The Scrounger
Except for the man who thought the Amsterdam Sarpahtistraat the
most beautiful spot in Europe, I've never known a more peculiar person
than the scrounger.
|
Nescio: De Uitvreter
Behalve de man, die de Sarphatistraat de mooiste plek van Europa vond,
heb ik nooit een wonderlijker kerel gekend dan de uitvreter.
 |
|
The scrounger, who was lying in your bed when you got home
late in the evening, dirty shoes and all. The scrounger, who was smoking
your cigars, filling up on your tobacco and burning your
coal and looking through your cabinets and borrowing your
money and wearing your shoes and who put on your coat when he had
to get home through the rain.
|
De uitvreter, die je in je bed vond liggen met zijn vuile schoenen,
als je 's avonds laat thuiskwam. De uitvreter, die je sigaren
oprookte, en van je tabak stopte en je steenkolen verstookte en je
kasten nakeek en geld van je leende en je schoenen opdroeg en een
jas van je aantrok als-i in de regen naar huis moest.
|
|
The scrounger, always ordering things in other people's names;
drinking Duch gin like royalty on the sidewalk tables of
café 'Hollandais' at the people's expense; who borrowed
but never returned umbrellas; who heated Bavink's secondhand stove
until it burst; who wore his brother's double collars and lent out
Appi's books, who would travel abroad when once more he'd gotten
some money off his old man, and never paid for the suits he wore.
|
De uitvreter, die altijd wat liet halen op de naam van een ander; die
als een vorst jenever zat te drinken op 't terras van 'Hollandais'
voor de centen van de lui; die parapluies leende en nooit
terugbracht; die een barst stookte in de tweedehands kachel van
Bavink; die dubbele boorden droeg van z'n broer en de boeken
uitleende van Appi, en buitenlandse reizen maakte als-i z'n ouwe
heer weer had afgezet, en pakken droeg, die hij nooit betaalde.
|
There is a story that when the promotion of a certain general was discussed,
Napoleon asked: "But is he lucky?" I think this was not silly or
superstitious, but shows that Napoleon understood that 'luck' is often
about being alert, being aware of possibilities, and having the flexibility
to adapt your plans.
double
consonants |
|
A pair of consonants ('two of a kind') is pronounced
exactly the same as one single consonant. A double consonant usually
means that a preceding single vowel is short (see lessons 3-5);
occasionally it is found after a double vowel.
maken makker willen wielen
2
(to make / comrade / to want, desire / wheels)
vlot vlotten vloot vloten lood loden
(raft / rafts / fleet (ships) / fleets / lead / leaden)
grote grootte hete heette late haatte
(big, tall, large, great / dimension / hot / was called /
late (not in time) / hated )
[grote = 'big' - grootte = 'the size' ]
|
| end-of-word B |
|
end-of-word B is pronounced as P;
otherwise B is B like in English
slab slap slabben slappe
(bib / weak / bibs / weak)
heb step hebben steppen
((I) have / scooter (children's) / to have /
riding a children's scooter)
lip lippen rib ribben
(lip / lips / rib / ribs)
kap lab kapel tabel
(cap / lab (laboratory) / chapel / (numbers) table)
(kapel and tabel have the stress on the second syllable)
dubbel doppen
2
('shelling twice'
‑>>)
baardy paard brak prak
2
(beard / horse / (I) broke; brackish (water) / mashed food)
|
B in
compound
words
|
|
Final B's in parts of compound words keep their
P-pronunciation, and also before the '-je' ending of diminutives:
eb ebben ebstroom wipstaart
(ebb (low tide / 'to diminish' / low tide current /
wagtail (a bird))
ribje hapje slabbetje
2
(small rib / small bite / smalll bib)
|
| C |
|
C is pronounced either as K or as S,
like in similar English words
K: (before A, O, U and consonants)
code
collega combinatie cultuur
(code / colleague / combination / culture, civilization)
café
2 (a bar)
- carrière
(career)
acteur
2
(actor, thespian)
- actrice
(actress)
S: (before E, I and Y)
cel citroen gefascineerd
(cell / lemon / fascinated)
cirkel
(circle)
- centrum
(center)
centraal
(central)
- cylinder
(cylinder)
K-S: concept concert cycloon cyclus
(concept, design / concert / cyclone / cycle)
KS, X: accent succes
(accent / success)
|
| CH, G and K |
|
CH and G: "like you clear your throat:"
ge
[exaggerated] (Flemish 'you')
Saying the Dutch CH and G may be
difficult for foreigners. This sound is not found in many other
languages - but it does exist in both Hebrew and Arabic, and it is
like the J of European Spanish.
Single vowels before CH are always 'short.' There is no double CH in Dutch.
wij lachen
2
('we're laughing')
- wij lagen
('we were lying down')
dak dag pek pech
(roof / day / pitch ('sticky black stuff') / bad luck)
slager slachten klagen klachten
(butcher / to butcher (think of: 'slaughter') / to complain / complaints)
slak slag brokkelen rochelen
(snail / battle, blow / to crumble / to rattle, hawk)
richel diggelen wikkelen
(ridge / smithereens / to wind, enfold)
kachel waggelen wakker
(stove, heater / to walk like a duck / awake)
kuiken juichen duigen
(chick (young chicken) / to cheer / (in) pieces)
vlag lach laag vlaggen lachen lagen
(flag / laugh / layer / flags / to laugh / layers)
onrecht
onterecht trechter
rechten rekten recht rekt zegt
2
(rights / (we) stretched / right / (he) stretches / (he) says)
ychroom chrysanten chronisch
(chrome / chrysanthemums / chronical)
gifgas lachgas
2
(poison gas / laughing gas (nitrous oxide))
giechelen
2
(to giggle)
wij logen
2
(we lied) -
wij loochenen
2
(we denied, disavowed)
There is a slight difference in pronunciation between CH and G, but
foreign students shouldn't worry about it. I
think they sound almost the same. Native speakers of Dutch say CH and G slightly
different, but may not be aware of it. Judge for yourself:
lach
(laugh) - lachen
2
(to laugh)
vlag
(flag) - vlaggen
2
(flags)
er is niks te lachen
2
([there's nothing to laugh about] it's no laughing matter)
er waren veel vlaggen
2
(there were many flags)
When the preceding vowel is long the whole word sounds different, but
I think it doesn't change the G.
laag
2
(layer; low)
- lagen
(layers)
lagen leggen
(to prepare ambushes)
- hinderlaag
2
(ambush)
lagere school
(elementary school)
-
vier lagen verf
(4 layers of paint)
|
| end-of-word D |
|
D at the end of a word is pronounced as a T;
otherwise D is D and T is T.
wat
wad watten wadden
(what / flood plain / cotton balls / flood plain(s))
raat raten raad raden
((honey-) comb / (honey-) combs / council / councils)
rat
ratten pad padden paden
(rat / rats / toad; path / toads / paths)
dadel datum kader kater
(date (a fruit) / date (day) / framework / male cat; hangover)
lid wit midden witte
(member / white / middle / white)
pet bed petten bedden
(cap / bed / caps / beds)
blad plat bladeren platen
(leaf / flat / leaves / discs, sheets, vinyl records)
dak tak deken teken
(roof / branch / blanket / sign)
Zweed
2
(Swede) - Zweden
(Sweden // Swedes)
(het) zweet
2
(sweat) - zweten
2
(to sweat)
‑>>
|
D in
compound
words |
|
Final D's in parts of compound words keep their
T-pronunciation, and also before the '-je' ending of
diminutives:
huidaandoening doodop rondom
2
(skin disease / dead-tired / around)
platform bladvorm nachtvorst braadworst
(platform / leaf shape / frost at night /
bratwurst)
kruid kruit buidel sluiter kruidvat kruitvat
(herb / gunpowder / pouch / lens closing mechanism on camera /
barrel of spices / barrel of gunpowder)
brandje krantje eindje geintje
(small fire / small newspaper / short distance / joke)
|
| DT, TD |
|
At normal speaking speed, mid-word DT is pronounced as T, and mid-word
TD is pronounced as D. Only in deliberately slow speech are the
letters pronounced separately, but DT at the end of a verb is always
pronounced as T.
ontdekken ontdaan ont-dekken ont-daan
(to discover / upset, emotionally disturbed)
windtunnel badtas wind-tunnel bad-tas
(wind tunnel / bag for going bathing or swimming)
houtduif broodtafel loodtest rotdag
(wood pigeon (a bird) / (lunch) table with bread /
lead test / rotten day)
ontzien onthouden
2
(to spare, to keep consequences from / to remember; to keep stuff from)
ik word hij wordt
2
(I become / he becomes - or the passive voice)
ik word
2
- hij wordt
2
de brand
(the fire) - het brandt
2
(it is burning)
|
| F, V and W |
|
English W is formed with rounded lips; Dutch W is formed with relaxed
lips, starting with upper teeth resting lightly on lower lip.
fee vee wee
(fairy / cattle / contraction (birth))
fier vier wier
(~proud / 4 / (sea)weed)
duif duiven
(pigeon / pigeons)
‑>>
zalf zalven
(cream / creams)
vlinders fladderen
2
(butterflies flutter)
fel vel fase vazen
(~intense / skin / phase / vases)
wal val Waal vaal
((city) wall / fall (drop) / A Dutch river/ faded color)
even effen boven boffen
(for a moment / for a moment (Slang) / upstairs, over / to be lucky)
laf laffe laven lava boven boffen
(cowardly / cowardly / to quench / lava / upstairs, over / to be lucky)
waffel wafel zwavel luifel zuivel
2
("mouth (derogatory) / wafer / sulphur /
awning / dairy)
oefenen toeven toeval hoewel
(to exercise / to live, reside (old-fashioned) / coincidence, chance / although)
duf duw suf sluw
(out of it / push / ~dull, not fully alert / sly)
('uw' is always long)
walm walmen (zalm) bedwelmen
(2)
(~dense smoke / to produce thick smoke / (salmon) / to daze)
|
W in
Combinations |
|
dwaling dwang dwepen dwingen
(aberration / compulsion, coercion / idolize / compel)
kwaken kwakkelen kweken kwekken kwik kwiek
(to quack / to be sickly or changeable / to raise, grow / to jabber /
mercury / quick, brisk)
zwaan zwanger zweven zwerven
2
(swan / pregnant / to float (in the air) / to roam, wander)
zwalken zwelgen zwerm
(to drift about / to wallow, to gobble / swarm)
- more Dutch W
|
| J |
|
Dutch J is like English 'consonant Y' (like in YES)
- except in the diphthong IJ
ja je jouw jeuk
(yes / you / your / itch)
je jong jongetje
(you / young / little boy)
ijs
(ice, ice cream) -
IJ hij stijl
(body of water near Amsterdam / he / style)
|
|---|
| K before N |
|
Unlike in English, K before N is pronounced:
nijptang kniptang
(pincer / cutting plier, wire cutter)
knie
(knee) -
knokkel
(knuckle) - kneden
2
(to knead - like, bread)
knabbelen
2
(to nibble) - deurknop
(door knob)
knagen
2
3
(to gnaw) - knauw
2
3
4
5
6
(amimal bite; setback)
knaap knap knapen knappe
(lad / pretty; clever / lads / pretty; clever)
knoop knop knopen knoppen
(button / bud / buttons / buds)
knarsen knerpen knallen knetteren
2
3
(grinding (teeth) / to crunch, grate / banging / to crackle )
knikken knokken knul
(to nod / to fight / guy, chap)
|
| L |
|
Dutch L is very similar to English L - but
different from L in many other languages:
ellenlang
(very long, annoyingly) -
luilekkerland
2
(the Land of Cockaigne)
the Dutch L page
- Old L page
|
| end-of-word N |
|
Many Dutchmen, maybe even a majority of the population, drop the N
in -EN verb and plurals endings. It's not the standard
pronunciation, and I think it's sloppy, though I have to admit to
a certain softening of my own final N's. You may have noticed it in the
Multatuli reading of the previous lesson. Dear students, I
recommend pronouncing these N's, because you
have to write them anyway, and dropping
them would just add another rule.
De mensen praten plat.
De mense prate plat.
(people are talking in substandard Dutch)
We hebben lopen demonstreren.
We hebbe lope demonstrere.
2
3
(We were in a protest march.)
In the North-Eastern provinces of Groningen and Drente, some
people pronounce an (to the rest of the country) exaggerated M
at the end of words ending in -EN. So the three varieties of Dutch
-EN endings are:
Common: wij lope
Standard: wij lopen
Groningen: wij loopm
(we are walking)
|
| NG |
|
Dutch NG is like in English NG in SING or
HANGER, NOT like in stranger or linger.
zang zanger
(song / singer)
ding dingen
(thing / things)
lang langer langst
(long / longer / longest)
streng strenger strengst
(strict / more strict / most strict)
gang ging gong
(corridor / (he) went / gong)
hangen kreng strekking
(to hang / bitch / purpose, intent, effect)
|
|---|
| P before S |
|
Unlike in English, P before S is pronounced
psalm pseudoniem psycholoog
2
(psalm / pen name / psychologist)
psychiater
(psychiatrist) -
psychosomatisch
2
(psychosomatic)
|
| R |
|
Dutch R is quite different from English R:
er
('there' ‑>>) -
rek roos rits rap
(rack / rose / zipper / quick)
raad veer roef huur huren
(counsel / feather / deckhouse / rent / to rent)
At the beginning of a word, English R starts with the tongue
touching the top of the palate, and then moving down; it's a
'rolling' sound formed in the middle of the mouth.
Dutch R
keeps the tongue flat, its tip touching the lower teeth,
and is formed in the back of the mouth.
Compare English and Dutch R:
| English |
road
|
room
|
ram
|
rat
|
price
|
fries
|
great
|
fern
|
deer
|
star
|
| Dutch |
rood
|
roem
|
rem
|
rat
|
prijs
|
frietjes
|
Greet
|
varen
|
dier
|
star
|
meaning of
Dutch word |
red |
fame |
a brake |
rat |
price |
fries |
(girls'
name) |
fern |
animal,
mammal |
rigid,
inflexible |
Thank you Cody!
|
|---|
| S and Z |
|
gras grassen grazen
(grass / grasses / to graze
les lessen lezen
(lesson / lessons / to read)
zo'n sombere zomer
('such a gloomy Summer')
veinzen grijnzen linzen grenzen
(to pretend, feign / to grin / lentils / borders)
|
| SCH |
|
see also CH
("a sound like you clear your throat")
schip
(ship) -
schop
(spade, shovel) -
schep
(scoop)
schaar
(scissors) -
schuit
2
(lesser ship) -
beschaafd
(civilized)
schaaf schier schok schoof
-
(slicer / almost / shock / sheaf)
schulp schuilen schuur
(shell / to find shelter / shed)
|
Several Consonant pages:
Ten thousand years ago, nomadic hunters were the first men in what's
now Holland; when agriculture came a few thousand years later, settlers
built dwellings and villages on existing hills, or mounds
would be created as safe places from the
occasional floods.
Those elevations are now usually called by the Frisian word
terpen
- singular (de) terp
.
The Dutch word
(de) vliedberg
('flee-mountain') has become less common, and
(de) vluchtheuvel
('hill of refuge') - is nowadays the common word for 'traffic isle,' the
safe, slightly raised spot for pedestrians beween the lanes of a busy road.
It was probably during the Roman time (ca. 50BC-400AD) that the first
dikes were built and the first canals dug - but then the collapse of the
Roman empire and the invasions by Germanic tribes coincided with a
5-foot (1½ meter) rise of the sea level and a period of very bad weather,
which breached the line of dunes that had been a natural defense
against the sea. Very
few people remained at the Dutch coast in this time.
See the shape of Holland change
over the years.
The first dikes were probably just walls of earth; later they were
made more lasting by a layer of
rocks or mats of twine or branches, and vegetation also helped
to protect them.
In the 11th or 12th Century,
Waterschappen
('water boards') developed. The people living close to the sea
organized themselves to manage the water and worked out a payment system. Some
see it as an early, limited form of democracy (of course pioneered by Greeks
much earlier.)
The 16th Century development of windmills that could be rotated to
face the
wind made the draining of larger lakes possible. It often was a
commercial venture: investors would pay for reclaiming land that
was then rented out to farmers.
A famous early water engineer took the name Leeghwater
('empty-water'):
Jan Adriaansz Leeghwater
2
droogleggen
to reclaim land
‑>>
In the 19th Century, steam engines made the draining of still larger and
deeper lakes possible.
Read about the large 20th Century water projects in the next lesson.
>>
<<
- essays -
>>
![['polder' - reclaimed land]](everydaypix/polder.jpg)
![[a map of Holland showing the elevation
of the land, what would be below the sea
if the Dutch hadn't done something about it]](NL/NLLowHighGround.gif)
![[water]](everydaypix/water200_5.jpg)
![[water]](everydaypix/water200_3.jpg)
![[water]](everydaypix/water200_6.jpg)
![[sea, breakers, beach]](everydaypix/zeebranding300.jpg)
![[wave]](everydaypix/golf200.jpg)
![[sand]](everydaypix/zand75.jpg)
![[river]](everydaypix/rivier200.jpg)
![[modern windmill]](everydaypix/modernewindmolen200.jpg)
![[windmill]](everydaypix/molen200.jpg)
![[clouds]](everydaypix/wolken200.jpg)
![[a street where you can't see far because of the mist]](everydaypix/mist200.jpg)
![[water]](everydaypix/water200_4.jpg)
![[rain]](everydaypix/regenPEV200.jpg)
![[a rainbow]](artwork6/HennyRegenboogH200.jpg)
![[is it raining?]](everydaypix/regentt200.jpg)
![[a foot of snow on the ground and in the trees]](everydaypix/sneeuw200.jpg)
![[snow]](everydaypix/sneeuwC200.jpg)
![[snow]](everydaypix/sneeuw200_3.jpg)
![[left arrow]](vorige.jpg){kind=small}
![[right arrow]](volgende.jpg){kind=small}