| Franco-Netherlandic Page Franco-Nederlandies Page |
| What is Franco-Netherlandic? Franco-Netherlandic is an artificial planned language that I have invented. Language-creation might be a new concept to many, but there is a robust community of language-creators on the net. I started this hobby in 1997, when I started learning Esperanto. I soon moved on to other (natural) languages. Mixed language have always had a great fascination for me. English etymology (which has a strong French element) has always given me a unique linguistic thrill. I have spent hours studying other mixed languages like Maltese or Farsi (the former is Arabic influenced by Italian, the latter is Indo-European influnced by Arabic.) Franco-Netherlandic is a mixture of Dutch (Netherlandic) and French. It is a blend of Germanic and Romance elements. Dutch provides the basic vocabulary and grammar, while French contributes many other basic words, many of them abstract in nature. FN is similar to English in this, but is no facsimile copy of English. It is a separate and unique language. This page is still under construction |
| Franco-Netherlandic Samples Lord's Prayer in FN Ons vader, wat is de hemel Laat u naam word geheilig Laat u coninkryk com Laat u wil geskie Op de erde, soas in de hemel Gee ons vandag ons daagliks brood En vergee ons ons sculde, soas ons ook vergee de sculde van de andere En set ons nie in de tentatie, maar verlos ons van de bose Compare this with the Dutch version: Onze vader in de hemel Uw naam worde geheiligd Uw koninkrijk kome Uw wil geschiede Op aarde zoals in de hemel Geef ons heden ons dagelijks brood En vergeef ons onze schulden Zoals ook wij anderen hun schulden hebben vergeven En stel ons niet op de proef Maar verlos ons van de duivel More Samples will be given later |
 |
| How Dutch turns into FN FN words are not derived directly and unchanged from Dutch. They modified along the way, until they become unique FN words. This modification is arbitrary, but occurs in a systemic and regular manner. Notwithstanding, this happens only inasmuch as linguistic change is regular in general. In other words, the rules are not iron-cast, and there are many exceptions. Many changes occur from Dutch to FN. The central change in vowels is that long vowels are either diphthongized or shortened. Short vowels are mostly unchanged. Umlaut vowels (compare French eu and u) are conserved. Most of the consonants remain the same, but some pisky ones, like the voiced and unvoiced velar sounds (/G/ and /x/) are phased out. They are either lost or modified to the more conventional /g/ or /k/. Word-initial /z/ becomes /s/ and word-initial /v/ becomes /f/. The Dutch w (similar to Spanish or Greek b) becomes a more familiar English w. Some word-final consonants are dropped. In grammar, negation is always after the verb (as in Dutch), or after the subject pronoun. There is no case or declensions, except in pronouns. There are only two irregular verbs 'wees' (to be) and 'he' (to have), which show no person or number. Tenses are indicated by means of particles. French words are not spared the modifications either. Nasalisation is lost and vowels acquire length. The lasy syllable is usually stressed. Many vowels are diphthongized. Properly speaking, FN is not derived from modern Parisian French but from an older version of French. For example, many S's are preserved where they have been lost in French (compare chastel - chateau 'castle'). Norman French also has an influence (observe Norman French word-initial W in FN werre - Modern French guerre 'war'). Grammatically speaking, FN is halfway between Dutch and French. Negation is always after the verb or subject pronoun, and adjectives preceed their nouns. Adverbs usually come after their verbs. When certain adverbs come at the beginning of the sentence, the verb comes immediately after the adverb (a common Germanic feature.) Howerver, none of the complex syntax of Dutch is seen in FN (such as inifinitives being thrown to the end of sentences, etc.) Most of the rest of the syntax is reminiscent of French and English. This is only a summarized account and further detail will given later. |
|
| Franco-Netherlandic was invented and elaborated by Wael H. Al-Mahdi (my FN name is Willem de Bahrein). Contact me: waelalmahdi@yahoo.com |
| Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights English: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. French: Tous les etres humains naissent libres et egaux en dignite et en droits. Ils sont doues de raison et de conscience et doivent agir les uns envers les autres dans un esprit de fraternite. Netherlandic: Alle mense worden vrij en gelijk in waardigheid en rechten geboren. Zij zijn begiftigd met verstand en geweten, en behoren zich jegens elkander in een geest van broederschap te gedragen. Afrikaans: Alle menslike wesens word vry, met gelyke waardigheid en regte, gebore. Hulle het rede en gewete en behoort in die gees van broederskap teenoor mekaar op te tree. Franco-Netherlandic: Alle menslike wesens word gebore vry en egaal in werdigheid en regte. Hun is gedoeer met reisie en consciencie en moet ageer tot elkaar in 'n gees van broederscap. |