The Dutch language-quiz group

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Le Baron
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The Dutch language-quiz group

Postby Le Baron » Thu Apr 06, 2023 3:04 pm

I thought it would be a worthy idea to run e.g. a weekly short quiz, based upon language quizzes that appeared in several Dutch newspapers (Haagsche Courant, BN/DeStem, Utrechts Nieuwsblad). Covering many things, like simple spelling quizzes - which often came out after the last spelling reform - including oddities where various spellings are 'official', to new words formed through hybrid formations, to grammar and style faults in writing/speech.

I clipped out a lot of these and went through them back at the turn of the century and there are books of them as well. They helped me a lot with not just improving style and vocabulary, but simply alerting me to faults I hadn't even thought about or noticed.

It doesn't even have to be weekly, getting all bogged-down. A quiz appears, you do it or don't do it and the answers and some explanation appears at the end of the week, to allow all time zones a chance.

Any interest?
4 x

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Le Baron
Black Belt - 3rd Dan
Posts: 3506
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2021 5:14 pm
Location: Koude kikkerland
Languages: English (N), fr, nl, de, eo, Sranantongo,
Maintaining: es, swahili.
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18796
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Re: The Dutch language-quiz group

Postby Le Baron » Thu Apr 13, 2023 2:13 pm

I'll go for it.

Quiz 1: Kies de juiste schrijfwijze. Vernederlandsing van leenwoorden met behulp van het geheugensteuntje: 't kofschip.

0.
a. het toernooi van Wimbledon start vandaag
b. het tournooi van Wimbledon start vandaag

1.
a. de bal werd gelobd
b. de bal werd gelopd

2.
a. ik tennis graag op gravel
b. ik tennis graag op graffel

3.
a. de bal werd gesmashed
b. de bal werd gesmasht

4.
a. een tie-break spelen
b. een tiebreak spelen

5.
a. een heren-dubbel
b. een herendubbel

6.
a. wanneer vinden de finale's plaats?
b. wanneer vinden de finales plaats?

7.
a. die zullen zondag plaats vinden
b. die zullen zondag plaatsvinden

8.
a. Joop houdt van drop-shots
b. Joop houdt van dropshots

9.
a. Thijs slicede de bal
b. Thijs slicete de bal

10.
a. In verschillende categoriën uitkomen
b. In verschillende categorieën uitkomen
2 x

User avatar
Le Baron
Black Belt - 3rd Dan
Posts: 3506
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2021 5:14 pm
Location: Koude kikkerland
Languages: English (N), fr, nl, de, eo, Sranantongo,
Maintaining: es, swahili.
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18796
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Re: The Dutch language-quiz group

Postby Le Baron » Mon Apr 17, 2023 2:28 pm

Hmmm...no takers. Here are the answers and some notes:

0. a. het toernooi van Wimbledon start vandaag (common mistake between toer/tour when comparing with tournament)
1. a. de bal werd gelobd
2. a. ik tennis graag op gravel (Dutch people often write this wrongly as 'graf(f)el from the common confusion between v/f as the same sound)
3. b. de bal werd gesmasht
4. b. een tiebreak spelen (hyphenated words in English are generally a single word in Dutch)
5. b. een herendubbel
6. b. wanneer vinden de finales plaats? (see that other discussion about plurals/plurals with 's)
7. b. die zullen zondag plaatsvinden (separable verb at the end after 'zullen')
8. b. Joop houdt van dropshots
9. b. Thijs slicete de bal
10. b. In verschillende categorieën uitkomen (ie is one sound and the ë is a schwa sound and also the ending, so it needs the two 'e's)

This is about Tennis, so primarily English loanwords. Those words like 'smash', 'lob' and 'slice' get used in Dutch (as so often with loanwords) as both nouns and verbs: lobben, smashen, slicen. Using that standard Dutch verb ending and also conjugated like common verbs:

Ik werk = Ik werkte (Ik heb gewerkt)
Ik bel = Ik belde (ik heb gebeld)
Ik slice = Ik slicete (ik heb geslicet)
Ik lob = Ik lobde (Ik heb gelobd)

These fall into line with the rule encapsulated in 't kofschip: If the final letter of the word-stem of the infinitive verb can be found in 't kofschip, then the ending is a 't'. And if it isn't found there then it's a 'd'.

But with loanwords there are problems. 'Smash' looks like it could end in 'h', but it actually ends in 'sh' (which is not in the mnemonic: note the 'ch' is also a unit). The Dutch-style infinitive ending is merely tacked-on after it. The 'sh' is considered a 'sisklank' and treated like 's'. With 'slicen' it really ends in an 'e', but the 'c' is again treated as the final sound and a 'sisklank' like 's' and so it takes 't' ending.

This is generally more of a bother for natives than learners!
2 x

User avatar
Le Baron
Black Belt - 3rd Dan
Posts: 3506
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2021 5:14 pm
Location: Koude kikkerland
Languages: English (N), fr, nl, de, eo, Sranantongo,
Maintaining: es, swahili.
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18796
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Re: The Dutch language-quiz group

Postby Le Baron » Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:52 pm

I'm a glutton for punishment. I'm trying another:

There are: redundant words, wrong articles, poor word choices, wrong grammar... Identify them and improve the sentences!

1. Tot onze spijt moeten wij u meedelen dat de geplande excursie helaas niet door kan gaan.

2. Aansluitend op de laatste bijeenkomst, heeft het bestuur besloten haar visie op de website te zetten.

3. Wij willen graag helpen verhuizen, tenzij je ons kunt gebruiken.

4. Vermoedelijk denk ik dat hij wel zal slagen.

5. Op de volgende vergadering vertel ik er meer over en adviseer ik jullie aanwezig te zijn.
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