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Dutch Language Facts

If you’re thinking about learning Dutch it’s always good to know a little about the origins and history of the language you are learning. Here, Cactus Language offers up our most interesting Dutch language facts:

  • Dutch
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5 Interesting Dutch Language Facts

1. The Dutch language is a West Germanic language

The Dutch language derived from the Frankish language, which also influenced Old French. The earliest documents written in Dutch date from the 12th century.

2. There are 28 million Dutch speakers worldwide

22 million of Dutch speakers are native speakers. Dutch is mostly spoken in the Netherlands and Belgium, where it has official status, as well as in the Dutch Antilles and Suriname.

3. Several Dutch words made it into English

The Dutch words made it into English often via the Dutch colons settling in the American colonies in the 17th century. Examples of Dutch loanwords include apartheid, bamboo, bazooka, blink, bluff, brandy, coleslaw, cookie, cruise, drill, gherkin, gin, iceberg, Santa Claus and waffel.

4. As a Germanic language, Dutch has numerous compound words

Compound words are words created by adding up several smaller words. Such words include:

5. Dutch has incorporated many foreign words

Borrowed words actually account for 75% of Dutch, with most words originating from French. Many of these still have the same spelling as in French, for example capuchon (“hood of a coat”), chantage (“blackmail”), horloge (“clock”), jus d’orange (“orange juice”), pantalon (“trousers”), and plafond (“ceiling”).

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