Talk:Dutch/Lesson 7/Archive

Archived 5/19/15

As a native Dutch speaker, I just read this lesson out of curiousity. To me, though the grammar presented on this page is formally correct, the examples are questionable. Allow me to raise two issues. First, "Linuxbesturingssysteem" versus "Linux besturingssysteem" versus "Linux-besturingssysteem". I would NEVER combine the words. Don't know why (I'm definately not a linguist, it 'just looks ugly' to me). Please do a Google search on "Linuxbesturingssysteem" (28 hits) versus "Linux besturingssysteem" (18600 hits). I'd say that the advice may be grammatically correct, but this example is not used in practice. Though the general rule is indeed correct ("besturings systeem" is definately wrong), this particular example only proves that there are exceptions. I suggest to pick another example in order not to confuse the readers, or clearly state that with given names it is uncommon to write them together.


 * I'm a native Dutch speaker too, and "Linux-besturingssysteem" is correct. The example is indeed far-fetched, though. A different example would be better. Boemanneke (talk) 14:17, 21 February 2009 (UTC)

Meid
Second issue: The word "meid". Indeed, the origin comes from "maid". The derogatory comes from that origin. I have noticed that for people born before 1960, the word "meid" is considered to be slightly insulting (The example sentence "Die meid hoort in het gevang!" does justice to that). However, for people born after 1970 the word "meid" does NOT have that connotation anymore. It would not be uncommon to say "Wat een leuke meid" ("What a nice girl"). So a warning is in place -- "meid" used without adjective has a negative meaning to most people. But it's use is slowly shifting.


 * Point well taken and yes I was born in '51 ;-). It probably has something to do with domestic workers going extinct. As the word can be a bit insulting depending on how it is used, non-natives better avoid it I think, the same goes for het wijf or het mens.

Diminutive:-je
Congratulations with this nice language course! A quibble: the lesson states "One reason is that turning a word into a diminutive is another way of avoiding the m/f gender problem." I'm a native Dutch-speaker, but i've never heard of this reason before! The "m/f/ gender problem" is only a problem for purists in formal writing, in practice it doesn't exist for Dutch-speakers. Kind regards, w:en:User:JMMuller, September 3 2012

Some other remarks
"randjongerenhangplekkenbeleidsambtenarensalarisbesprekingsafspraken" is funny, but NOT Dutch. In German this is allowed, in Dutch it is not! Although burocrats twist the language sometimes, common sense dictates splitting monstruosities up in understable units!
 * Long words


 * "..krijg ik een ijsje?" is not usual. A child would say: "..mag ik een ijsje?" (literally =) "Can i have an ice cream?"


 * etentje = outing with food, doesn't have to be a date, but can be anything, going to a restaurant with colleagues etc.

Kind regards, w:en:User:JMMuller, September 3 2012