#from a cultural & linguistic & political standpoint there's just So much going on

[fluentisonus]

everybody's a theatre nerd on here until it's time to appreciate that comedy as a medium is just as rich & fascinating & culturally important as tragedy

[writingwithcolor]

Using names of real places in Fantasy, but no actual connection to the cultures or languages (Japanese, French, Greek)

@inksperks​ said:

Hello! I have a fantasy story that focuses on two distinct kingdoms. The first uses greek names and the other uses french and japanese names, but each kingdom has its own culture and languages that are explicitly not from those or any other irl cultures. Is it problematic to use just the names in a fantasy setting?

More like it makes no sense from a worldbuilding standpoint. 

Are these languages conlangs that sound/look like French/Japanese/Greek? Or are these languages entirely different conlangs, with featured names in the story that happen to work with French/Japanese/Greek phonology or are coincidentally the same? 

I also wonder what your consonant inventory & syllable structures look in the one that supposedly mixes Japanese & French. Also morphology! For place names especially you’re going to have to consider that these languages form new words out of morphemes VERY differently. 

Greek & French-Japanese are V E R Y different languages (though Greek and French are very distantly related through Indo-European). If these two kingdoms are in areal proximity to each other, what makes their languages so different? Is there a geographic barrier (like a mountain range) that isolated them and allowed for divergence over a long time depth? 

If these kingdoms trade with each other or interact, you’re going to get a lot of crossover in the vocabulary via borrowing, especially for borrowable semantic domains like luxury goods, non-native flora & fauna, cultural terms, etc. This is especially if the two kingdoms have a political history. 

Are you prepared to do this research? Are you prepared to think very hard about the conditions that make this linguistic landscape even remotely possible? Methinks that, rather than hitting “random country/language generator” to build your worlds, you should put in the work to come up with one solid naming conlang that has some slight variation across the neighbouring kingdoms’ languages. If you want to go the route where there is sufficient geographic isolation and you can justify there being divergence, then you can make two naming conlangs, but I would really reconsider your choices in the source/inspiration languages. 

Here’s my guide on conlanging a “naming” language which is essentially the bare minimum bones you need for internally consistent fantasy language names (people, places, things). 

~ Mod Rina

Echoing Rina, this world-building makes no sense to me. Here are my thoughts from a non-linguistic/ storytelling standpoint. Firstly, there’s the issue of dissonance. Language contains a great deal of data about a culture that helps us better understand how the society using the language operates. Thus, as a reader, I think I would be struck by the disconnection between the cultural “feel” of your individual kingdoms and the languages employed. Secondly, effective coding often relies on passive details from visible aspects of the culture (like language) to allow the readers to use their imagination to fill in the gaps that the author does not explicitly detail on their own. By dismembering language from culture, you, as the author, are going to have to be very literal and do much of the heavy lifting in your descriptions. Please consider rethinking, and re-submit once you are better able to justify this approach. 

PSA to all of our users: This lack of clarity w/r to intent has been a general issue with many recent questions. please remember that if you don’t explain your motivations and what you intend to communicate to your audience with your plot choices, character attributes, world-building etc., we cannot effectively advise you beyond the information you provide. We Are Not Mind Readers. If, when drafting these questions, you realize you can’t explain your motivations, that is likely a hint that you need to think more on the rationales for your narrative decisions. My recommendation is to read our archives and articles on similar topics for inspiration while you think. I will be attaching this PSA to all asks with similar issues until the volume of such questions declines. 

-Marika. 

[wordsnstuff]

Guide to Writing Fantasy

PLEASE REBLOG | Tumblr suppresses posts with links :/

Patreon || Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress

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How Much World Building?

World building is highly subjective, and at the end of the day, to each is his/her own. However, as with anything, there should be balance. Even the most dense, infamously complicated fantasy worlds are accompanied with characters and conflicts that are just as rich and thoughtful. The amount of world building should be proportional to the amount of development you provide to your characters and plot. Otherwise, you’ve just made up an imaginary kingdom and inserted some of your friends with misspelled names riding horses. 

Basing In Reality/History

Almost all fantasy has some basis or inspiration drawn from real historical periods or culture. It’s a good jumping off point, and there’s a lot of room to work with historical periods that we have few or no firsthand record of. If you’re going to take this route, it’s important that you distinguish between taking creative liberties and giving history the middle finger. If you’re basing your fantasy novel in 1300′s Scotland, there’s something to be said for taking the culture, politics, and technological advancements of that time into account. If you’re going to turn around and decide that’s not the era for your story, just base it in Scotland. Basically, the limitations on the elements of your story that is “based in” historical periods lay in your hands. However, if you market your story as “set in 12th century Scotland”, you’d better be writing 12th century Scotland. 

Approaching Constructed Language

Conlangs are a popular facet to a lot of popular Fantasy/Science Fiction media, specifically those that are adapted to film and television. Although Science Fiction work is typically more invested in constructed languages, Fantasy has a lot of conlangs in the fashion of semi-developed conlangs that are created solely for the purpose of creating diversity within worlds. Game of Thrones and Lord of The Rings are both prime examples of this, although they have, over time, developed their constructed languages into fully learnable/functional dialects in fan service. If you wish to approach this topic, it’s easy to begin by researching basic linguistics, the anatomy of a language, and drawing inspiration from the commonalities between languages of the cultures that inspire your fictional groups.  

Basic World Building Must-Haves

It’s important that when you’re building a world, either from scratch or on the foundation of an existent inspiration, you consider the following elements that make your world three-dimensional and rich:

Politics

Geography

Language

Culture

Expression

Belief Systems

Class

Resources

Values

Power

Creating Magic Systems

This is complicated and nuanced as it gets. When inserting magic into any world, it’s worthy to note how it affects individuals, groups, and large-scale structure. I’ve got more on this in several other posts, so I’ve put my more comprehensive resources here:

Tips on Creating Magic Systems

Putting Limitations On Your Fictional World

Common Struggles

~ Where do I start researching for a story inspired by another culture?... Learn about the culture in depth before taking inspiration. Unfortunately, when most artists “take inspiration” from other cultures, it results in the lazy regurgitation of stereotypes. If you’re going to take inspiration from a culture, especially one that is heavily marginalized by the culture you identify with, come at it from an educated standpoint and work from there. Do not start with a stereotypical version of that culture and then find facts to back up whatever you’ve imagined as you go. Approach it as you would any other topic, with respect and a genuine desire to provide an accurate portrayal in your story. 

~ How do I outline a story that spans multiple books?... Simple. Make the conflict more nuanced and difficult to resolve. Game of Thrones, for example, is a relatively simple concept (several families and powerful figures fighting to rule over the seven kingdoms) made complicated and high-stakes by the addition of several critical aspects, such as the relationships between said families/figures, the commentary on several societal issues such as class, the nature of power, and the human cost of the battle for power, and finally, complicating the politics and geography of the world to foster more obstacles for the key players. 

~ How do I use world building to develop characters?... All characters are a product of their environment, which includes the geographical consequences, the political climate, and the human trends that result from cultural developments over time. All of these aspects come together to form a vibrant, three-dimensional world in which they explore their conflict. Establishing these factors through revealing the consequences they’ve had for the characters is effective (i.e. Game of Thrones), as is developing the characters through exposing them to the specific experience of living in the world you’ve created (i.e. Harry Potter). 

~ How can I avoid harmful cultural appropriation?... Research thoroughly and seek the help of sensitivity readers. People who are specifically qualified to read your work in the search of harmful aspects you may miss are crucial in writing fiction and non-fiction works alike. Start with a good basis of knowledge and background on the subject(s) addressed in your writing, and then get a few outside opinions from people who well and truly know what they’re talking about. 

~ How to make fight scenes between magic users exciting and dynamic... Choreograph stage business effectively and make sure that the flashiness of your description has a purpose. People’s movements in fast-paced, high-stakes action are very telling of their personalities, motivations, and a culmination of their idiosyncrasies. Learn this language of non-verbal communication, the language of the body, and use that to send a subtextual message to your readers. These scenes should be character driven, or they’re just filler for the sake of calling your fantasy novel an action/adventure. 

Other Resources

Guide To Writing Historical Fiction | Part II

Guide To Political World Building

Resources For Worldbuilding

Where To Start With World Building

Tackling Subplots

Tips on Planning A Series

Creating Diverse Otherworld Characters

Tips on Introducing Political Backstory

World Building In Historical Fiction

Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : High Middle Ages & Renaissance

Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : 1600s

Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : 1700s

Resources For Writing (Global) Period Pieces : 1800s

Resources For Fantasy/Mythology Writers

20 Mistakes To Avoid in Fantasy

How To Make The Journey Interesting

General Tips on Chase Scenes

Tips on Writing Fight Scenes

Tips on Writing Chase Scenes

Guide To Writing Forbidden Love

Finding And Fixing Plot Holes

Ultimate Guide To Symbolism

Tips on Balancing Development

Writing Intense Scenes

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Masterlist | WIP Blog

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[omoi-no-hoka]

A friend told me that when a native Japanese comments on your Nihongo speaking by saying きれいな言葉 (kirei na kotoba), it's not really a compliment and is contrary to what the phrase literally means. If this phrase is directed to someone, what's the most polite reaction/action that the person should have/do next?

Hmm. This is a very interesting ask. I wonder if your friend is a Japanese person or a non-native speaker, because it’s not a compliment I’ve heard much. To be honest, receiving praise about my Japanese is a huge pet peeve of mine, so I’d like to delve into this topic a little bit. Let me talk about why they praise us even when all we say is a simple “arigatou,” and then how you can respond to that praise.

Note: You will see me refer to “foreigners” (a.k.a. “Non-Japanese people) as “gaijin” in this article. “Gaijin” （外人） is a truncated version of “gaikokujin” 外国人 (a person from outside of Japan). By removing the middle “koku” (country), we are left with the word gaijin, which literally translates to “outsider.”

Some people see this as an offensive term, and I am one of them. So when I use the word “gaijin,” I do it order to highlight how foreigners are truly viewed as “outsiders” in certain circumstances by certain Japanese people. 

Note 2: You are WAY more likely to receive praise if you clearly do not look Japanese. This post is told from my perspective, a girl so white she freaking glows in the dark.

Stereotypes of Gaijin Held by Japanese People

If you go to Japan and try to use Japanese, no matter how fluent or non-fluent you are, you will be complimented on your Nihongo by Japanese strangers. Japanese people are very quick to give compliments even if all you say is a simple “arigatou gozaimasu.” As a people they are polite and complimentary, and they appreciate even small gestures like you taking the time to learn “arigatou” even though you’re a tourist, for example. Some of these compliments are sincere, and other times they say it because even if your Japanese isn’t good, at least you’re trying, and they appreciate the effort. 

There are quite a few TV shows in Japan that capitalize on gaijin in Japan, such as “YOU wa nani shi ni Nippon he?” (Why did YOU come to Japan?) in which they scavenge for interesting gaijin at airports and follow them on their trips. (I was once picked up for this show, but when I was like, “Yo I’m just going back home to Hokkaido and starting up work tomorrow,” they were like, “oh, you are not the gaijin image that we want to show Japan” and ditched me lol.)

Basically, most of these shows like to capitalize on a very particular image of gaijin:

They cannot speak Japanese, or at most can only speak broken Japanese, and they certainly can’t read Japanese

They cannot use chopsticks well

They do not like/fully appreciate Japanese food, like raw fish, meat, or eggs

They generally do not understand Japanese customs. (I watched one episode about a hippie dude who was walking around Japan BAREFOOT. BAREFOOT. ENTERING SHOPS AND PLACES WITHOUT SHOES ON, FEET FILTHY. He said, “Japanese people are so nice--no one minds if I come in barefoot.” THEY DO MIND, YOU INGRATE. THEY’RE JUST TOO POLITE TO TELL YOU TO GET THE EFF OUT. Who knows how many Japanese people think that Americans think it’s okay to walk around barefoot now, even though we have “No shoes no shirt no service” signs everywhere for this very purpose!)

Only 3% of the Japanese population is non-Japanese. This means that many, many Japanese people have never met a gaijin in person and base their assumptions of us entirely off the media and the stereotypes proliferated there. 

One of the things Japanese people (and most other people in the world, for that matter) mistakenly believe is that Japanese is the hardest language in the world to learn. 

Real talk: from an unbiased, purely linguistic standpoint, there is no such thing as a “hard” or “easy” language. There is such a thing as “linguistic distance,” which measures how much one language and another differs. For example, Italian and Spanish share so much grammar and similar vocabulary that their distance is short. Conversely, there is a substantial linguistic distance between Spanish and Korean.

However, a short linguistic distance does not equal “easy to learn.” 

Japanese is quite distant from all languages other than Korean. And yeah, kanji’s a bitch. I won’t argue with you there. But from personal experience, as a native English speaker, I found German harder to learn than Japanese, despite German being much linguistically closer to my native language. It all varies from person to person. 

But many Japanese people will tell you, “Japanese is so hard, isn’t it? It’s so impressive that you can speak it. It’s the hardest language.” And then their eyeballs drop out of their sockets when you tell them that you can read tHe KaNjI as well. 

Many Japanese people are convinced that not only is Japanese the hardest language in the world, but also almost no foreigners are able to speak it. This, coupled with their culture of politeness, leads them to be quick to praise our use of Japanese, no matter how good or bad it is. 

And therein lies my pet peeve with quick praise. Just a simple “arigatou gozaimasu” and some Japanese people will fawn over how sugoi your nihongo is, and in my eyes it sort of diminishes the actual level of sugoi my nihongo is. If that makes sense lol. I guess I just wish that people would treat me like a fellow Japanese person instead of a gaijin.

Common Praise

Here are some common phrases you might hear if someone is impressed with your Japanese, listed roughly from most common to least:

日本語がとてもお上手ですね！ Nihongo ga totemo ojouzu desu ne! You are very good at Japanese!

日本語ペラペラですね！ Nihongo perapera desu ne! You’re fluent in Japanese!

日本人みたいに喋れるじゃん！ Nihonjin mitai ni shabereru jan! You can speak just like a Japanese person!

日本人より日本語喋れるじゃん！ Nihonjin yori nihongo shabereru jan! You speak Japanese better than Japanese people do!

ナマリがまったくない！ Namari ga mattaku nai! You don’t have an accent at all!

発音がきれいです！ Hatsuon ga kirei desu! Your pronunciation is beautiful!

綺麗なお言葉です。 Kireina okotoba desu. You speak beautifully.

Y’know, I don’t think I’ve ever heard that last compliment before. To me, it sounds a little...stiff. Like maybe something an employee at a store would say to the customer who is trying to talk to them, and the employee is trying to be polite, but may not be 100% sincere. Sometimes that stiff, formal Japanese hides a person’s true warmth, though, so it’s a bit hard to tell. 

How to Respond to Praise

In America, if you are praised, it is common to reply with a “Thank you,” and then you can follow that up with a sign of humility or pride, like “Thank you, but I still have a lot to learn,” or “Thank you, I’ve been studying for a few years now!”

However, in Japan, you do not thank them. Instead, you contradict them. If someone says, “You are very good at Japanese!” you are meant to say “No, I’m not at all.”

This is not only limited to praise regarding Japanese. If someone says your outfit looks cute, you should say something like, “Really? This shirt is so old it’s about to get holes in it.” If someone says you are good at sports you should say, “Oh no, I’m terribly clumsy. Today must be a lucky day.” For example.

If they continue to praise you a second time, deny it again. 

If they praise you a third time, then you can say something like, “It’s thanks to you,” or “I’ve had a lot of help to get to this point.” Basically, you make sure that you are not prideful, and you give credit to those around you.

Japanese culture appreciates humility over pride, and puts others before oneself. These two facets of culture greatly shape nearly every social interaction.

Here are some things you can say if someone praises your Japanese:

いえいえ、まだ勉強中です！ Ie ie, mada benkyou-chuu desu! No no, I’m still learning!

いえいえ、まだまだです。 Ie ie, mada-mada desu. No no, I still have a long way to go.

いえいえ、そんなことないです。 Ie ie, sonna koto nai desu. No no, not at all.

My favorite is the “benkyou-chuu” one, because I’ll be studying Japanese until the day I die. 

As an extra little thing to make you even more natural, when you say the “ie ie,” do this hand motion (and not the facial expression lol):

This little hand wave in front of the face, with the tip of your middle finger at the same height as the tip of your nose, is a Japanese hand gesture that means...man, how do I put this into words?

“No no, you are thinking too highly of me” or “No no, don’t go to such trouble for me” or “No no, I’m fine, thank you.” It’s a super handy gesture!

HAH, “handy”

Anyways. You can use this gesture when you are declining praise, but you can also use it at a restaurant, for example. Maybe a waitress asks, “Do you want another beer?” And you can give the little hand wave and a smile to mean, “I’m good, thanks.” You can also say “Kekkou desu” as you do the motion.

Hope this post was of use to you!

[epistolizer]

Hit & Run Commentary #135

Cal Thomas is now flagellating himself over the specter of White privilege as lamented in his column titled “America’s Reckoning With Racism”. If he is really so concerned about this why doesn’t he surrender his influential position in the media to a minority? Readers should also note that he selected the luxury of Florida in which to live out his golden years rather than the squalor of one America’s ghettos in which he would have been able to actualize the values he demands of the rest of us such as the willingness to be verbally denounced and berated by those we have allegedly oppressed.

So do media propagandists jacked out of shape over the use of tear gas and pepper spray to disperse riotous protesters intend to articulate condemnation as rigorous of Antifa’s strategy to gouge out eyes?

Do those claiming to support Black Lives Matter really support the cause when asked or fear bodily harm and vandalized property?

Regarding municipalities and jurisdictions threatening to disband police departments in order to placate riotous mobs demanding astronomical welfare handouts categorized as social programs: will those breaking the law in such areas still be apprehended or taken into custody? If so, even if under the banner of another name, aren’t those still the functions of a police department?

With the abolition or defunding of police departments, Whites have even more justification to flee urbanized areas leaving them to further decay and blight.

Apparently mobs marching through the streets are enough to get technocrats to ease the rigors of the plague cult. Perhaps churches ought to begin holding mass decentralized public worship meetings not directly linked to any one congregation surrounded by armed militias. If left unaccosted, such would not be violent.

Given that Black Lives Matter only gets jacked out of shape when those of a certain ethnic composition get mistreated by the police, doesn’t that expose how inherently racist that movement is?

If protesters carry signs with language deemed linguistically inappropriate, the media shouldn’t blur the image. Don’t these liberal journalists any other time insist upon how obligated oppressors are to listen to these disenfranchised COMMUNITIES expressing THEIR TRUTH unfiltered?

During protest coverage, media propagandists informed that certain images had to be blurred to protect viewers and their families from alleged profanity. Too bad the media is not as decisive about rendering judgment against the destruction and theft of private property

Media propagandists said that the profanity on protest signs had to be blurred so as not to harm viewers at home. But is it about protecting viewers or out of concern that seeing such might shock the average American that usually doesn’t consider the implications of this subversive element regarding how there is an effort underway to implement a worldview of demoniac tyranny formulated in the bowels of Sheol itself.

Protesters are demanding funds from cut police budgets be redirected towards jobs and education. Yet those calling for such will barely work or pursue academics as it is. Often these behavioral choices are denounced among such demographics as “acting White”.

Veggie Tales creator Phil Vischer has criticized the conservative response to violent protests as valuing property over lives. Wonder if he would respond the same way if the target had been a warehouse full of his anthropomorphized produce DVD’s and related licensed merchandise?

In its streamed service, a church posted a slide that in person worship would not resume until later in the summer. Then perhaps the next song sung by the worship band should not have contained the lyric that to die for Christ is gain? Because doesn’t that propositional juxtaposition indicate they really don’t mean it and are just as much afraid to croak as nearly every other slob on the street?

As much as these churches are harping about race, don’t be surprised if after lock down quite a few White pewfillers simply don’t come back.

If the government and private enterprise imposing the policies of such (the definition of fascism) can coerce you into wearing a mask in the name of public health, what is so wrong with assorted laws and regulations intended to punish sexual contact outside of heterosexual marriage in the name of disease prevention? Granted, such laws would be near impossible to enforce from a standpoint of practicality. However, that is not usually the position that they are argued against. Rather, it is claimed such regulations infringe upon matters of personal choice even when the health of another individual is involved, the very principle that has been curtailed to a disturbing extent in the Age of Plague.

It it was immoral to stoke fear of disease in the name of promoting abstinence, why is it moral to stoke fear of disease to coerce compliance with a variety of social distancing measures?

A Confederate monument was preemptively demolished in Decatur, Georgia on the grounds that allowing an incompetent band of hooligans that had probably never even held a powertool prior to being overcome with the current fit of revolutionary madness could imperil public safety. So wouldn’t it be prudent to also remove assorted Martin Luther King or Barack Obama commemorative statuary for similar reasons out of an abundance of caution?

At the Trump campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, attendees were allowed to decide for themselves whether or not they would wear a mask. Medical establishment functionaries (many of which no one elected to office or not even employed as part of the civil service) issued numerous pronouncements decreeing that those deciding not to conceal their countenances in the proscribed manner were threatening the lives of those with compromised immune systems. But unlike a supermarket, one does not possess a compelling necessity to attend a political rally in order to continue one’s existence or maintain one’s quality of life. As such, so long as the individual is fully cognizant that masks will not be required at a particular venue or event, doesn’t there come a point where the individual needs to shoulder some of the responsibility for their own healthcare maintenance rather than to pawn that obligation off on everybody else? After all, haven’t we been told for decades now that if you don’t want your mind or soul soiled by filthy media, then don’t tune into such productions? Likewise, if you are afraid of picking up a disease in a place that the purpose in being there is more of a pleasure than a necessity, perhaps you ought consider not going there in the first place.

Commissar Cuomo is categorizing the removal of the Theodore Roosevelt statue at the Museum of Natural History in New York as an act of love. How long until mass executions or the seizure of the property of designated counterrevolutionary thought criminals will categorized as an act of love?

On Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace remarked that, in light of the NFL’s reversal on the national anthem and the call to rename a number of military bases, a cultural shift is underway. But are these changes something that the vast majority want? Or is it that they afraid to question such proposals out of fear of riots and looting on the part of violent subversives?

If we are to be so gripped with fear of violent retaliation on the part of apoplectic activists (for that is rather the reason than belief in diversity and inclusion) to the point that White thespians can no longer be allowed to perform voiceovers for cartoon characters of color, do the producers of the musical Hamilton intend to replace the Black actor that performed that eponymous role with a White one to more accurately depict the historically documented image of that particular Founding Father?

Perennial rabble rouser Al Sharpton insists it is an outrage to have someone to pay taxes to provide for commemorative statues of individuals that fought to keep that taxpayer enslaved. Maybe so. But given that it has been documented that Sharpton is profoundly delinquent in regards to the taxes he owes, he obviously doesn’t have as much going towards that particular budgetary outlay as he dupes his deluded followers into believing. Shouldn’t this multimillionaire having flouted his fiscal obligations be the even greater outrage?

On the Five, establishmentatian mouthpiece Dana Perino called for a moratorium on all conspiracy theories. In other words, we are obligated to believe without question any information handed down to us by government or those institutions in league with it at the highest levels such as academia, multinational industry, and the mainstream media. Who is to say what constitutes a conspiracy? This time several years ago, had someone pronounced that a virus would be invoked to keep you under near house arrest, your face swaddled like a jihadist concubine, and vast swaths of the economy nearly destroyed, they would have also been denounced as a conspiracy theorist.

By Frederick Meekins

[maryanntorreson]

The Top 5 Reasons To Learn Dutch

Why learn Dutch, you may ask? Well, from a practical utility standpoint, it may not seem immediately obvious why you should learn a language that doesn’t give you access to a significant geographical swath of the world, not to mention one that doesn’t fall on the list of most useful languages in business. However, Dutch isn’t especially arduous for English speakers to learn — in fact, you may choose to embark on this linguistic journey simply because it’s enjoyable and interesting.

Why Learn Dutch?

Reason 1: Speaking English Gives You An Advantage

The journey you undertake when you start learning a new language can seem daunting at first. Learning Dutch, however, is akin to a jaunty walk on the beach when compared to the grueling, uphill marathons that other languages represent.

Dutch is a comparatively easy language for English speakers to learn because it’s one of the closest living relatives to English. They’re like old friends: both are West Germanic languages, meaning that from a structural point of view even a complete beginner can unravel simple Dutch sentences with much greater ease than Polish or Spanish sentences.

Here’s an example:

Exhibit A: Wat is jouw naam?

Translation: What is your name?

Nothing tricky there, right?

There are also thousands of cognates between English and Dutch that will become the sturdy Dutch backbone of your foray into the language. The sweet-toothed among you will smack your lips at the thought of eating koekjes (cookies) and wafels (waffles) at the side of the canal on a crisp spring morning in Amsterdam. And those fluent in political jargon will be bowled over to learn that “filibuster” comes from the Dutch vrijbuiter, which means “pirate” or “freebooter.”

Also, because the Dutch haven’t resisted the creeping infiltration of Anglicisms into their language, you’ll hear a lot of English loan words being spoken by your new Dutch friends. I experienced this Anglofone advantage first-hand while enjoying a gorgeous Belgian cherry-flavored stout in a cutesy pub in Gent. I’m sitting there next to the fireplace, sipping my beer, when the guy sitting at the table next to me waves his hands excitedly in the air and proclaims to his friend, “Je moet out of the box denken!” (You’ve got to think outside of the box).

Ironically, with Dutch, you don’t have to think too far outside of the box.

Reason 2: Gain 23 Million New Friends

Dutch is the third largest Germanic language after English and German, with a diaspora of 23 million native speakers stretching from Europe to South America, as well as an additional 4 million who speak it as a second language.

Of course, Amsterdam springs to mind when you think about Dutch, but learning the language can also set you off on an linguistic adventure that can take you to the Flemish region of Belgium, to the rainforests of Suriname, and to the gorgeous Caribbean islands of Aruba, Saint Maarten and Curaçao.

Reason 3: Afrikaans And Dutch — 2 Languages For The Price Of 1?

I’d be failing in our duty if I neglected to give an honorable mention to Afrikaans, because if you learn Dutch then you’re giving yourself a heck of a leg up with Afrikaans too.

The Afrikaans language was brought to South Africa and Namibia by the Boers (Dutch farmers — the Dutch word for farmer being boer), and it slowly evolved over time from a motley assortment of Dutch dialects to the modern Afrikaans that is spoken by approximately 17 million people today. There are differences in vocabulary of course, and certainly in pronunciation, but going from Dutch to Afrikaans is not too much of a linguistic trek (dankie to Afrikaans for that loanword), because the written language remains largely intelligible to Dutch speakers.

Reason 4: Develop A Deeper Connection To Dutch And Flemish Culture

Fancy experiencing some nostalgia for totaalvoetbal by attending an intense De Klassieker derby between Ajax and Feyenoord? Or maybe you’d prefer to sample some local brews from an authentic Flemish Trappist Monastery?

Ask your average person what they know about the Netherlands or Belgium, and they’ll tell you the same old clichéd stereotypes of Heineken-fueled stag nights in Amsterdam and chocolate-induced sugar rushes on the cobbled streets of Bruges. But there’s so much more to discover if you’re willing to dip your feet into Dutch!

If you’ve just moved to the Netherlands or Belgium, then speaking Dutch will instantly transform you into a rare breed of expat. You’ll connect with your Dutch friends and colleagues on a much deeper level, appreciate and understand the culture around you to a much greater extent, and you’ll certainly stand out from the weed-smoking international crowds that throng the backstreets of Amsterdam’s Red Light District.

Reason 5: Dutch Is So Much Fun To Speak!

Why learn Dutch if you can’t sound cool doing it? Let’s be blunt here — Dutch sounds particularly badass, and it’s insanely cool to speak. In-fact, you could say that “Oranje is the new black.”

French might sound effortlessly suave, and Italian makes a strong claim for the title of “sexiest-sounding language ever,” but Dutch has a unique sound that will give your throat and tongue a good workout. Nothing sounds like Dutch, but that’s what makes the language so much fun to pronounce! To prove this, I’ll let the Dutch do the talking:

Dutch: “Knaap, de knappe kapper, kapt knap“

English: “Knaap, the smart-looking hairdresser, styles (hair) beautifully“

If that doesn’t look like a fun sentence to speak then check your wrist for a pulse.

Bonus Reason: High-School German Skills To The Rescue!

If you’re an English speaker with a fair grasp of German, then you don’t need to be a clever clogs to learn Dutch.

The language, much like the Netherlands itself, falls roughly halfway between English and German, so you’ll find that as you start learning Dutch, those old German lessons you took in school will help with Dutch grammar and vocabulary. Plus, if you’ve managed to conquer the minefield that is German word order, then Gefeliciteerd! (congratulations): you’ve already done the leg work to start building your first sentences in Dutch.

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[maryanntorreson]

The Top 5 Reasons To Learn Dutch

Why learn Dutch, you may ask? Well, from a practical utility standpoint, it may not seem immediately obvious why you should learn a language that doesn’t give you access to a significant geographical swath of the world, not to mention one that doesn’t fall on the list of most useful languages in business. However, Dutch isn’t especially arduous for English speakers to learn — in fact, you may choose to embark on this linguistic journey simply because it’s enjoyable and interesting.

Why Learn Dutch?

Reason 1: Speaking English Gives You An Advantage

The journey you undertake when you start learning a new language can seem daunting at first. Learning Dutch, however, is akin to a jaunty walk on the beach when compared to the grueling, uphill marathons that other languages represent.

Dutch is a comparatively easy language for English speakers to learn because it’s one of the closest living relatives to English. They’re like old friends: both are West Germanic languages, meaning that from a structural point of view even a complete beginner can unravel simple Dutch sentences with much greater ease than Polish or Spanish sentences.

Here’s an example:

Exhibit A: Wat is jouw naam?

Translation: What is your name?

Nothing tricky there, right?

There are also thousands of cognates between English and Dutch that will become the sturdy Dutch backbone of your foray into the language. The sweet-toothed among you will smack your lips at the thought of eating koekjes (cookies) and wafels (waffles) at the side of the canal on a crisp spring morning in Amsterdam. And those fluent in political jargon will be bowled over to learn that “filibuster” comes from the Dutch vrijbuiter, which means “pirate” or “freebooter.”

Also, because the Dutch haven’t resisted the creeping infiltration of Anglicisms into their language, you’ll hear a lot of English loan words being spoken by your new Dutch friends. I experienced this Anglofone advantage first-hand while enjoying a gorgeous Belgian cherry-flavored stout in a cutesy pub in Gent. I’m sitting there next to the fireplace, sipping my beer, when the guy sitting at the table next to me waves his hands excitedly in the air and proclaims to his friend, “Je moet out of the box denken!” (You’ve got to think outside of the box).

Ironically, with Dutch, you don’t have to think too far outside of the box.

Reason 2: Gain 23 Million New Friends

Dutch is the third largest Germanic language after English and German, with a diaspora of 23 million native speakers stretching from Europe to South America, as well as an additional 4 million who speak it as a second language.

Of course, Amsterdam springs to mind when you think about Dutch, but learning the language can also set you off on an linguistic adventure that can take you to the Flemish region of Belgium, to the rainforests of Suriname, and to the gorgeous Caribbean islands of Aruba, Saint Maarten and Curaçao.

Reason 3: Afrikaans And Dutch — 2 Languages For The Price Of 1?

I’d be failing in our duty if I neglected to give an honorable mention to Afrikaans, because if you learn Dutch then you’re giving yourself a heck of a leg up with Afrikaans too.

The Afrikaans language was brought to South Africa and Namibia by the Boers (Dutch farmers — the Dutch word for farmer being boer), and it slowly evolved over time from a motley assortment of Dutch dialects to the modern Afrikaans that is spoken by approximately 17 million people today. There are differences in vocabulary of course, and certainly in pronunciation, but going from Dutch to Afrikaans is not too much of a linguistic trek (dankie to Afrikaans for that loanword), because the written language remains largely intelligible to Dutch speakers.

Reason 4: Develop A Deeper Connection To Dutch And Flemish Culture

Fancy experiencing some nostalgia for totaalvoetbal by attending an intense De Klassieker derby between Ajax and Feyenoord? Or maybe you’d prefer to sample some local brews from an authentic Flemish Trappist Monastery?

Ask your average person what they know about the Netherlands or Belgium, and they’ll tell you the same old clichéd stereotypes of Heineken-fueled stag nights in Amsterdam and chocolate-induced sugar rushes on the cobbled streets of Bruges. But there’s so much more to discover if you’re willing to dip your feet into Dutch!

If you’ve just moved to the Netherlands or Belgium, then speaking Dutch will instantly transform you into a rare breed of expat. You’ll connect with your Dutch friends and colleagues on a much deeper level, appreciate and understand the culture around you to a much greater extent, and you’ll certainly stand out from the weed-smoking international crowds that throng the backstreets of Amsterdam’s Red Light District.

Reason 5: Dutch Is So Much Fun To Speak!

Why learn Dutch if you can’t sound cool doing it? Let’s be blunt here — Dutch sounds particularly badass, and it’s insanely cool to speak. In-fact, you could say that “Oranje is the new black.”

French might sound effortlessly suave, and Italian makes a strong claim for the title of “sexiest-sounding language ever,” but Dutch has a unique sound that will give your throat and tongue a good workout. Nothing sounds like Dutch, but that’s what makes the language so much fun to pronounce! To prove this, I’ll let the Dutch do the talking:

Dutch: “Knaap, de knappe kapper, kapt knap“

English: “Knaap, the smart-looking hairdresser, styles (hair) beautifully“

If that doesn’t look like a fun sentence to speak then check your wrist for a pulse.

Bonus Reason: High-School German Skills To The Rescue!

If you’re an English speaker with a fair grasp of German, then you don’t need to be a clever clogs to learn Dutch.

The language, much like the Netherlands itself, falls roughly halfway between English and German, so you’ll find that as you start learning Dutch, those old German lessons you took in school will help with Dutch grammar and vocabulary. Plus, if you’ve managed to conquer the minefield that is German word order, then Gefeliciteerd! (congratulations): you’ve already done the leg work to start building your first sentences in Dutch.

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