--- Forwarded Message from "Garrett, Nina" <[log in to unmask]> --- >From: "Garrett, Nina" <[log in to unmask]> >To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]> >Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:02:10 -0400 >Subject: RE: #8903 anybody who knows Dutch? >Thread-Topic: #8903 anybody who knows Dutch? >Thread-Index: AcjzDaMCi04ME3epTfq/ntUFW7lNWwAO4KIA >References: <[log in to unmask]> >In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]> >Accept-Language: en-US >acceptlanguage: en-US Well, actually German doesn't pronounce initial v as w but the other way around: German initial w is pronounced as v. German initial v is like English f, so that German "viel" sounds like English "feel" (except that the vowel and final l aren't really the same). The Dutch initial v also tends towards f but not so strongly; it is half-way between English v and English f: William Shetter's "Dutch: An Essential Grammar" states that Dutch v "Resembles Eng. v except that the voicing does not begin immediately; it thus stands between Eng. v and Dutch f." Nina Garrett -----Original Message----- From: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of LLTI-Editor Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2008 9:02 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: #8903 anybody who knows Dutch? I have just finished the popular survey of trade in the seventeenth century, particularly trade between Holland and China, in the book "Vermeer's Hat." The title refers to a hat in Vermeer's painting "The Laughing Girl." If you know Dutch, can you tell me whether the Dutch language follows the German pronunciation of initial "v" as "w"? How would one write Vermeer's name phonetically in Dutch? Just curious. Many thanks John Robin Allen Priddis, Alberta [log in to unmask] *********************************************** LLTI is a service of IALLT, the International Association for Language Learning Technology (http://iallt.org/), and The Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning (http://www.languageconsortium.org/). Join IALLT at http://iallt.org. Otmar Foelsche, LLTI-Editor ([log in to unmask]) ***********************************************