Overview
"More than 22 million people speak Dutch-primarily in Holland, Belgium, Suriname, and the Antilles. This book offers a well-researched and highly readable survey of the language in all its historical, geographic, and social aspects. In addition to providing a general introduction to the evolution of Dutch, Willemyns pays special attention to oft-neglected topics, such as the question of whether Dutchmen and Flemings are separated by a common language, and the contentious matter of the spread of Dutch abroad through colonization, which led to ""exotic"" variations such as Afrikaans, pidgins, and creoles. Dutch: Biography of a Language will appeal to students of Dutch and general readers interested in the history of the language."
Full Product Details
Author: Roland Willemyns (Emeritus Professor of Dutch Linguistics, Emeritus Professor of Dutch Linguistics, Vrije Universiteit Brussels)
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:
Width: 23.60cm
, Height: 2.50cm
, Length: 15.50cm
Weight: 0.544kg
ISBN: 9780199858712
ISBN 10: 0199858713
Pages: 312
Publication Date: 11 April 2013
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
a survey that brings a broad public up to date with the evolution of a language through centuries of contacts and conflicts with other tongues. Finally, you can trace the entire history of Dutch in an English-language book. Andy Furniere, Flanders Today
All in all, Willemyns' biography of Dutch is a very dense book, clearly striving to provide as much information as possible on the history of Dutch. It remains, however, a very readable book, suitable for different groups of readers ranging from interested non-native speakers and foreigners to specialists in the Dutch language. * Ulrike Vogel, Journal of Historical Sociolinguistics * a survey that brings a broad public up to date with the evolution of a language through centuries of contacts and conflicts with other tongues. Finally, you can trace the entire history of Dutch in an English-language book. * Andy Furniere, Flanders Today * Willemyns has splendidly packed a great deal of fascinating material into 260 pages of this highly readable and comprehensive survey * Joe Sinclair, Nurturing Potential * This book drives home the sociohistorical complexity of the language [with] fascinating illustrations of questions of linguistic form * Kathryn Woolard, Language in Society * vivid and clear ... a wonderful book * Neder-L *
a survey that brings a broad public up to date with the evolution of a language through centuries of contacts and conflicts with other tongues. Finally, you can trace the entire history of Dutch in an English-language book. Andy Furniere, Flanders Today Willemyns has splendidly packed a great deal of fascinating material into 260 pages of this highly readable and comprehensive survey Joe Sinclair, Nurturing Potential This book drives home the sociohistorical complexity of the language [with] fascinating illustrations of questions of linguistic form Kathryn Woolard, Language in Society vivid and clear ... a wonderful book Neder-L
Author Information
Roland Willemyns is Emeritus Professor of Dutch Linguistics at Vrije Universiteit Brussels
