Chapter 8
Revising the Algemene Nederlandse Spraakkunst
A pluricentric approach to diatopic variation in the grammar of Standard Dutch?
The third, fully revised version of the Algemene Nederlandse Spraakkunst (ANS), the main reference grammar of Dutch, aims to describe grammatical variation in the national standard varieties of Dutch. This paper investigates whether this pluricentric perspective is compatible with the geographical distribution patterns of Dutch grammatical variants. We provide an overview of the distribution patterns described in the second edition of the ANS and we check this description against frequency data from newspaper corpora for four selected variants which represent different distribution patterns. Although the observed distribution patterns do not always coincide with national borders, we argue that the pluricentric model does not (necessarily) conflict with linguistic reality and that it is the appropriate choice to meet the needs of Dutch language users.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 1.1The pluricentric perspective on Dutch
- 1.2The description of diatopic variation in ANS2
- 1.3The pluriareal model
- 1.4Aim and overview
- 2.Geographical distribution patterns of grammatical variants described in ANS2
- 3.Case studies
- 3.1Specific variant: The preposition doorheen ‘through’
- 3.2Non-specific variant (type A): Komen ‘to come’ with an infinitive or a past participle
- 3.3Non-specific variant (type B): The demonstrative pronoun zo’n/zulke ‘such’ with plural or non-count nouns
- 3.4Non-specific variant (type C): Beginnen ‘start’ with a bare infinitive or te-infinitive
- 3.5Summary
- 4.Discussion
- 4.1Pluricentric or pluriareal distribution patterns?
- 4.2The argument from variational linguistics
- 4.3The argument from perceptional linguistics
- 4.4The language-political argument
- 5.Conclusion
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Notes
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References
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