Middle Dutch

Middle Dutch
dietsc, duutsch
RegionThe Low Countries
Eradeveloped into modern Dutch around 1500 or c. 1550[1]
Early forms
Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-2dum
ISO 639-3dum
Glottologmidd1321
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Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects whose ancestor was Old Dutch. It was spoken and written between 1150 and 1500. Until the advent of Modern Dutch after 1500 or c. 1550,[2] there was no overarching standard language, but all dialects were mutually intelligible. During that period, a rich Medieval Dutch literature developed, which had not yet existed during Old Dutch. The various literary works of the time are often very readable for speakers of Modern Dutch since Dutch is a rather conservative language.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Klaas van Berkel, Albert van Helden, Lodewijk Palm (eds.): A History of Science in the Netherlands: Survey, Themes and Reference, 1999, p. xvi: "Linguists usually distinguish between Old Dutch (c. 700–c. 1150), Middle Dutch (c. 1150–c. 1550), and Modern Dutch (after 1550)."
  2. ^ Klaas van Berkel, Albert van Helden, Lodewijk Palm (eds.): A History of Science in the Netherlands: Survey, Themes and Reference, 1999, p. xvi: "Linguists usually distinguish between Old Dutch (c. 700–c. 1150), Middle Dutch (c. 1150–c. 1550), and Modern Dutch (after 1550)."