Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: GretchenM

That explains a lot. I marvelled at how almost everyone, except for some elderly folk, spoke English in the Netherlands, and fairly American sounding English at that. I didn't understand about the dialects. I suppose all Dutch dialects are derived from German, though I wouldn't say that to a Dutchman to his face.


65 posted on 03/17/2007 5:30:08 AM PDT by ichabod1 ("Liberals read Karl Marx. Conservatives UNDERSTAND Karl Marx." Ronald Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies ]


To: ichabod1
suppose all Dutch dialects are derived from German, though I wouldn't say that to a Dutchman to his face.

So is English. Especially obvious in words beginning with kn such as knee. In German (Kah-nee)the k is still pronounced but in English (Nee)it is silent.

In addition, I used to work in a prominent building in NYC. They invited many choirs to carol at Christmas for people visiting Santa Claus. Most choirs have very little to no accent. Especially notable, is the lack of accent in childrens choirs from what some consider "The Ghetto."

78 posted on 03/17/2007 9:01:00 AM PDT by rock58seg (Conservative American skeptics: The worlds last bastion of sanity.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies ]

To: ichabod1

Did you happen to see the WW II movie, "Band of Brothers"? In one scene, the actor portraying the GI named Webster, in Holland was marveling at the Dutch. "They all love us, they all speak English ... ."

Just now, typing this, it strikes me how powerful the use of a common language can be.

Also knowing John Adams secured valuable monetary loans from the Dutch to the fledgling, struggling, almost friendless United States during a critical time in our Revolution (whether they spoke English at that time or not, I don't know), makes me have a special affinity for the Dutch.


90 posted on 03/17/2007 4:46:00 PM PDT by GretchenM (What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Please meet my friend, Jesus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson