From: Baltissen, R (Ruud) (ruud.baltissen_at_abp.nl)
Date: 2003-01-30 09:40:05
Hallo Jurgen,
> Where the word Dutch comes from.
From the same origin as the word "Deutsch". German and Dutsch originates
from one common language: Diets. And this is because around 400 AD there was
this mass moving of people and most of the Netherlands got occupied by
German tribes. This is one of the reasons why the top of the Netherlands was
occupied by the Frisians. Some were fast and ended up in the province of
Holland, others were slow and got stuck in Germany, the now famous
"Ost-Friesen" :).
But the language evolved and in the middle ages
Dutch/Niederlaendisch/Nederlands was refered to as "neder-Diets". "Neder"
means "low", so that's why we are refered to as "the low countries". In
French: "les Pays Bas". I first thought that "nether" was the English
pronounciations of "neder" but my English dictionary proved that it is a
normal English word. But I must say that I never have seen it in other
combinations than as in "Netherlands".
But in time the Dutch didn't refer to there language as "Diets" but rather
prefered "Nederlands" or, more wellknown, "Hollands". FYI: Holland is only a
province of the Netherlands (or better, two). But it was the most wellknown
one in the 16th and 17th century and therefor became the synonym for the
whole country.
Up-river the language was refered to as "hoog-Diets" or Upper-Diets. So the
word Diets became Dutch in Englisch and Deutsch in German. I'm quite sure
the English used the Word "Dutch" already in the 16th century. But AFAIK
they refered to the Germans as so only after the unification in 1871. Before
they refered to the various kingdoms that existed at that time like Bavaria,
Habsburg and Saxon.
Most probably known but for sure: the word "German" originates from Latin as
the Romans named this part of Europe "Germania". With "this part" I mean
nowadays Germany and the part of the Nethetlands above the Rhine and
Maas/Meuse.
--
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