have always had a knack for foreign languages. Before English was big there were French and German. We adapt new vocabulary from other languages like any other language does, only a language that exists in isolation is able to ward loans from entering day to day vocabulary. You will see that because there are more expats English is becoming more prominent in the big cities. At the same time English is much more important in the academic world compared to Dutch. If you want to achieve anything globally it is difficult to do it through dutch, it simply does not have the same reach compared to the hundreds of millions English has reach to. One of the reasons we switch to English is to prevent confusion, we feel like it is more likely to be misunderstood by someone not understanding the dutch language well.
I think the dutch language is not at risk at all, far from it even. English in more formal settings is still only a supplement and not a replacement for the original sources; National television is still broadcast in Dutch and even if both were to become English, dutch will be spoken at home. The only way the language would die out is if it were made illegal to communicate through the language.
@@OssWiX Thank you for your comment. I agree with you. I believe that Dutch will adapt, as all living languages do. 😊
well as a germanic language you clearly have the advantage to dutchify all the english loanwords. Most of these words have or had cognates anyway.
Its not really how lamguage works. Neighboring countries have influenced each others languages for a very long time. Dutch has influenced english and english has influenced dutch.
Dutch survived elite languages of Latin, Spanish and French, so it will survive the English as well. It will change, as any language changes. Some English words will be part of Dutch, like "downloaden". But I don't see Dutch disappear, to be honest. The song contest is a bad example as in the beginning it was a rule that all countries' entries would be in their own language. Of course Dutch is never to be a central world language with only 28 million speakers. Personally I think we should abandon Dutch and go over to German or English as our country will be taken by the sea in 200 years time.
Thanks, Ronald. I sure hope it won’t. I made such an effort to learn it. 😊
@ronaldderooij1774 : Inderdaad is het logischer om naar het Duits over te gaan. Wij zijn eigenlijk al een soort Bondsland.😁
The dutch language always had lend word's so I'm honestly not to worried
For example we have a word for mushrooms in dutch : paddenstoel but we also use the french word champignon
The dutch/the Netherlands are very trade orientated and English is a more widely spoken language than Dutch so just as days of the past we take words
@@tipoqueen I am not worried either. As I’ve said to some others, the Dutch language is as resilient as the people who speak it. It’s a living language that is evolving and absorbing some English (more than 2100 words by one count) along the way.
I, a Belgian, for one embrace our new English overlords. But then again I am quite the globalist, having a single global language would not go amiss towards cooperation and unity, and my vote is for English, or whatever amalgamation it turns into by then, to be that language.
Ah, the English overlords. Those dastardly bastards. Thank you for sharing your progressive perspective. 👍
What is definitely dying is my mother tongue Limburgs. The main problem is that limburgs-speaking people are raising their children with non-limburger partners.
@@MartijnPennings Thank you, Martijn. That is sad; I am sorry to hear it.
We won 5 times at Eurovision: three times with Dutch songs, Ding-a-dong is mixed, and Arcade is number five. Europapa was stolen from us. But in general, English songs received higher ratings, and it's all about winning. Thus, English songs became a thing.
@@schiffelers3944 Yes, I know. I cover all that in this video: th-cam.com/video/Pc4GV1eGqgs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=CpJ1Lb_cfZhpI462
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 Okay, sorry ik reageerde op de inhoud van deze video. Waar het op neer komt is dus de dominantie van het Amerikaans Engels globaal, en dat het de lingua Franca is. Niet dat Nederlands uitsterft maar wel "besmet" raakt met Amerikaanse neuro-linguïstische programmeringen en patronen.
@@schiffelers3944Indeed, English words are entering the Dutch language at a fast clip. There was an article some years ago by a Dutch guy who had counted 2100 English words in the Dutch language. It is probably more accurate to say that Dutch is evolving (as all living languages do) rather than dying. English is not immune to outside influences; it is an amalgamation of languages. But that has only made it richer. Thanks again for your comments. 😊
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 YW, just look at how many American English words are related to technology, also. And are generational/POPcultural/Hype culture.
"Stop trying to make Fetch happen."
"Spill the Tea"
I mean as a fellow gay man, you know our sub-culture also had it's influence on the dominant culture.
I use a mix of languages, in my Dutch. I almost always say merci. There are some other French words or influenced by Frech like toillet and WC, we use to day still.
I prefer the word geschiedenis above the german Geschichte and English history.
Stuff like that. But if I would use geschiedenis in my vocabulary (French), only people who understand Dutch would understand, Only 28 million people, as you pointed out in this video.🤪
@@schiffelers3944 I hear you. And above all else, we speak the language of love. ❤️
Honestly, I think it's just clever to put English on the label. Foreigners would not know what it says and therefore would probably not buy it, we have a lot of migrants that speak English but not much Dutch...
I don't think the Dutch language will die. It may change somewhat, but no, i don't think it will die...
@@Lilygirl283 I agree, Lily. It makes sound marketing sense to use English on packaging, and although Dutch is evolving - as all living languages do - it’s not dying. ❤️
We had a German, French, Spanish, Roman and probably more occupations in our past. We have quite a few words from those area's so I think we will survive. We are a small company in a global marketplace so yeah English will be important for us to communicate in but it doesn't bother me or am afraid it's going away.
@@ottot3221 Thanks, Otto. Personally, I think it’s here to stay. Sure, it will change over time as all languages do, but I don’t think it’s likely to disappear.
Ik maak me eerlijk gezegd niet erg veel zorgen om het Nederlands. In de 19e eeuw maakte men zich zorgen over de invloed van het Frans, in de jaren 30 werd Onze Taal opgericht om het Nederlands te behoeden van het Duits. Engels is nu cool en de lingua franca maar die term zelf laat al zien dat niet per se een positie tot in de eeuwigheid hoeft te zijn.
Wat betreft de taalkeuze in liedjes zie ik eerder een ommezwaai waar in mijn jeugd Nederlandse muziek enkel uit kinderliedjes en volkszangers bestond , zijn er nu ook hippe singer-songwriters (gut is daar een Nederlands woord voor? zangertekstschrijver?) als Froukje die in het Nederlands werken. En in de Eurovisie was het aan het begin een verplichting om te zingen in de taal van je land, toen won Ierland vaak genoeg had gewonnen werd die verplichting losgelaten, maar daar zie je ook de trend van de meer Nederlandse liedjes, met S10 en Joost Klein. Ik geloof dat nieuwsuur en de NOS er de afgelopen jaren aandacht aan hebben besteed.
Verder als je Vlaams ook als Nederlands telt, België moet uit elkaar vallen voor Vlaanderen Vlaams opgeeft.
Het woord dat je zoekt is liedjesschrijver.😉
@@grewdpastor Liedjesschrijvers zingen niet perse hun eigen nummers singer-songwriters wel, zangerliedjesschrijver zou kunnen maar singer-songwriter bekt lekkerder.
Thanks for your comment. I am not so worried about Dutch, either. I think it will continue to evolve as with any living language. 😊
So I"m dutch myself, and yes I could respond in dutch but my point would kinda go away. In the netherlands kids of a young age start learning english, mosly in primary school. That and the fact that more and more stuff is english nowedays, you notice that you learn english very quickly. I'm thirteen right now, and yes, there are probebly spelling mistakes in this comment, but the general messages is clear.
En natuurlijk is het handig om jongere kinderen alvvast engels te leren, hierdoor onthouden ze het beter omdat hun taal nog niet helemaal ontwikkeld is, maar een risico is dus ook dat ze op een gegeven moment het verschil tussen de talen door elkaar halen. Ik ben in groep zeven (11-jarige leeftijd) begonnen met engels te leren. Door veel deze dagen ook in het engels te moeten doen merk je dat het snel gaat en dat je het prima kan spreken en volgen. Gramatica is af en toe nog een dingetje, maar als ik met de buitenlandse vrienden van mijn tante praat, krijg ik te horen hoe netjes ik al Engels spreek. Een groot gedeelte van de Nederlandse cultuur blijft handelen, omdat dit over de hele wereld gebeurt is Engels dan ook in grote steden de voertaal, mede omdat er veel buitenlanders zijn. Ik woon zelf vlak bij een havenstad, dus even winkelen of iets eten gaat al snel in het engels. Nederlands is een mooie taal, daar niet van, maar de lessen Nederlands die ik op dit moment krijg op de middelbare (2 gymnasium) zijn minder interresant als de lessen Engels. Ik heb zelfs het gevoel af en toe dat ik meer over de Nederlandse taal leer tijdens klassieke talen of Frans, dan tijdens Nederlands zelf. Dit kan natuurlijk aan de docenten of de school liggen, maar waarom krijg ik bij latijn over het algemeen een betere en duidelijkere uitleg over het Nederlandse systeem om werkwoorden te vervoegen dan bij Nederlands zelf? Dit komt volgens mij doordat ze het daar veel compacter uitleggen dan bij Nederlands. Al met al, het is triest om te zien dat ze in 2 gymnasium nog steeds het meervoud van boom proberen aan te leren.
Thank you so much for your reply (both in excellent English and flawless Dutch, I’m sure). You are obviously an exceptional student; your intelligence is evident in your keen observations. I agree with your comment about English being essential for international trade. I don’t have to tell you, of course, that the Dutch are legendary business people and have long been engaged with trading. Your point about the prevalence of English in the big cities because of the presence of foreigners is also true. Dutch is, indeed, a beautiful language, as you have said. There are things which cannot be said as well in English, such as “gezelligheid”. 😊 What kind of world would it be without that? I love your enthusiasm for English and your devotion to Dutch. You and your generation are our future, and your sincere and sensible comment gives me great confidence in that future. Thank you again for taking the time to watch my video and leave a comment. You made my day. 😊
Mijn voorouders zijn Nederlandse Kelten. Zij spraken 2000 jaar geleden gewoon Keltisch. En toen kwamen de Romeinen en daarna de Franken. En we gingen Germaans spreken met een Keltisch accent, net als de Schotten Engels spreken met een Keltisch accent.
Bij mij in de straat zijn diverse huishoudens van immigranten die slecht Nederlands spreken of denken dat Engels beter is. De rest van de bewoners vindt hen arrogant.
@@addeenen7684 Thank you for providing a bit of background. Certainly, no language is “better” than another. Certain languages are dominant, but that doesn’t make them better. English, for example, is spoken by 1.5 billion people. Does that make it better? No, I wouldn’t say so. It just makes it widely understood. 👍
Engels is ook een Germaanse taal, wat een heel sterke invloed heeft van de Franse taal!!
Beauty, Joy, Adventure, Courage, Honour, Nature, Treasure, Village, Comfort, Marriage zijn o.a. engelse woorden met (oud) Franse afkomst.
Je hebt ook Oud-Engels en dat lijkt veel sterker op het Fries en/of oud Nederlands, maar in de hoogtijd dagen sprak iedereen met een beetje aanzien Frans en heeft de Germaanse taal sterk beïnvloed.
Fun fackt about dutch book stores, somtimes they release the dutch version first because otherwise most wil buy the English version
(German version tends to be cheaper for some books like manga, and don't even get translated in dutch)
@@tipoqueen Interesting. I did not know that. Thanks for your comment. 😊
It is very ironical to listen, and respond now, to this question in English! Lately i started to think that Dutch is actually my second language since my parents spoke Westfries with each other and my first yrs were there. Westfries hardly exists anymore which is strange if i compare it to Volendams. Once Simon Keizer (of Nick en Simon) told that he and his wife never speak Dutch with eachother. Like Westfries, and probably other dialects, Dutch will disappear. It is a worldwide trend, so many languages already are lost. (Seems like a contradiction, the more ppl, the less languages).
Hardly anyone writes Dutch properly, they say due to do all the changes have been made in teaching Dutch. I am old, i learned the old fashioned method which is not difficult at all but you need to learn some grammar. I cannot compare it with how it is taught nowadays, i do not know. What i do know, when i try to explain the method i have learned, it is like i talk abacadabra and then i do not know where to start to explain. But that is when it is written.
In talking Dutch there are many influences and it seems there are children that can speak a language that their parents do not understand and they like that.
I can relate to that. As a girl i had a friend at our house when there were visitors from my native region. Later my friend told me that she could not understand what they were saying and i felt proud. Silly though.
I was thinking about talking slowly to foreigners. Actually, you do but normally English speaking persons do not when they are here. Some neighbours here are learning Dutch but talking Dutch to them does not really work well. They'll answer in English and then i talk English back. Your husband must be very mindful if he can stick to Dutch.
@@margreetdoodeman1441 Thank you, Margreet. I can appreciate the irony of your comment in English. It is very astute of you to point that out, I might add. 😊 I find you and your story fascinating, and I am grateful that you have taken the time to share some of it here. The truth is, English is also changing. I suspect that may have something to do with social media and texting. What a strange and fast-paced world we live in. Well, as long as we find a way to communicate and stay connected, I will be happy. But I sure hope that Dutch does not disappear altogether. How else will we describe ‘gezelligheid’? 😊 Thank you again for your engagement with my channel, Margreet. ❤️
@BetterTogether-UnIr1 i had to look up 'astute', being so often is a bit double. I do like both parts without meaning to hurt someone.
Speaking about meaning of words and things being double: I wonder do you ever experience in your native language that you use a word and the other native speaker understands it differently, or even when reading realizing there are different meanings of this one word? It is like colours to me, we all see something different. Might be bc i was raised in dialect.
@ Just to be clear, by “astute” I meant to say that you are intelligent and perceptive. 😊 To answer your question, I have not always been understood by other native English speakers. Words can be nuanced, and meaning can depend on one’s definition of a particular word. Sometimes, we find the truth “between the lines”. There is an American poet who once said that much of his meaning could be found in what he did NOT say.
@BetterTogether-UnIr1 the translation for astute is scherpzinnig. Zinnig is about mind and scherp you can see as clever but also as sharp and i can very much be the last, a bit teasing. It is difficult though in writing. I am glad you read it as i meant. I am also glad for the second part of your reply, i feel i have this strange relation with language while i like languages as well. It is nice when others have similar experiences.
Looking forward to another vid 🙂
What you refer to as 'Dutch' is ABN, a common dialect for people who in large part speak local dialects and languages informally. Fries, Low-Saxon... There has always been a divide between the lingua-franca, the common language of commerce, 'business', academia and the informal local languages. English is just taking the place of vulgar Latin. English itself came to be because the Anglo-Saxons needed words for new things, and took words from other languagas that already had a word for that thing. With the advent of modern technology, we take English words like computer, and ignore the far-right who insist we say 'rekenaar'.
This weird idea we developed in late modernity that our cultures are now 'finished', peoples are now properly sectioned off in 'nations' and culture, language and nations should be frozen in time is a nationalist fiction.
Languages evolve with the culture around them. Words that were adopted as covert speak for things people thought of as shameful become common usage, pronouns and their use evolves, new ideas require new words, academia uses a metric ton of Latin words forced to do a job they never signed up for... US English is basically a creole...
A 'mistake' to include Spanish? Really?
Sounds to me that it is you who is bringing US-exceptionalist dogma where it's not wanted. You go worry about 'preserving' US English if you like, over here outside of the far-right, the attitude is mostly loat mer kuul'n 't löp wa los.
Thank you for your comment. Actually, I think we are quite aligned in our thinking. I agree that living languages evolve, and I agree that the idea that cultures are finished and frozen in time is a fiction. You’ve got me all wrong if you imagine that I have any intention of importing what you call “US-exceptionalism dogma”. Goodness. You gave me a good laugh with that one. When I made reference to the proliferation of Spanish in the U.S., I couched my statement by saying “perhaps” the U.S. is making the same mistake as the Dutch by so readily accommodating another language, particularly in official documents such as ballot. I intended for the video to raise a question that has been posed by others, including linguists. Personally, I fully expect that the Dutch language will evolve - as all living languages do. Furthermore, I recognize that English is an amalgamation of other tongues. It is this that gives the language its character and richness. I do apologize if my video in any way offended your sensibilities. Again, I merely intended to raise a question, and I am grateful for the responses - including yours - that the question has generated.
Mike it has always been so, since I came here which was 55 years ago! Dutch is a living language so it will change as English does. Nothing remains the same. It was chic to have your whole product in English even when I came here. Now with the EU things are just accelerating. Dutch is a very minor language.
@@joebloggs2473 Thanks, Joe, for sharing your experience and perspective. Long live Nederlands. ❤️
As we were in contact before. I am British, and Dutch. When I was in primary school, ages ago, no one spoke English here. I did of course. Later years, as I went in to English class, and the teacher got to the famous "the' pronunciation I had the time of my life. Again in retrospect, early fifty's , no one used english words in a Dutch sentence then, nowadays it's an epidemic. But what irritates me most, is the terrible accent, and the fact many think they can speak English, with a very poor vocabulary. Ps, school Aloysius, Overveen!
@@cirrus1964 Thank you for sharing your story as it relates to this subject. There is no doubt that the presence of English words in the Dutch language is increasing. Mind you, I am not worried about the longevity of the Dutch language. I could be wrong, of course, but I expect it will simply evolve over time - as all living languages do - and ultimately survive the test of time, just as the Dutch themselves. Then again, maybe one day we’ll all be speaking Mandarin! Thanks again for watching and commenting. 👍
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 Que sera, I speak over 4 languages!
@@cirrus1964 that is rather unfriendly of you to say about the Dutch. Our English accent and vocabulary might not be perfect, but did you ever hear a native English person speak Dutch?
@@emo122009 Yes, my Mother, and 6 sisters.
@@cirrus1964, so you know perfectly how that sounds.
Old Dutch looks more to the German language and since the last century our language looks more to English.. Mainly grammatical. And don't forget, the English language is important for our international trading and the position in the world.
@@AdvdW It’s true what you say. The Dutch are savvy and legendary business people who will use English when necessary to retain their position on the world stage. They’ve been international players for centuries.
You have to remember that the Dutch want to WIN Eurovision and a song in English is much more likely to. That's also why Dutch bands have been singing in English since the 1960s. On the other hand there have been times when most bands sang in Dutch, in the 1980s. There have been megahits in Dutch, but they know it won't sell anywhere else, so it's a career choice.
France also wants to WIN Eurovision. Nevertheless, they generally perform their songs in French. I recognize the commercial basis for choosing English over Dutch in popular songs and advertising and business/trade and academia. But will these decisions, in the end, cause Dutch to be relegated to the kitchen table? I don’t know. But it seems to me that it may not be possible to “have our cake and eat it, too”. 🎂
in my younger days .. say 20+ years ago, i used "cool" among other words, all i try and say is, language is a evolving thing. Dutch itself will not dissapear is my guess.
@@TomvdVeen I think you’re right, Tom. Dutch, like English, is a living language, so it’s evolving as all languages do. And I think that’s “cool”. 👍
Oh i think the world would be better off with a single language anyway. Single language, single government.
That is certainly an interesting idea. There are some who think that we are headed in that direction. Thanks for your comment. 👍
We may know many english words and idioms, but still you'll hear quite often what's called 'steenkool' english. So my guess is that it will take a long time before we can express ourselves in english as fluently as in dutch.
Secondly the US has dominated the world economy since WOII and that has had much influence on our culture. But that's no guarentee that it will stay that way, perhaps Africa with all its precious minerals needed for the energy-transition will become even more influential in the near future and with it the french language as it used to be.
@@oldebarneveldt5326 Good points. 👍 The power dynamics are certainly shifting. Who can say what the future holds? Maybe we’ll all be speaking Chinese. 😊
It will not even last 100 years. Change of the language is not any longer a slow proces, like it has been for centuries, where an occasional foreign traders/visitors brought some new words or they slowly infiltrated from across the border. We are surrounded and immersed by English language. It is everywhere: music, movies, books, TV and especially the internet that allows direct communication. The rate of change will ever increase.
There is no doubt that things are moving at an accelerated rate. I think that is an important point. With the advent of AI and machine learning, we have entered uncharted terrain. It’s anybody’s guess where we’ll end up. Thanks for your comment. 👍
The funny thing is that's feel like payback time😂 Americans speak English but a lot of words are dutch. Cookie/koekje but in English biscuit, coleslaw /koolsla, NY Yankees from the names Jan en Kees and much more examples. Many interesting video's you can find on YT. All since New Amsterdam before the brits took over. You speak some words of dutch since you're born. It's the other way around a couple of hundreds years later
I had not thought about it like that: payback time. English is indeed an amalgamation of many other languages, predominantly French (due to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066). The Dutch language includes more than 2100 English words. It is an evolving language, as all living languages are, and I am confident that it will survive the ongoing influx of English and perhaps be enriched by it.
Het zijn niet alleen woorden die verdwijnen, ook de klank van klinkers wordt volgens mij door het Engels beinvloed. De ei gaat heel subtiel richting (a)ai. De ui en eu begint ook anders te klinken. Het zijn klanken die het Engels niet kent.
@@TheVincent0268 That is interesting indeed and not something that my American ear would readily pick up on. Thanks for making note of it. 😊
Indeed, Dutch is replaced often by Steenkolenengels.
@@gdxize Yes, I’ve heard this term before. I guess it’s the equivalent of what we might call “pidgin English”.
For newfangled inventions and products, we don't even bother to come up with a Dutch word for them. And what's more, Dutch is seen as old-fashioned and irrelevant by young Dutch people. In addition, higher and university education has been geared towards foreign students for years and the language of instruction has therefore also become English. It is a form of language poverty and lack of pride that we have our own language. In addition, the language level of a secondary school student is already pitiful, not to mention the arithmetic skills. It is poverty at its best.
Thank you for weighing in on this. You raise a lot of valid points. 👍
Of course it will, just because the Dutch are the best non native English speakers in the world doesn’t mean we will change our language to English 😂😂
@@Bramfly I’m with you. The Dutch language is resilient, just like the people who speak it. Long live Nederlands. 😊
Ik maak me er niet heel erg druk om.
Thuis, op school en op het werk wordt er vooral in het Nederlands gesproken.
Buiten Amsterdam is het niet gebruikelijk dat er veel engels wordt gesproken in winkels of op het terras.
Het klopt inderdaad dat wij heel makkelijk engelse woorden opnemen in ons dagelijks vocabulaire, maar dat heeft denk ik vooral te maken met effectiviteit en snel een punt willen maken. Ik denk wel dat je engels nu bijna als een 2e taal kan beschouwen in Nederland.
Btw the comment about english being the main language in a lot of college courses is a problem that is well known, and they actually wanna change that.
A lot off politicians have already pointed that out. The motivation behind that, though, is not to preserve the Dutch language, but actually the ongoing housing shortage.
They hope that if they change the language of the courses it will stop a lot of foreign students to come and study here, because they don't wanna learn the language.
This will hopefully result into more availability of student housing for our own students who can't find any.
Thank you for your comment, Kelly. I agree with you. I would absolutely say that English is a 2nd language in the Netherlands. I find it interesting what you say about the intention to revert to Dutch at the universities and that this is motivated by the housing crisis. Certainly, the housing crisis is very real here (not just here, of course). I am astounded by the increase in the cost of housing since I first came here in 2002. It is unsustainable. 🏠
Don't call it Dutch but Nederlands!
@@robverbree4768 In English, it’s Dutch…sorry.
1 The Netherlands has always been faced to the west and historically England has to do with that. 2 Dutch of all languages is the most close to English. 3 there are many more Dutch speakers than all scandinavian speakers together.... 't is wat het is...4 in the supermarkets EVERYTHING is in Dutch. All gouvernement communication is in Dutch , and so on. 5 English is the language in pop-music in any country in Europe.
@@jsb7975 Excellent points. Mind you, I recently bought a package of Mi-tsu-ba rice crackers (based in NL) in AH that had “SEA SALT CRISPY RICE CRACKERS” blazoned across the packaging, so not everything in the supermarket is in Dutch. 😊
De taal verloedert door de vreemde bro en dada taal (die de jeugd nu hanteert), een Nederlander verstaat grotendeels niet wat er mee bedoeld wordt, en inderdaad de Engelse woorden die ook nog eens toegevoegd zijn en dat deze allemaal in de Van Dale worden opgenomen. Natuurlijk veranderd taal omdat het leeft, maar het is niet nodig om jeugdtaal die tijdelijk gesproken wordt door ieders strot te duwen, omdat dit om de zoveel jaar weer eens anders is.
Helemaal verdwijnen doet onze taal niet. Gewoon geen Engels accepteren als je daarin bediend wordt en moord en brand schreeuwen als je in een winkel geen hulp buiten Syrisch kunt krijgen of een andere Arabische taal. Dit is mij al twee keer overkomen, te gek voor woorden in een gewone supermarkt. Ik gun iedereen werk, maar dan moet je wel iets van de Nederlandse taal spreken als je op die plekken wilt werken.
Wat de scholing aangaat, er gaan al stemmen op om deze ook in het Nederlands te gaan voeren. Ik hoop dat dit doorzet.
Nu je mij erop gewezen hebt dat er al producten zijn geheel in Engels ga ik deze ook niet meer kopen, Er staan vaak zoveel talen op de verpakking dat je dit niet eens waarneemt. Maar als er geen NL aanwezig is zet ik het terug en zeker als het product uit ons eigen land komt, dan verkopen ze het maar in het buitenland.
De jeugd in elke generatie gebruikte jongerentaal. Natuurlijk gaat het nu wat sneller dankzij het internet en makkelijkere communicatie. Maar in 1920 waren oude mensen net zo overstuur als de jeugd het had over jolige bakvissen.
In de jaren 30 kon je meer dan zat opa's vinden die aan het klagen waren als de jeugd iets mieters vond.
In de jaren 60 kwamen de blitskikkers gelukkig met een nieuwe term om deze oude mensen te beschrijven, graftak. Zoals je je kunt voorstellen waren de graftakken in de jaren 60 hier totaal niet blij mee.
In de tijd dat mijn ouders jong waren, de jaren 70 stonden de graftakken te trillen met emotie als de jeugd iets maf of te gek vond.
In de jaren 80 snapten de graftakken er helemaal niks van als er iets goeds gebeurde en de jeugd dat wreed vond.
En ik kan me heel goed herinneren dat mijn oma in de jaren 90 absoluut niet begreep wat er bedoeld werd als de jeugd aan het bekken was.
Moord en brand schreeuwen in een supermarkt is schandalig en kinderachtig gedrag. Daar hoort een vrouw van uw aanzienlijke leeftijd al uit gegroeid te zijn. Gedraag je. Iedereen die 10 jaar of ouder is en stennis schopt in een super markt zou zich kapot moeten schamen. Door normaal tegen mensen te praten krijg je veel meer voor elkaar, en wordt je geen graftak genoemd.
Thank you for sharing your experience and perspective. I also do not think that Dutch is at risk of disappearing. Like the Dutch themselves, the language is resilient and will weather the influx and influence of other languages.
As a linguist I am quite amused by your examples to prove that the Dutch language might be dying. You clearly have no idea what the true indications are to show that a language is dying.
You list some very specific brands that market their product in English, clearly a specific marketing choice. Contrary to that, there are literally thousands of products that don't do this.
You mention how the Dutch entries to the Eurovision song contest have recently been in English while they were in Dutch before. This is because previously there was a rule that you had to sing in an official language of your country, which created an unfair advantage for Britain and Ireland, as only they could sing their songs in a language widely understood. Now that this rule has been let go, almost all entries from all countries are in English as it's simply the most logical choice for an international contest where you have to get the audience to vote for you. This is hardly proof of the Dutch language dying, to choose an international language in an attempt to win. Pretty much all other countries that don't have English as its native language send in English songs. Are all those languages dying too?
You also state that a lot of music by Dutch artists is in English. This is true, but you are probably missing out on the huge Dutch language music scene that definitely exists. And again, singing in English because big artists from large countries do so and thereby appealing to a wider audience, is no proof our language is disappearing.
You state there are some words from English that the Dutch use. Contrary to that, there are thousands of words the Dutch don't use.
Just beacuse the Dutch switch to English when they hear an accent, doesn't mean they no longer use that language when they are among natives. The Dutch want to accommdate someone who doesn't know their language, and perhaps like to show off their English skills a bit too much, so they switch. In Suriname, perhaps people are not always able to make the switch. Suggesting that the Dutch speak Dutch to outsiders as if that will "save" the language from dying, implies that a great many conversations the Dutch are having are with non-natives. This couldn't be further from the truth. Personally, speaking to a non-native once a month would already be quite a lot. The very vast majority of conversations that Dutch people have are with other Dutch speakers, and there is zero reason to conduct such conversations in any language other than Dutch.
You mention English words used in business and technology, but this is what's called lexical borrowing. Using a term from another language to fill a gap or to convey a specific meaning, has no impact on other significant language components, such as grammar, structure, pragmatics, etc. Also, it doesn't mean that word will be used as a foreign intruder indefinitely. I think the word e-mail is a perfect example. I remember it coming into use in the late nineties, and first everyone pronounced it in English. We would say "een e-mail sturen". But within a very short timeframe, the "e" was dropped, the pronunciation became Dutchified to "meel" and it became fully integrated as a verb: ik mail, jij mailt, wij mailen, ik heb gemaild. How English is that word today? Only the spelling still betrays its origins.
Conducting tertiary education in English isn't a sign that Dutch is dying. Because most research is done in English, you need a good command of that language in pretty much any academic field, perhaps the study of Dutch being the only exception. Dutch was only ever a true academic language in the 17th century. After that it's been either German or French, and now English. The population size is simply too small to sustain a full academic community in all the various fields using this language.
In conclusion, nothing you have said is actual proof that the language is dying. What you are proving is that Dutch and English are in contact with each other, and language users are engaging in some minor lexical borrowing. Dutch has actually a very strong position linguistically because the language is used in very many areas: conversation, child rearing, school, shops, business, health care, law, newspapers, tv, cinema, comedy, literature, to name just the most important ones. What would be some true signs that a language is dying? If people no longer use the language in a wide variety of contexts, and if people no longer raise their children in this language. None of that is happening to Dutch as of yet. I am unfamilier with those linguists that accoridng to you say the Dutch language could soon be relegated to the dinner table only, and I doubt very many linguists would be in agreement with them.
@@Jantrao Thanks for the feedback. 👍 It’s great to hear from a linguist. Personally, I don’t think the Dutch language is at risk. As mentioned several times in the video, I simply pose the question. Dutch, like English, is a living language and, as such, is evolving. Again, I am grateful for your informed feedback. I appreciate t you taking the time to weigh in on the matter.
Your writing has a hostile tone. I am sure you can add much to this conversation as a linguist, but your polemical writing style (i.e. poor communication) makes it hard to take you seriously.
@@jelmar35 Thank you for saying so. I agree. The respondent may raise some valid points, but they are sadly clouded by his rancor. I stopped reading after the first whiff of condescension. 👍
I don´t think survive the English invasion is correct to say. Languages always change. Dutch people have problems already with reading the old Dutch from 150 years ago. A language that not modified dont exist. Also English. Will English survive the rap culture? Sure, only different. And thats a good thing. If the world choose 1 language it will be good. I like the Italian sound.
@@jurgenkersjes2150 The Italian sound is great. Let’s go with that! 😊 I admit that “survive the English invasion” is dramatic. Indeed, as a living language, Dutch will adapt in the same way English has. You are quite correct, in my opinion. English has borrowed words from many languages along the way. It has only made the language richer. Thanks for your comment. 👍
Eurovision to prove that the dutch language is dying? Seriously? Have you looked at all the other non-native english speaking countries in euroviosion? English language for song entry is on the rise in pretty much all of the participating countries.
If the world uses english as a lingua franca then yes, it happens in songs too.
Even your example of a dutch dj having a song in portuguese falls into deaf ears. What's the percentage of a DJ singing the lyrics for his own song? The vast majority uses vocal talent and if that vocal talent happens to be from a different country it is not unlikely for that vocal talent to sing in their native tongue or again, sing in english because it's a lingua franca able to reach a larger audience.
It's also a bit of a joke to not include the second largest group of dutch speakers in your "research".
And the most hilarious of all, an english speaker talking about a language dying when there own language is filled to the brim with foreign influences.
Dutch won't die, it will evolve, like the english language did when the romans invaded, when the vikings invaded, when the normans invaded, ...
English is the only language in the world with more 2nd language learners then native speakers, so really, as the native speaking minority, are you pronouncing english correctly or should the incorrect pronounciation of the 2nd language learning majority be seen as correct because they outnumber you?
@@DJarr216 I never said that I thought the Dutch language is dying. What I did say is that the Dutch language is being tested by the infiltration of English. I do not think the Dutch language is at risk. As a living language - like English - it is evolving. My TH-cam video is not intended to be a dissertation on the subject. It’s TH-cam, my friend. Take it with a grain of salt. Pick up a book if you are interested in scholarly research. Thanks, in any case, for watching and chiming in. It goes a long way towards helping my channel. 👍
Doesnt matter anyways the real dutch languege frissian is already swapped for frankischdeutsch so why would we care.
Along the lines of what you are saying, I read that “Frisian is the language most closely related to English and Scots, but after at least five hundred years of being subject to the influence of Dutch, modern Frisian in some aspects bears a greater similarity to Dutch than to English”. Thanks for your comment. 👍
And what if.....
@@peterk3008 Any thoughts what if? 🤔
@BetterTogether-UnIr1 as beeing Dutch, my language doesnt define the person who i'am and i don't judge anyone based on their language. Its just a means to communicate. A universal language just makes it more easy to communicate with everyone.
@@peterk3008 Thanks, Peter, for expanding on your comment. I appreciate your perspective, and I absolutely agree that language we speak does not define who we are. I’m with you 100% on that. 😊
As a Dutch person I honestly couldn't care less. People dictate language. Language does not dictate people. If the Netherlands over the course of history wants to become English speaking then that's just what's going to happen. As the world gets more connected, more and more languages will disappear. Honestly I think the world will be better for it. Language barriers do nothing but divide.
Thank you for your comment. It is certainly true that language barriers can divide people, whereas a shared language brings people together. I like your statement that people dictate language; language does not dictate people. Language, culture, nationality are all identifiers/labels. They do not define us. 😊
Same with catalan , is about to being replaced by spanish
@@albertwenceslao8687 Thank you, Albert, for watching my video, and thank you for your comment. 👍
No it is not, you are living in north Holland, North holland is not a reflection, of the totale of the country, in the rest of the Netherland ,Dutch is the main spoken language, , north Holland is not the whole country.
So true. Excellent point. Thank you for making it. 😊
Hallo Mike, ik heb denk ik een leuk, humoristisch filmpje voor je om over de 2 talen!!
th-cam.com/video/RspvjBQmXxs/w-d-xo.html
Ik hoop dat je erom kunt lachen!!!
@@Yochemm Hilarious! I love this! Thanks for the great “tieten”. Haha. I love how the actress can barely contain her laughter. It reminds me of the Carol Burnett show back in the day. “Learning all the time, learning all the time”. You made my morning with this. 😂
@@BetterTogether-UnIr1 Goed te horen dat je er lol in had om het te bekijken... Learning all time time, hé! Learning all the time!!!!
I think the entire Dutch culture will be dead with the huge influx of foreigners. If you look back 40 years to now a days you can see a worrying trend of the decline of Dutch culture.
@@Misq2k There is no doubt that the world is rapidly changing. 🌎 Thank you for sharing your perspective.
dit is je reinste ketterij
Thank you, and thanks for watching. 😉
Nee
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