Van Dale
Van Dale's Great Dictionary of the Dutch Language ( ), called "" for short, is the leading dictionary of the Dutch language. The latest edition was published in April 2022. History. Van Dale's dictionary was first published after the death of Johan Hendrik van Dale, who had started work on his "New Dictionary of the Dutch Language" ( ) in 1867. This was built upon the original same-named 1864 dictionary of I.M. Calisch and N.S. Calisch. Van Dale did not see the new work published in his lifetime, as he died in 1872. It was finished by his student Jan  Manhave. Today it is published by the private company Van Dale Lexicografie. Commonly nicknamed ' ("thick Van Dale") and ' ("big Van Dale") due to its size, the dictionary is published in three volumes (A-I, J-R, S-Z). It is usually updated every 7–8 years, and the 15th edition was published in 2015. Today there are compilations, pocket editions, electronic editions on CD-ROM and an online edition on the Van Dale website. The online edition includes a free version for the more common words, and a subscription-based professional version with access to the full 90,000-word dictionary. Position . The "Van Dale Dictionary" is a private endeavor, to be distinguished from the government-published "Green Booklet" that lists the official spelling mandated for schools and government employees. "Van Dale" includes the official spelling of the words as well, but it further provides their definitions. There have been arguments whether inclusion in "Van Dale" should be understood as an approval, in particular for words considered discriminatory like "" ("negro", but traditionally not used in a derogatory sense in Dutch). The position of the editors is clear: the actual use is decisive. Disapproved words are marked as such, but not omitted. The  purpose is to inform the reader, therefore the responsibility of using certain words lies solely on them.