Languages of Netherlands
See language map.[See also SIL publications on the languages of Netherlands.]
Kingdom of the Netherlands, Koninkrijk der Nederlanden. 16,328,000. National or official languages: Dutch, Achterhoeks, Drents, Western Frisian, Gronings, Limburgisch, Sinte Romani, Vlax Romani, Sallands, Stellingwerfs, Twents, Veluws, Western Yiddish. Literacy rate: 95%–99%. Immigrant languages: Adyghe, Ambonese Malay (45,000), Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Buru, Caribbean Hindustani, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic, Indonesian (300,000), Javanese (7,500), Kabuverdianu (20,000), Kirmanjki, Moroccan Spoken Arabic (30,000), Northern Kurdish (40,000), Papiamentu (80,000), Sranan, Tamil (7,000), Tarifit (200,000), Turkish (192,000), Turoyo (4,000), Vietnamese (16,000), Western Farsi (5,000), Western Yiddish (400), Yeniche, Yue Chinese (70,000). Information mainly from B. Comrie 1987; M. Evenhuis 1998; R. Hahn 1996–1998; D. Meijer 1996–1998; M. Stephens 1976. Blind population: 8,000 (1982 WCE). Deaf population: 28,000 to 931,761 (1998). Deaf institutions: 44. The number of individual languages listed for Netherlands is 15. Of those, all are living languages.
| Achterhoeks | [act]
Northeast, Gelderland Province.
Alternate names: Aachterhoeks, Achterhoek.
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
|
| Drents | [drt]
Northeast, Drenthe Province, near Germany border.
Alternate names: Drente.
Dialects: North Drente (Noord-Drents), South Drente (Zuid-Drents).
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
|
| Dutch | [nld]
16,400,000 in Netherlands (2007 CBS). Population total all countries: 21,730,290. Also in Aruba, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia (Java and Bali), Netherlands Antilles, South Africa, Suriname, United States.
Alternate names: Hollands, Nederlands.
Dialects: Northern North Hollandish (Westfries). The variety of Dutch (not Vlaams [vls]) spoken in Belgium is only slightly different from the variety spoken in the Netherlands.
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Franconian
|
| Dutch Sign Language | [dse]
20,000 (1986). 1,500,000 hearing impaired, 15,000 deaf.
Alternate names: Sign Language of the Netherlands, SLN.
Classification: Deaf sign language
|
| Frisian, Western | [fry]
467,000 (2001 census). North, Friesland.
Alternate names: Fries, Frysk.
Dialects: Westerlauwers Fries, Súdhoeksk, Wâldfrysk, Klaaifrysk. Linguistically between Dutch [nld] and English. Lexical similarity: 71% with Standard German, 61% with English, 74% with Eastern Frisian [frs].
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Frisian
|
| Gronings | [gos]
592,000 (2003). Groningen Province.
Alternate names: Groningen, Grunnings.
Dialects: West Groningen (West Gronings), Groningen-East Frisian (Gronings-Oostfries), Veenkoloniaals (Veen Colony), Westerwolds (Westerwold).
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
|
| Limburgish | [lim]
700,000 in Netherlands (2001). Population total all countries: 1,300,000. Limburg Province, Maastricht, Heerlen, Roermond, Venlo. Also in Belgium, Germany.
Alternate names: Limburgan, Limburgian, Limburgic, Limberger, Limburgs Plat.
Dialects: A Rhenisch-Mass group of dialects, often combined with Cleves dialects (Kleverländisch) as ‘Rheinmaasländisch’. Limburgish straddles the borderline between ‘Low Franconian’ and ‘Middle Franconian’ varieties. More-or-less mutually intelligible with Ripuarian dialects, but show fewer ‘High German shifts’ (R. Hahn 2001).
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, West Middle German, Rhenisch Franconian
|
| Romani, Sinte | [rmo]
1,220 in Netherlands (2000).
Dialects: Manouche.
Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Northern
|
| Romani, Vlax | [rmy]
1,000 in Netherlands. 500 Kalderash, 500 Lovari.
Dialects: Kalderash, Lovari.
Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Vlax
|
| Sallands | [sdz]
Northeast, Overijssels Province center, Sallands.
Alternate names: Sallan, Salland.
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
|
| Stellingwerfs | [stl]
Northeast, Stellingwerven region, Friesland Province. Centers are Oosterwolde and Wolvega.
Alternate names: Stellingwarfs, Stellingwerf.
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
|
| Twents | [twd]
Northeast, Overijssels Province; east.
Alternate names: Twente.
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
|
| Veluws | [vel]
Northeast, Gelderland Province.
Alternate names: Veluwe.
Dialects: East Veluws, North Veluws.
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
|
| Vlaams | [vls]
122,000 in Netherlands (1998 U. of Ghent). Province of Zeeland, southernmost island.
Alternate names: Flamand, Flemish, Vlaemsch.
Dialects: West Vlaams, Frans Vlaams (Vlaemsch).
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Franconian
|
| Zeeuws | [zea]
220,000. Zeeland Province, South Holland Province. Islands in Rhine-Scheldt Delta have their own dialects.
Alternate names: Zeaws.
Dialects: Goerees, Flakkees, Schouws, Duvelands, Fluplands, Bevelands, Walchers, Axels, Kezands.
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Franconian
|
Ethnologue: Web |
Ethnologue: Print |
Bibliography |
Publications Catalog |
Software |
Email Updates
Who we are |
Shopping cart |
Site search |
Site map |
Home
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | External links
Copyright © 2012 SIL International (formerly known as the Summer Institute of Linguistics)
