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Re: CHAT: Dutch dictionary recommendations?

From:Jan van Steenbergen <ijzeren_jan@...>
Date:Thursday, March 6, 2003, 12:02
 --- Jean-François Colson skrzypszy:

> > broeder -> broeders (brother, sibling) > > -> broederen (member of the same religious community; > > oldfashioned) > > BTW What's the difference between "broer" and "broeder". Are they both in > common use with the same meaning?
Well, they can occur both in the meaning of sibling, but in this case "broer" is much more common than "broeder" (the latter being a bit archaic). A "broeder", when not replaceable with "broer", can either be a monk or a male nurse. BTW Exactly the same opposition exists between "zuster" and "zus", the only difference being that "zus" is more colloquial than "broer".
> (And what's the plural of "broer"? I think that's "broeren" but I'm not > sure.)
Wrong guess (but I won't blame you for that)! The plural of "broer" is "broers" (which, occassionally, is my mother's maiden name). Probably because "broer" is a relatively recent contraction of "broeder".
> There are also some plurals in "-eren": > kind -> kinderen (child -> children) > blad -> bladeren (leaf) > but blad -> bladen (sheet)
Correct. Originally, the -er was a separate plural form, to which another plural form (-en, or -s) was added.
> And IIRC the names of many jobs ending in "-man" make their plurals in > "-lui". > E.g. zeeman -> zeelui (seaman, sailor).
Either "-lui" or "-lieden" (the latter sounding a bit more polite). Let me add that "zeemannen" is not impossible, too.
> > Do You Yahoo!? > > No, I Belgacom.
LOL. Jan ===== "Originality is the art of concealing your source." - Franklin P. Jones __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my.yahoo.com

Replies

Pavel Iosad <edricson@...>
Garth Wallace <gwalla@...>