Comments on: Reading between the words http://www.dunglish.nl/2005/05/30/dutch-rules-english-words/ Where Dutch and English collide Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:30:43 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: kee http://www.dunglish.nl/2005/05/30/dutch-rules-english-words/comment-page-1/#comment-434 kee Thu, 16 Jun 2005 10:38:41 +0000 /?p=77#comment-434 hi, this is fun, I'm gonna put you in my Links section (which appears on the Right b.t.w.) ^_____)__^ hi,
this is fun, I’m gonna put you in my Links section (which appears on the Right b.t.w.)
^_____)__^

]]> By: Larry http://www.dunglish.nl/2005/05/30/dutch-rules-english-words/comment-page-1/#comment-431 Larry Thu, 02 Jun 2005 14:46:05 +0000 /?p=77#comment-431 The site also features one of my pet peeves about Dunglish, which is the shorthand used in titles and headings, where two nouns are side by side with an implied prepositional relationship. Examples: Bedrijfstijden taxidienst (i.e., bedrijfstijden van de taxidienst) Sailingtimes taxiservice (should be: Taxi service sailing times) Fares roundtrips 2004 (Tarieven rondvaarten 2004) -> 2004 round-trip fares, Fares for round trips for 2004 (not really happy with round trip as a translation of rondvaart (tour?), but hey) Name location (Naam lokatie) -> Name of location etc. I even saw this mistake on a sign at Schiphol: it was something like 'Tickets observation deck' ('tickets for observation deck' or 'observation deck tickets'). The site also features one of my pet peeves about Dunglish, which is the shorthand used in titles and headings, where two nouns are side by side with an implied prepositional relationship.

Examples: Bedrijfstijden taxidienst (i.e., bedrijfstijden van de taxidienst)
Sailingtimes taxiservice (should be: Taxi service sailing times)

Fares roundtrips 2004 (Tarieven rondvaarten 2004)
-> 2004 round-trip fares, Fares for round trips for 2004
(not really happy with round trip as a translation of rondvaart (tour?), but hey)

Name location (Naam lokatie)
-> Name of location

etc.

I even saw this mistake on a sign at Schiphol: it was something like ‘Tickets observation deck’ (’tickets for observation deck’ or ‘observation deck tickets’).

]]> By: Natashka http://www.dunglish.nl/2005/05/30/dutch-rules-english-words/comment-page-1/#comment-430 Natashka Thu, 02 Jun 2005 08:57:48 +0000 /?p=77#comment-430 Contracttransport should be contract transport and watertaxiservices should be watertaxi services. It is difficult to read! Those words are wrong. Words cannot be compounded at random in English. You cannot apply Dutch grammar rules to English if you are writing in English, as that's what makes it Dunglish. Any argument about a non-Dutch text that begins with "but in Dutch we say", then forget it :) Contracttransport should be contract transport and watertaxiservices should be watertaxi services. It is difficult to read!

Those words are wrong. Words cannot be compounded at random in English.

You cannot apply Dutch grammar rules to English if you are writing in English, as that’s what makes it Dunglish.

Any argument about a non-Dutch text that begins with “but in Dutch we say”, then forget it :)

]]> By: matthijs http://www.dunglish.nl/2005/05/30/dutch-rules-english-words/comment-page-1/#comment-429 matthijs Thu, 02 Jun 2005 08:43:44 +0000 /?p=77#comment-429 Contracttransport is correct. watertaxiservices too, if you feel that services is a Dutch word (I don't). The other ones aren't. Sailingtimes should be sailing times, as it's English (after a fashion) and safetyregulations is definitely English, so it should be safety regulations. The rule in Dutch is that combinations of words shouldn't have spaces in them, unless one of the combining words isn't a Dutch word. In that case, a hyphen should be used. For example: Windows-programma (Windows isn't a Dutch word but a brand name) versus computerprogramma (computer is a Dutch word) Contracttransport is correct. watertaxiservices too, if you feel that services is a Dutch word (I don’t).

The other ones aren’t. Sailingtimes should be sailing times, as it’s English (after a fashion) and safetyregulations is definitely English, so it should be safety regulations.

The rule in Dutch is that combinations of words shouldn’t have spaces in them, unless one of the combining words isn’t a Dutch word. In that case, a hyphen should be used. For example:

Windows-programma (Windows isn’t a Dutch word but a brand name)

versus

computerprogramma (computer is a Dutch word)

]]> By: Natashka http://www.dunglish.nl/2005/05/30/dutch-rules-english-words/comment-page-1/#comment-427 Natashka Tue, 31 May 2005 15:53:20 +0000 /?p=77#comment-427 Rene at spatiegebruik.nl will love this one :) Rene at spatiegebruik.nl will love this one :)

]]> By: Larry http://www.dunglish.nl/2005/05/30/dutch-rules-english-words/comment-page-1/#comment-426 Larry Tue, 31 May 2005 15:40:57 +0000 /?p=77#comment-426 It's clear to me that the Dutch are taking the spaces that belong in English compounds and sticking them intheirown, viz. spatiegebruik.nl. It’s clear to me that the Dutch are taking the spaces that belong in English compounds and sticking them intheirown, viz. spatiegebruik.nl.

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