So the people who live in the Netherlands = Dutch = people who live in Holland? Holland and the Netherlands aren’t the same thing, or are they? I can never get it straight.
thanks.
/There are only 2 things I hate in this world; people who can’t stand other people’s cultures, and the Dutch.
*Austin powers.
By: tenthije - 4th May 2004 at 19:04
I’d write out a witty response, but I have to be quiet for 2 minutes to commemorate the death of WW2.
(any excuse will work, no?)
By: Stieglitz - 4th May 2004 at 18:59
Ah der Nederlands.. the the worst Low country I’ve ever been to..
I never seen such a unisex country in my life!!
Aw! That must hurt for tenthije!
Maybe that was the reason why we wanted to be independant from them? 😀
By: F-18 Hamburger - 4th May 2004 at 18:53
Ah der Nederlands.. the the worst Low country I’ve ever been to..
I never seen such a unisex country in my life!!
By: Arthur - 4th May 2004 at 18:49
The Netherlands are actually misused. In fact, the Netherlands are both the country it is today AND Belgium. In fact, Belgium is just latin for the Netherlands. Theoretically spoken, both countries mean the same, only in different language.
Not entirely true. The name Belgium has nothing to do with the ‘name’ Lower Countries (meaning the countries at the combined estuaries of the Rhine, Maas, Schelde and IJssel rivers), but it was used by the Romans in their time to denote the area inhabited by the Celts of the Belgae tribe. They lived in the Low Countries, south of the Maas/Rhine rivers. To the North (which was never officially occupied by the Romans) the Batavirs lived. The territories of Belgiae and the Low Countries as such do not overlap.
When Belgium was a republic (for a while) back in 1789 it was named the United Dutch States (Etats-Unis Belges), the Netherlands were called the United Provinces of the Netherlands, or short ‘The Republic’. Very confusing, not?
I didn’t know that. I know the name Belgium was reinstated for the southern part of The Netherlands (or the former Spanish Netherlands if you will) during era of the French Revolution, a revolution-bandwagon which was gladly jumped upon by the former Spanish Netherlands. But the United Provinces/The Republic by then were effectively in a civil war between Royalists and Republicans: there hardly was a country to speak of.
However, there IS a big difference. If there’s one thing I’ll do in the UEFA-cup it’ll be burning that ugly, hideus orange flag :D. Naah
Please let me join in, in burning that flag! Besides, the nerve with which the Dutch royal family still names itself after a French airbase even though they lost that airbase during the reign of Louis XIV…:D
Ohh and one last remark. ‘Dutch’ in ‘Dutch’ means Dietsch which is German. The language should be renamed Netherlandish, or else, Arthurian 😀
Yep. Dutch = Dietsch = Lower German. In the Middle Ages when the Low Countries were still part of the German Empire, the languages started evolving separately. Lower German from the lower Rhine/Maas area became Dutch, Upper German from upstream the Rhine river became the official language of the hundreds of German mini-states. That’s where the official nam Hochdeutsch (=High German) has it’s origin.
Dutch and Flemish are one and the same language btw, and (although definately confusing) Dutch is the proper name of that language, being closer to it’s original than the Dutch translation of “Nederlands” (=Netherlandish). There are a few Dutch dialects which can be/should be/are considered a separate language though. Most notably West Flamish (Ben, you can make any sense out of Flip Kowlier? I don’t!), Frisian (already acknowledged) and the two Limburgian dialects (which in itself are far too regionally differing to make any sense of at all).
By: Geforce - 4th May 2004 at 18:48
I still think “the Netherlands” are both your and my country. Low lands is more a geographical term. Before 1588 the whole area was known as the Netherlands, and only because the northern provinces could be sepperated they took over the name ‘Netherlands’. However, it’s also ours 😀 (no heartfeelings though).
By: tenthije - 4th May 2004 at 18:42
yes
By: Hand87_5 - 4th May 2004 at 18:39
BTW Ben , where is this Orange color coming from?
Is it from the Orange House dynasty?
By: tenthije - 4th May 2004 at 18:28
The Netherlands are actually misused. In fact, the Netherlands are both the country it is today AND Belgium
Close, but not entirely. The Netherlands is The Netherlands. The country next to Germany and above Belgium. The combination of The Netherlands and Belgium is called “the low countries”. Add in Luxemburg and you get the BeNeLux.
Just like in Dutch/Flemish where you have “Nederland” and “de lage landen”.
By: google - 4th May 2004 at 18:23
Thanks Geforce. Makes sense now.
By: Geforce - 4th May 2004 at 18:19
Holland is a province of the Netherlands. Just as not all British are English. However, Holland has always been the most important provice, though people from Utrecht, Groningen etc will probably feel different.
The Netherlands are actually misused. In fact, the Netherlands are both the country it is today AND Belgium. In fact, Belgium is just latin for the Netherlands. Theoretically spoken, both countries mean the same, only in different language.
When Belgium was a republic (for a while) back in 1789 it was named the United Dutch States (Etats-Unis Belges), the Netherlands were called the United Provinces of the Netherlands, or short ‘The Republic’. Very confusing, not?
However, there IS a big difference. If there’s one thing I’ll do in the UEFA-cup it’ll be burning that ugly, hideus orange flag :D. Naah
Ohh and one last remark. ‘Dutch’ in ‘Dutch’ means Dietsch which is German. The language should be renamed Netherlandish, or else, Arthurian 😀
Sign In
May 4, 2004 at 6:13 pm