Dutch Language Union facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nederlandse Taalunie
Dutch Language Union
|
|
|---|---|
 Logo
|
|
A map showing the member states of the Dutch Language Union (dark blue)
|
|
| Headquarters | The Hague, Netherlands Brussels, Belgium |
| Official language | Dutch |
| Membership | |
| Leaders | |
|
• Secretary-general
|
Kris Van de Poel |
| Establishment | |
|
• Treaty
|
9 September 1980 |
| Population | |
|
• 2022 estimate
|
~25 million |
The Dutch Language Union (in Dutch: Nederlandse Taalunie, often shortened to NTU) is an international group that helps manage and protect the Dutch language. It's like a language club for countries where Dutch is spoken. This organization is famous for making rules about how Dutch words are spelled and for creating grammar books. They also publish the "Green Booklet" and help people learn Dutch all over the world.
The Dutch Language Union was started by a special agreement between the Netherlands and Belgium (specifically the part of Belgium called Flanders) on September 9, 1980. Later, in 2004, Suriname also joined as an associate member.
Contents
History of the Dutch Language Union
The Dutch Language Union was officially created when Belgium and the Netherlands signed a treaty in Brussels on September 9, 1980. Before this, the two countries had a "Cultural Agreement" that covered more than just language.
In 1995, after Belgium changed its government structure, a new treaty was signed between the Netherlands and Flanders. Then, on December 12, 2003, Suriname joined the Union. This happened when leaders from the Dutch Language Union and Suriname signed an agreement. Suriname's government approved it in 2004, and it officially started in 2005.
What is Standard Dutch?
Standard Dutch (called Algemeen Nederlands, or AN) is the official version of the Dutch language. It's the way Dutch is taught in schools and used by governments in the Netherlands, Flanders, Suriname, and the Dutch Caribbean. The Dutch Language Union decides what counts as "Standard Dutch."
The older name for Standard Dutch was Algemeen Beschaafd Nederlands, which meant "Common Civilised Dutch." But this name made it sound like other ways of speaking Dutch were not "civilised." So, they changed it to Algemeen Nederlands to be more welcoming to all Dutch speakers.
The Green Booklet: Your Guide to Dutch Spelling
One very important thing the Dutch Language Union did was to update Dutch spelling in 1995. This change mainly focused on how certain word parts (called interfixes) were written in compound words.
The Union publishes a famous book called the Woordenlijst Nederlandse taal, which means "Word list of the Dutch language." Everyone knows it as the "Groene boekje" or "Green Booklet" because of its bright green cover. This Green Booklet is the official guide for Dutch spelling and grammar. It lists words, their plural forms, and how to spell them correctly, but it doesn't give definitions.
The newest Green Booklet came out on October 13, 2015. Its content is similar to the 2005 version. The 2005 version had some spelling changes that caused a bit of a stir. Many Dutch newspapers and TV stations decided not to use the new spelling rules. Instead, they created their own guide called the "White Book" in 2006.
So, today, two different spellings are sometimes used, which can be a little confusing. Schools and government offices use the "green" spelling. Newspapers, magazines, and TV channels often use the "white" spelling. In Belgium, however, the spelling changes were generally accepted without much fuss.
Important Dutch Dictionaries
The Van Dale dictionary is widely considered the most important Dutch dictionary. People often call it the Dikke Van Dale ("Thick Van Dale") because it's so big! This dictionary comes in three large books and is usually updated every 7 to 8 years. The 15th edition was published on September 23, 2015.
Another huge dictionary is the Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal (WNT), which means "Dictionary of the Dutch Language." This is a historical dictionary that includes almost every Dutch word used from the year 1500 until today.
Work on the WNT started way back in 1864 and was finally finished in 1998. It has 43 volumes (books) and takes up about 3 meters of shelf space! It contains around 400,000 words spread across 49,255 pages. In 2001, three more volumes were added with words from the 20th century. You can find this amazing dictionary online.
Learning Dutch Around the World
The Dutch Language Union helps schools teach Dutch in nearby countries. For example, about 350,000 students learn Dutch in Belgium (in Brussels and Wallonia). In Germany (Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia), about 40,000 students learn Dutch. And in France (Nord-Pas-de-Calais), around 8,000 students learn Dutch.
The Union also supports the study of the Dutch language and Dutch culture at universities and schools worldwide. About 14,000 people are studying Dutch language and literature at 140 different places around the globe.
How the Dutch Language Union Works
The Dutch Language Union (NTU) has offices in The Hague (Netherlands) and Brussels (Belgium). It is made up of four main parts:
- The Secretariat-General: This group prepares and carries out the Union's plans. Kris Van de Poel has been its leader since March 2020.
- The Committee of Ministers: This committee includes the ministers of education and culture from the Netherlands and Flanders.
- The Interparliamentary Commission: This group is made up of members from the Dutch and Flemish parliaments.
- The Council for Dutch Language and Literature: This council consists of twelve independent experts.
Important Institutes for Dutch Language
The Institute for the Dutch Language
The Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal ("Institute for the Dutch Language") is located in Leiden, Netherlands. It works closely with the Dutch Language Union. This institute is responsible for the huge Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal (Dictionary of the Dutch language).
The institute also publishes other dictionaries, like the Old Dutch Dictionary and the Early Middle Dutch Dictionary. They also create databases, which are like huge collections of information, including old newspapers, magazines, and legal documents. They even have the Spoken Dutch Corpus, which contains audio recordings of how Standard Dutch is spoken in the Netherlands and Flanders today.
Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature
The Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature was started in Belgium in 1886. Its goal is to encourage the culture and literature of Flanders. It gives official advice to the Flanders government. The Academy also publishes the Materiaal Willems database, which has information about different Dutch dialects spoken in Flanders, the Netherlands, and French Flanders.
Working with Other Countries
The Dutch Language Union also handles how the Netherlands and Flanders work with other countries regarding language. They are very active in Indonesia and South Africa, two countries that have historical connections to the Dutch language. In South Africa, their cooperation isn't just about the Afrikaans language (which is related to Dutch), but also about helping many different languages thrive.
The main goals of the Dutch Language Union are focused only on the Dutch language and Dutch literature. This means its goals are not as broad as those of groups like the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, La Francophonie, or the Commonwealth of Nations.
The treaty that created the Dutch Language Union allows for other parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands outside Europe to join. Suriname also has special ways to participate in the Union's activities.
Who are the Members?
The Dutch Language Union is based on a treaty between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Belgium. These two independent countries are the main members. For the Netherlands, the treaty only applies to its European territory.
The treaty allows for two ways to expand:
- Other independent countries can join as "associate members."
- Other parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (like Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Caribbean Netherlands) can also join.
In 2004, Suriname signed an "associative treaty" with the Taalunie. Since November 27, 2013, the treaty also includes the Caribbean Netherlands. The three self-governing Caribbean countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands – Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten – are considered possible future members. Also, Indonesia and South Africa are seen as "special partners" of the Dutch Language Union because of their historical ties to the language.
See also
- Dutch orthography
- List of language regulators
- OpenTaal
- Verwantschapslanden
