Table of Contents
What language is Dutch closest to?
Its closest relative is the mutually intelligible daughter language Afrikaans. Other West Germanic languages related to Dutch are German, English and the Frisian languages and the un-standardised languages Low German and Yiddish.
Are Dutch and Flemish similar?
That’s right, Dutch (and not Flemish) is one of the official Belgian languages! After all, Flemish is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as the “Dutch language spoken in Northern Belgium”. So, the terms ‘Flemish’ and ‘Belgian Dutch’ actually refer to the same language.
Are Dutch and Swedish related?
The Germanic languages is a group including English, Dutch, German, and Afrikaans, among others. You might have noticed that English and Swedish share some similarities, the same holds true for other Germanic languages compared to Swedish.
What is the difference between Flemish and Dutch language?
For instance, while the Dutch might use loanwords like maréchaussée (military police) from French, überhaupt (after all) from German, or recyclen (recycle) from English, the Flemish will less easily do so. Today, the Flemish still often act as language purists.
What language do they speak in Belgium?
Belgium has three official languages: Dutch, French and German. In Flanders, the northern part of Belgium, people speak Dutch. Most of the time, this variant of Dutch is called Flemish. Is there a difference between Dutch and Flemish? In theory, there is none.
What is the official language of Flanders?
In theory, there is none. There is no such thing as the Flemish language or dialect, and there is no one overall dialect spoken in Belgium, or the Netherlands. Like German, Dutch is a dialect-continuum. Generic Dutch (Algemeen Nederlands) is the standard language in both the Netherlands and Flanders.
Why do Flemish speakers use je instead of U?
For Dutch speakers this is entirely normal because there just isn’t a formal option any longer. To Flemish speakers, however, using je in formal situations can sound impolite. Conversely, when Flemish speakers use U, it sounds old-fashioned to Dutch ears.