Why is Holland also called The Netherlands and the people known as 'Dutch'?

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Endie vB

Hi, I'm Dutch.

Only English speakers call us "Dutch"

In our own language it's like this:

Country: Nederland
People: Nederlanders
Language: Nederlands

(makes sense, doesn't it?)

Holland is only a part of the country, in fact it's two provinces: North-Holland and South-Holland. The capital city Amsterdam is in North-Holland, and the world's largest harbour Rotterdam is in South-Holland.

So, most non-Dutch only know the name Holland, mainly from the time our ships sailed the oceans for trade and colonialism.

The two provinces of Holland are at the west-coast. So, most people in the west of The Netherlands don't mind if you call the place "Holland". But it's not correct when meaning any of the other 12 provinces (like calling a New Yorker a "Texan").

The word "Dutch" is not based on "Duits"
It's based on "Dietsch" which is the most ancient language of this area, from which Dutch, Flammisch and German languages have developed.

10 points please ;-)

Ashlyn B

As you can see all these words are derived from the Dutch word Holland.
Strictly spoken even Holland is wrong. Holland was the name of the county Holland until 1795. But as the economic and cultural centre of The Netherlands was situated in the old county of Holland, this last name stood for the whole of The Netherlands. Moreover the name "The Netherlands" also applies for Belgium historically. Originally there were 17 counties united as the Low Countries, in French Les Pays Bas. History divided them into two groups which became Belgium and Netherlands.
Now about Dutch. This word is the English counterpart of the Dutch words "Diets" and "Duits". In Dutch "Duits" means "German", where the Germans call themselves "Deutsche". Around 1290 in the northern and eastern part of the Netherlands the word was: "duutsc" and as the Frisian people (living in the North) spoke a language much more alike English, the English adapted "dutch" from Frisian "duutsc". Later "duutsc" became the Dutch word for our eastern neighbors: Duits (German).
I know that one can find a lot of expressions in an English dictionary related to habits which are supposed to be typically Dutch. But here as in so many cases the pot calls the kettle black.

snetterton

Holland is a part of the Netherlands, like a region. The Netherlands literally means "low lying country" - which of course it is, hence the need for dykes etc.
The word Dutch stems from Duitse - the same word as German.
Centuries ago they all spoke more or less the same language. It all comes from then.
PS Give me credit for just knowing this rather than getting it off wikipedia!

Sean

The Netherlands is the "correct way" Holland comes from the two major counties/states Noord & Zuid (north & south) Holland. As for the dutch not the faintest idea how that comes into it sorry.

blu.boy

up until 1830 and the dutch war of inependance what is now known as the netherlands was a part of belgium,and it broke away from belgique rule after the war,and the first shots fired in this war was in the park de brussels in that city.the term nethrelands is actually the nederlands which translated means the low lands.as 60% of the country lies below and up to as many as 25 metres below sea level,its modern name is holland which is derived from the name of the ancient tribes that roamed and colonised the country,most of the land up towards amsterdam from rotterdam,and all the way up to friesland is actually reclamed from the sea,even the sight where schipol airport is situated was at one time under sea water,and is the site where the english navy fought and defeated and sunk the entire dutch navyin 1643,the very term schipol actually means in hollander language ships hell,as many a seaman perished or drowned in those waters at that time.the average nederlander would sooner be called a hollander rarther than a dutchman,,,most of the old part of holland from rotterdam to volandam and edam and up to groningan was at one time kept from flooding by the use of the windmill which was originally an egyptian invention and brought over to holland for the actual purpose of being used as a wind pump along with the dams known as dikes to pump the water back over to the zuider sea,and keep the country afloat,but these days its done by electric or diesel pump at one time before the second world war in that region there were as many as 17000 windmills{pumps}doing this job until the german armies found out the millers were using the sails to signal to the r.a.f of pilots shot down or in distress,so the germans decided to destroy all but around 500 of them,and those that are left are now really museunm pieces,holland is a very pretty country and is very enviromentally friendly,in fact it is probably the most enviromentally friendly country on this planet,and the average hollander is one of the most friendly and polite person on this planet too,i work in holland a lot with my job and i enjoy every minute i am there,and always make another friend each time i visit,its so easy to do with them,and they are really friendly to the english as they have been for many years which is also good for me,if you have never been then take the time to visit you will not regret it,

Andrea

The country is really called 'The Netherlands' (Nederland = low land) and Holland is the largest province of it (containing eg Amsterdam). Calling the whole country 'Holland' is similar to calling the whole of the UK 'England'. :)

I think 'Dutch' is derived from the word 'Duits' (NL) = 'Deutsch' (D) = 'German'. Dutch and German are quite similar and I guess the 'wrong' (or rather older) word made it into English somehow. :)

Barney Against Bigots

Holland is only one province out of (I think) twelve provinces in the Netherlands.

ik ben alphabetsoup

The Netherlands, which means low lands was derived from the fact that most of the country is below sea level. North and South Holland are provinces in The Netherlands and many people just started calling it Holland. As for why they are called the Dutch, i'm not sure.

Adam B

hollan is just a province in the netherlands, dont know why they called it holland, but its wrong. The official language of the netherlands is dutch

frizbrizbriz

The Netherlands is the official name.
Holland is sort of a nickname.

squirephlem

Holland would be the old name of this great country. The Netherlands: because it means wet lands. And as for their being called Dutch, well THAT is the native language there. They also speak English, German, French, as well as TRUE Spanish. Considering the area, they are a well diverse people, and we could all learn by their examples.

vanamont7

Probably because that whole area is well below sea level. Hence the system of dykes and locks. Too, the Dutch really don't want to admit to having descended from the Germans. They don't say ' Dutch ' in Holland, they say: ' Deuts '. Or
' Nederlander ' which isn't too far from
' Deutsch. ' See the similarities? ' Neder ' akin to the English ' Nether '? or ' Beneath '? This in a time when tribes probably divided over the Roman Conquests that increasingly dominated Europe til they finally reached Britain and the Celtic lands. See Rembrandt's painting; " The Conspiracy Of Julius Civilis and the Batavians " for a little more background.

Hope this helps.

Polka Dot

I have no idea to be honest & have always wondered. Up until a few years ago I was convinced it was where Peter Pan lived though, ask him.

T-Bone

a.k.a. platypus people

Muffin Girl Is SEXY.

pickles and pina coladas, duh.

thewilds01

I can tell you why all dutch (or the people from province Holland, or the people from the country Netherlands) have big ears.

the parents bring there kids to the border of Germany, lift them up by there ears and say "over there lives the soccer world champion"

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