Gedichtendag 2013

Morgen is het Gedichtendag 2013! Zijn jullie dichters? 

But how to make poetry in this interesting but sometimes bewildering new language we're learning?

Check this out for a cool idea..a stapelgedicht!

Fyra explained

…in Dutch:
http://www.taalblad.be/e-zine/focus/fyra-flitstrein-wordt-floptrein/1017.html
Niet zo lang geleden was het zeer eenvoudig om met de trein van Brussel naar Amsterdam te reizen. Je stapte op de IC-trein (intercitytrein) in Brussel en een kleine drie uur later was je in Amsterdam.

…in English:
"The Dutch and Belgian governments last week stopped the service of the new high-speed Fyra train linking Brussels and Amsterdam, which has been plagued with problems since its launch last month. "
http://www.flanderstoday.eu/content/fyra-problems-see-service-withdrawn

Belgians divided by language barrier

Language issues in Belgium. Note the reaction by the headmaster, "If they have a problem, they can go elsewhere".

Three little biggetjes

Varken always struck me as a funny Dutch word. It sounds GREAT!

Varken.

Varken….

But it puzzled me that there was no link between this and the English word 'pig'…

…until I heard on the radio an advert using the three little piggies tale 'De drie kleine biggetjes'!

Pig in Dutch is indeed 'varken' or 'zwijn' (similar to 'swine')

Looking at the etymology of pig in English we see that the word comes from Old English 'picg' which meant young pig. And this is exactly what 'big' (and its diminutive 'biggetje') means in Dutch: piglet.

Check out the 'Drie kleine biggetjes' sprookje in het Nederlands.
A good opportunity to listen to the imperfect tense too.

Woord van de dag

Today's word of the day is just a word I love the sound of. Maybe that's enough! It's not a nasty word or a negative word but it is a simple, three syllable sound. Take a risk and learn it…

Risico = risk

See it here in context in a De Morgen article.

"Uit nieuw onderzoek van de Amerikaanse Cancer Society blijkt dat 4 kopjes koffie per dag het risico op mondkanker halveren door de vorming van tumoren in mond en keel tegen te gaan."

The Vocabulary of Poverty (armoede)

De Morgen is running a special campaign to highlight poverty in Belgium: 'Innocenti, het anti-armoedeproject' which gives food for thought and a lot of new vocabulary.

Stories tell of people living on the street (dakloos=lit. roofless) and difficulties feeding or clothing themselves.







wrijfen = to rub
wieg = the cradle (Mijn armoede is begonnen toen ik nog in de wieg lag)
korstjes = crusts (Zij kregen de boterhammen, ik de korstjes)
schillen = peels (Zij eten de appel, ik de schillen)
tegengekomen = encountered
slokdarm = gullet
gezellig = cosy
grijns = a grin
rouwen = to mourn
aanvaard ons = accept us
kansarm = underprivileged / disadvantaged
kringwinkel = thrift shop / second hand shop


Niemand kijkt de bedelaars in de ogen
Nobody looks the beggars in the eyes.

And lastly, don't forget...
"Want armoede, het kan u ook overkomen. Plots. En dan sta je daar. Alleen"
(Because poverty can happen to you also. Suddenly. And there you are. Alone)