Language
Languages of Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands, Koninkrijk der Nederlanden. 16,645,313. National or official languages: Dutch, Achterhoeks, Drents, Western Frisian, Gronings, Limburgisch, Sinte Romani, Vlax Romani, Sallands, Stellingwerfs, Twents, Veluws, Western Yiddish. Literacy rate: 95% to 99%. Also includes 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, Yeniche, Yue Chinese (70,000). Information mainly from M. Stephens 1976; B. Comrie 1987; R. Hahn 1996–1998; D. Meijer 1996–1998; M. Evenhuis 1998. Blind population: 8,000 (1982 WCE). Deaf population: 28,000 to 931,761 (1998). Deaf institutions: 44. The number of languages listed for Netherlands is 15. Of those, all are living languages.
[act] Northeastern, Gelderland Province. Alternate names: Achterhoek, Aachterhoeks. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon.
Drents
[drt] Drenthe Province, northeastern Netherlands near German 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] 12,360,338 in the Netherlands (2000). Population total all countries: 17,370,777. Also spoken in Aruba, Belgium, France, Germany, Indonesia, Netherlands Antilles, Suriname. Alternate names: Nederlands, Hollands. Dialects: Northern North Hollandish (Westfries). The variety of Dutch (not Vlaams) 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). There are 1,500,000 hearing impaired, 15,000 deaf. Alternate names: Sign Language of the Netherlands, SLN. Classification: Deaf sign language.
Frisian, Western
[fri] 700,000 (1976 Stephens). Population includes 400,000 in Friesland, 300,000 elsewhere. Friesland, northern Netherlands. Alternate names: Frysk, Fries. Dialects: Westerlauwers Fries, Súdhoeksk, Wâldfrysk, Klaaifrysk. Linguistically between Dutch and English. Lexical similarity 71% with Standard German, 61% with English, 74% with Eastern Frisian. 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.
Limburgisch
[lim] 900,000 in the Netherlands (2001). Depending on the city in Netherlands, 50% to 90% of the population speak it (2001 A. Schunck). Population total all countries: 1,500,000. Maastricht, Heerlen, Roermond, Venlo. Also spoken in Belgium, Germany. Alternate names: Limburgs Plat. Dialects: A Rhenisch-Mass group of dialects, now often combined with the Cleves dialects (Kleverländisch) as 'Rheinmaasländisch'. Limburgisch straddles the borderline between 'Low Franconian' and 'Middle Franconian' varieties. They are more-or-less mutually intelligible with the 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] 1,222 in the Netherlands (2000 WCD). Dialects: Manouche. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Northern.
Romani, Vlax
[rmy] 1,000 in the Netherlands. Population includes 500 Kalderash, 500 Lovari. Dialects: Kalderash, Lovari. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Vlax.
Sallands
[sdz] Northeastern, Overijssels Province. Sallands in the Center. Alternate names: Salland, Sallan. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon.
Stellingwerfs
[stl] Northeastern, Stellingwerven Region, Friesland Province. Centers are Oosterwoolde and Wolvege. Alternate names: Stellingwerfstellingwarfs. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon.
Twents
[twd] Northeastern, Overijssels Province. Twents is in the east. Alternate names: Twente. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon.
Veluws
[vel] Northeastern, 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 the Netherlands (1998 U. of Ghent). The Netherlands, southernmost island of the Province of Zeeland. Alternate names: Flamand, Flemish. Dialects: West Vlaams, Frans Vlaams (Vlaemsch). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Franconian.
Zeeuws
[zea] 220,000. The Netherlands: Province of Zeeland, Province of South Holland. (Every island in the Rhine-Scheldt Delta has its own dialect.). Alternate names: Zeaws. Dialects: Goerees, Flakkees, Schouws, Duvelands, Fluplands, Bevelands, Walchers, Axels, Kezands. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Franconian.
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http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=NL
Kingdom of the Netherlands, Koninkrijk der Nederlanden. 16,645,313. National or official languages: Dutch, Achterhoeks, Drents, Western Frisian, Gronings, Limburgisch, Sinte Romani, Vlax Romani, Sallands, Stellingwerfs, Twents, Veluws, Western Yiddish. Literacy rate: 95% to 99%. Also includes 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, Yeniche, Yue Chinese (70,000). Information mainly from M. Stephens 1976; B. Comrie 1987; R. Hahn 1996–1998; D. Meijer 1996–1998; M. Evenhuis 1998. Blind population: 8,000 (1982 WCE). Deaf population: 28,000 to 931,761 (1998). Deaf institutions: 44. The number of languages listed for Netherlands is 15. Of those, all are living languages.
Living languages
Achterhoeks[act] Northeastern, Gelderland Province. Alternate names: Achterhoek, Aachterhoeks. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon.
Drents
[drt] Drenthe Province, northeastern Netherlands near German 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] 12,360,338 in the Netherlands (2000). Population total all countries: 17,370,777. Also spoken in Aruba, Belgium, France, Germany, Indonesia, Netherlands Antilles, Suriname. Alternate names: Nederlands, Hollands. Dialects: Northern North Hollandish (Westfries). The variety of Dutch (not Vlaams) 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). There are 1,500,000 hearing impaired, 15,000 deaf. Alternate names: Sign Language of the Netherlands, SLN. Classification: Deaf sign language.
Frisian, Western
[fri] 700,000 (1976 Stephens). Population includes 400,000 in Friesland, 300,000 elsewhere. Friesland, northern Netherlands. Alternate names: Frysk, Fries. Dialects: Westerlauwers Fries, Súdhoeksk, Wâldfrysk, Klaaifrysk. Linguistically between Dutch and English. Lexical similarity 71% with Standard German, 61% with English, 74% with Eastern Frisian. 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.
Limburgisch
[lim] 900,000 in the Netherlands (2001). Depending on the city in Netherlands, 50% to 90% of the population speak it (2001 A. Schunck). Population total all countries: 1,500,000. Maastricht, Heerlen, Roermond, Venlo. Also spoken in Belgium, Germany. Alternate names: Limburgs Plat. Dialects: A Rhenisch-Mass group of dialects, now often combined with the Cleves dialects (Kleverländisch) as 'Rheinmaasländisch'. Limburgisch straddles the borderline between 'Low Franconian' and 'Middle Franconian' varieties. They are more-or-less mutually intelligible with the 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] 1,222 in the Netherlands (2000 WCD). Dialects: Manouche. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Northern.
Romani, Vlax
[rmy] 1,000 in the Netherlands. Population includes 500 Kalderash, 500 Lovari. Dialects: Kalderash, Lovari. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Vlax.
Sallands
[sdz] Northeastern, Overijssels Province. Sallands in the Center. Alternate names: Salland, Sallan. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon.
Stellingwerfs
[stl] Northeastern, Stellingwerven Region, Friesland Province. Centers are Oosterwoolde and Wolvege. Alternate names: Stellingwerfstellingwarfs. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon.
Twents
[twd] Northeastern, Overijssels Province. Twents is in the east. Alternate names: Twente. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon.
Veluws
[vel] Northeastern, 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 the Netherlands (1998 U. of Ghent). The Netherlands, southernmost island of the Province of Zeeland. Alternate names: Flamand, Flemish. Dialects: West Vlaams, Frans Vlaams (Vlaemsch). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Franconian.
Zeeuws
[zea] 220,000. The Netherlands: Province of Zeeland, Province of South Holland. (Every island in the Rhine-Scheldt Delta has its own dialect.). Alternate names: Zeaws. Dialects: Goerees, Flakkees, Schouws, Duvelands, Fluplands, Bevelands, Walchers, Axels, Kezands. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Franconian.
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http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=NL
