Languages of the Netherlands

Languages of Netherlands
OfficialDutch[1]
RegionalFrisian (2.50%),[2] English (Caribbean Netherlands),[3] Papiamento (Bonaire);[3][4]
Dutch Low Saxon (10.9%)[5] Limburgish (4.50%)
MinorityYiddish, Romani[6]
Immigrant See further: Immigration to the Netherlands
ForeignEnglish (90%-93%) (excluding the BES Islands)
German (71%), French (29%), Portuguese (5%)[7]
SignedDutch Sign Language
Keyboard layout
US international QWERTY
This article is a part of a series on
Dutch
Low Saxon dialects
West Low Franconian dialects
East Low Franconian dialects
Knowledge of foreign languages in the Netherlands, in percent of the population over 15, 2006. Data taken from an EU survey.[8]
Knowledge of the German language in the Netherlands, 2005. According to the Eurobarometer: 70% of the respondents indicated that they know German well enough to have a conversation. Of these 12% (per cent, not percentage points) reported a very good knowledge of the language whereas 22% had a good knowledge and 43% basic German skills.

The predominant language of the Netherlands is Dutch, spoken and written by almost all people in the Netherlands. Dutch is also spoken and official in Aruba, Bonaire, Belgium, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten and Suriname. It is a West Germanic, Low Franconian language that originated in the Early Middle Ages (c. 470) and was standardised in the 16th century.

  • West Frisian is a co-official language in the province of Friesland. West Frisian is spoken by 453,000 speakers.[9]
  • English is an official language in the special municipalities of Saba and Sint Eustatius (BES Islands), as well as the autonomous states of Curaçao and Sint Maarten. It is widely spoken on Saba and Sint Eustatius. On Saba and St. Eustatius, the majority of the education is in English only, with some bilingual English-Dutch schools. 90-93% of the Dutch people can also speak English as a foreign language. (see also: English language in the Netherlands)
  • Papiamento is an official language in the special municipality of Bonaire. It is also the native language in the autonomous states of Curaçao and Aruba.
  • Several dialects of Dutch Low Saxon are spoken in much of the north-east of the country and are recognised as regional languages according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Low Saxon is spoken by 1,798,000 speakers.[5]
  • Another Low Franconian dialect is Limburgish, which is spoken in the south-eastern province of Limburg. Limburgish is spoken by 825,000 speakers. Though there are movements to have Limburgish recognised as an official language (meeting with varying amounts of success, having previously been recognised as a regional language) Limburgish consists of many differing dialects that share some common aspects, but are quite different.[10]

However, both Low Saxon and Limburgish spread across the Dutch-German border and belong to a common Dutch-German dialect continuum.

The Netherlands also has its separate Dutch Sign Language, called Nederlandse Gebarentaal (NGT). It has 17,500 users, and in 2021 received the status of recognised language.[11]

Between 90%[8] and 93%[12] of the total population are able to converse in English, 71% in German, 29% in French and 5% in Spanish.

  1. ^ rijksoverheid.nl nl#:~:text=Nederlands%20is%20de%20offici%C3%ABle%20taal,voor%20mensen%20die%20gebarentaal%20gebruiken. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/erkende-talen/erkende-talen-in nl#:~:text=Nederlands%20is%20de%20offici%C3%ABle%20taal,voor%20mensen%20die%20gebarentaal%20gebruiken. Retrieved 19 September 2023. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ "Regeling - Instellingsbesluit Consultatief Orgaan Fries 2010 - BWBR0027230". wetten.overheid.nl. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  3. ^ a b "wetten.nl - Regeling - Invoeringswet openbare lichamen Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba - BWBR0028063". Wetten.overheid.nl. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  4. ^ "Regeling - Wet openbare lichamen Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba - BWBR0028142". Wetten.overheid.nl. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Taal in Nederland .:. Nedersaksisch". taal.phileon.nl. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  6. ^ "Minority languages in the Netherlands: Do you speak Lower Saxon?". 30 January 2012.
  7. ^ "EUROPEANS AND THEIR LANGUAGES" (PDF). 6 January 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  8. ^ a b "EUROPEANS AND THEIR LANGUAGES". Ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  9. ^ "Taal in Nederland .:. Fries". taal.phileon.nl. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  10. ^ "Taal in Nederland .:. Limburgs". taal.phileon.nl. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  11. ^ Rapport "Meer dan een gebaar" en "actualisatie 1997-2001
  12. ^ ""English in the Netherlands: Functions, forms and attitudes" p. 316 and onwards" (PDF). Alisonedwardsdotcom.files.wordpress.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2017.