"Dutch English"; language death on Phalera [was Re: Active andPassive please help]
| From: | Anton Sherwood <bronto@...> |
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| Date: | Tuesday, December 18, 2001, 17:48 |
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"Thomas R. Wier" wrote:
> Which brings up an interesting question: how many people from the
> Netherlands speak English in their daily life? IIRC, something like
> 80% of people there can speak *some*, at least.
In 1975 my family toured Europe. On one occasion in the Netherlands we
asked a passerby for directions, which were supplied, along with an
apology for her poor English. We laughed that someone who knew the word
`cloverleaf' (for a road junction) should have anything to apologize
for!
--
Anton Sherwood -- http://www.ogre.nu/