For the most part, the English name for a country is similar to the English name for the people who live there. The French live in France, Indonesians live in Indonesia, Rwandans live in Rwanda and so on. That’s not always the case, however. The people who live in the Netherlands are not Netherlandish or Netherlandians, they’re…Dutch. While it’s not too difficult to figure that out, the difference in nomenclature can reveal some interesting historical insights. Throw in the name Holland, and there’s even more complexity.
Here, we’ll dive into a little history behind each of these terms and figure out where they came from.
The Netherlands
The meaning of “Netherlands” isn’t too hard to guess. “Nether” means “low” and “lands” means “countries” (or, more simply, “lands”). The modern Dutch equivalent is Nederland, which means the same thing.
The name has been around for a long time, but the region was not always officially called that. The region that currently encompasses both the Netherlands and Belgium — sometimes called the Low Countries — has changed hands many times. One common thread in its naming, though, is that it often refers to the fact that the land is lower than the surrounding landmass. Back when it was a Roman territory in the first century CE, the area was called Germania Inferior (to contrast with the section of Germany called Germania Superior). When the Kingdom of Germany took over the area in the 10th century, it became Lower Lorraine. It wasn’t until the 15th century that Nederlandsch appears in the historical record, and at that point it referred to the language spoken by the people in the area. It also existed alongside the more common term for the people in the area, Duytsch (more on that below).
It took a few hundred more years for Nederlandsch to take hold as the official name for the region. In the 19th century, Belgium split off (taking the name Belgica from an old Latin name for the Low Countries), and the name Nederlandsch slowly started taking over from the other common name, Nederduytsch. Since then, it’s become the country’s moniker.
Dutch
The word Dutch comes from a Proto-Germanic word meaning “of the people.” It shares a root with the German word Deutsch, which has led to some confusing names. The name Germans call Germany, for example, is Deutschland and the people there Deutsch. Dutch and German are related, after all, both being Germanic languages. As mentioned in the last section, the Netherlands for a time was calledNederduytsch, meaning “of the lower people.”
The use of Dutch to refer to the people of the Netherlands doesn’t occur in most languages, however. English is the only language that calls the language spoken in the Netherlands “Dutch.” The Dutch themselves called their language Nederlands, and most other languages have some variation on that theme.
English has thrown around the word Dutch and its various spellings for hundreds of years. One lasting legacy of the willy nilly usage is Pennsylvania Dutch, which is the name for a branch of the German language that developed in North America. As far as the naming conventions involving the Netherlands goes, English is the odd one out.
Holland
The use of Holland to refer to the entirety of the Netherlands is also a quirk of English (though it’s done by some non-English speakers as well). The word derives from Old Dutch holt land, meaning “wood land,” and it specifically refers to one region of the Netherlands. Calling the Netherlands “Holland” is a bit like calling the United Kingdom “England.” People might not call you out if you happen to do so, but it’s not necessarily accurate.
There was one time that Holland was the name of the whole country: 1806 to 1810. That’s when Napoleon Bonaparte installed his brother as the puppet ruler of the country in an attempt to keep control of it. That’s likely not the reason why modern-day people call the country Holland, however. Instead, it’s probably that Holland was a largely autonomous region through much of its history, and so Holland got conflated with the country as a whole. At the same time, Holland — with its idyllic pastures and towering windmills — has become a cultural shorthand for the entire country in the modern world. Still, you should probably just call the Netherlands by its rightful name to avoid any problems.
Photo credit: Rentola.com
FAQs
The word Dutch comes from a Proto-Germanic word meaning “of the people.” It shares a root with the German word Deutsch, which has led to some confusing names. The name Germans call Germany, for example, is Deutschland and the people there Deutsch. Dutch and German are related, after all, both being Germanic languages.
Why do we call people from the Netherlands Dutch? ›
The Old English cousin to Dutch, thiod or theod, simply meant “people or nation.” (This also helps explain why Germany is called Deutschland in German.) Over time, English-speaking people used the word Dutch to describe people from both the Netherlands and Germany, and now just the Netherlands today.
What do you call a Dutch person in Dutch? ›
In the Dutch language, the Dutch refer to themselves as Nederlanders.
Why do we say the Netherlands instead of Netherlands? ›
The country's name in English conventionally includes the article. English speakers think of the name of the country as including the “the”. The reason for this is historical, but it's survival into modern English probably has to do with the strong geographic element in the ending “-lands”.
Do Dutch people prefer Holland or the Netherlands? ›
Overall Dutch people prefer that people say 'The Netherlands'. This is because 2 provinces in the Netherlands are called 'Noord-Holland' and 'Zuid-Holland'. These are just provinces and not the original country name. That is why the Netherlands sounds better and is also more correct.
Is it Dutch or Netherlands nationality? ›
It isn't common and "Dutch" is the preferred term. But if this gets you out of having to say "I'm Dutch, but Dutch from the Netherlands, not Deutch" hundreds of times it is allowed. You are just naming the country to which you are a citizen, not talking about national identity.
What does the nickname Dutch mean? ›
Dutch, not an uncommon nickname, seems to be used for a variety of reasons. It could be because a person is connected to Holland, or because a person is of German descent. Here, "Dutch" is from "Deutsch," the German-language word for "German." Other reasons are more idiosyncratic.
What do Dutch call their lovers? ›
There's a variety of words for 'babe' or 'sweetheart' in Dutch! I would say the most fitting and mosed used one is 'schat', which would literally translate to 'treasure'. Another one is 'lief', which would translate to 'my loved one'. Sweetheart in Dutch is “liefje/lieveling/lieve schat…”
What is slang for a Dutch person? ›
There aren't a lot of slang terms. The Dutch aren't as provocative and obnoxious as some nationalities, which have more offensive slang words to describe them. One term used is calling them "wooden shoes". They even may refer themselves as wooden shoes. Cheers, Tatyana.
Are Dutch the tallest? ›
Dutch people continue to be the tallest population
It is estimated that the first generation of both Dutch men and women to reach the status of the world's tallest was born in the late 1950s. The current generation, born in 2000, still holds this status.
Seeing as the Dutch refer to themselves as "nederlanders", there's no reason why the English can't use the equivalent 'netherlanders', in the same vein as 'greenlanders' or indeed 'new zealanders', but that's a different question.
What do Americans call the Netherlands? ›
But the usage of the name Holland for the entire country stuck, especially abroad. However, the remaining ten provinces – Zeeland, North Brabant, Limburg, Utrecht, Gelderland, Flevoland, Overijssel, Drenthe, Friesland and Groningen – are just as much part of the Netherlands as North and South Holland.
Should I write Netherlands or the Netherlands? ›
The Netherlands is spelt with a small 't' in running text (They live in the Netherlands). In an address form (i.e. each part of a new line), the Netherlands has a capital 'T'.
Are you Dutch if you're from Holland? ›
Are Dutch people from Holland or the Netherlands? Because Holland isn't the name of the country, Dutch people are from the Netherlands. However, it's possible that you meet a Dutchie who is from Holland, but in this case, it would just mean that they're from either the province of North or South Holland.
Is it better to live in the Netherlands or the US? ›
I have lived in the Netherlands, but I haven't for over 15 years. If you're well off, you are probably better off in the US. Taxation in the Netherlands reaches very high levels. A rich person in the Netherlands would pay more taxes than a rich person in the US.
Are the Dutch friendly? ›
Inclusive and welcoming culture
In general, the Dutch are welcoming to foreigners and make an effort to engage newcomers into the community. They are known for their egalitarianism and are a fairly liberal society. Expats moving to the Netherlands will have plenty of opportunity to meet people in the Netherlands.
Are Dutch people from Holland? ›
Are Dutch people from Holland or the Netherlands? Because Holland isn't the name of the country, Dutch people are from the Netherlands. However, it's possible that you meet a Dutchie who is from Holland, but in this case, it would just mean that they're from either the province of North or South Holland.
What is the ethnicity of the Netherlands? ›
Ethnic groups
Dutch 75.4%, EU (excluding Dutch) 6.4%, Turkish 2.4%, Moroccan 2.4%, Surinamese 2.1%, Indonesian 2%, other 9.3% (2021 est.)
What are Holland citizens called? ›
The people of Holland are referred to as "Hollanders" in both Dutch and English, though in English this is now unusual. Today this refers specifically to people from the current provinces of North Holland and South Holland.
Which country speaks Dutch? ›
Dutch is spoken not only in the Netherlands, but it is also the official language of Flanders, the neighbouring northern provinces of Belgium. Worldwide, Dutch is a national language in Suriname (South America), Aruba and the Dutch Antilles (Caribbean). In total Dutch has 23 million mother tongue speakers.
