# Standard Dutch

Standard Dutch (Dutch: Standaardnederlands) is a standardized variety of Dutch taught in schools and used by authorities and media in the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.
The Netherlands, Flemish, and Surinamese governments have entrusted the monitoring and description of Standard Dutch to the Dutch Language Union. The Language Union publishes works that lay down the standards of Standard Dutch in the field of spelling. The Dutch Language Union also provides advice on grammar and word choice. However, this advice has no legal basis and is therefore not mandatory. However, it is largely followed in Standard Dutch.

## Terminology

The word Standaardnederlands 'Standard Dutch' is written like this (and not as, for example, Standaard-Nederlands, standaard-Nederlands, or standaardnederlands) in the Groene Boekje (Green Book). In particular, official regulators, including sometimes the Dutch Language Union, also write standaard Nederlands (with a space). The Dutch Language Union also writes it as Nederlandse standaardtaal.

## History

The language spoken in the Low Countries during the Middle Ages varied from region to region. During the Renaissance, in addition to the scientific standard language, Latin the vernacular was used, both in literary and scientific works and in Bible translations. The advent of the printing press allowed these texts to become more widely distributed. Because this differences between the different regions hindered communication, a standard language was created in which regional differences (dialects) were limited.

### Algemeen Beschaafd Nederlands

The term used for the standardized language was Algemeen Beschaafd Nederlands, abbreviated to ABN.
The 1950s to 1960s, saw so-called ABN circles, study groups at schools that advocated pure language use and organised eloquence tournaments. There was an ABN-centrale, founded by the Flemish film director Hein Beniest, who took various initiatives, including the release of the film Moeder, wat zijn we rijk in 1957.
The 'B' has been removed from the term ABN, initially only among Dutch scholars, because beschaafd 'civilized' could suggest that people who speak other varieties of Dutch would not be civilized. Until the 1970s, the term 'ABN' was officially used, after which the term Algemeen Nederlands (AN) was used.

## Internal varieties

There is also still considerable variation in pronunciation within Standard Dutch itself. Most linguists agree that there is no completely conclusive system of rules for pronunciation. Hans van de Velde has investigated the language use and in particular the pronunciation of standard language speakers. Among other things, he concluded that hardly any speaker followed the official rules for pronouncing the final [n] (which should be heard between a schwa and a vowel at the beginning of the next word) actually complies with in all cases. In addition, all speakers articulated the liquid [r] in more than one way. Other rules imposed in the past for the pronunciation and spelling of the Standard Dutch, such as the hen/hun-distinction [nl], coined in the 17th century, appear to be so artificial that many speakers and writers never apply them consistently in practice.

## Standard Dutch v. dialects

A widespread myth in the Netherlands is that Haarlem is the closest to Standard Dutch. Research by dialectologist Harrie Scholtmeijer from the Meertens Institute on 1999, however, it turned out that of all the Netherlands, young people in Dronten have an accent that most closely resembles Standard Dutch. Later research would show that Dutch as spoken around Amsterdam comes closest to Standard Dutch. However, the studies mentioned only focused on the Netherlands and left other Dutch-speaking areas out of consideration.