If......................?

Question

people from england are called english

people from france are called french

people from germany are called germans

people from spain are called spanish

people from italy are called italians

people from hungary are called hungarians

people from china are called chinese

people from japan are called japanese

people from australia are called austrailians

people from mexico are called mexicans

people from america are called americans

people from argentina are called argentinians

people from brazil are called brazilians

people from canada are called canadians

people from switzerland are called the swiss

then why are people from the netherlands called the dutch ????

Answer 1

' "Dutch" is actually older than "the Netherlands". Until the sixteenth century, inhabitants of the Netherlands called themselves Diets (which mean "the people"). This word, pronounced "deets", was corrupted in English as "Dutch". The British continued to use the medieval name long after Netherlanders stopped using it themselves.'

Answer 2

People from the Netherlands are only called 'Dutch' in the English language - so blame the English, not the Dutch. German and Swedish are languages related to English and Dutch, yet they call us Netherlanders. And so they should. The Germans actually call themselves Deutsch, yet the English think Deutschland is full of Germans. There isn't too much sense in that either. And further to that, why do the people of France call themselves French, but in England they're referred to as 'cheese eating surrender monkeys'? Is there any sense in the English language at all?

That said, the Dutch are a stupid and ignorant people. As I was born and bred there I have a right to say so. What probably happened is that an Englishman asked my ancestor where he was from - and the daft cloggie said "I come from Holland" with his terrible accent. "From the Netherlands then," the English might have asked. "No, from Holland". You see, Holland to the Netherlands is a bit like Wales is to the British - a part of the country, and the least interesting part to be fair. The confused English geographer would have asked the cloggie where in hell Holland lies, asking if perchance Holland is part of Germany or Belgium, therewith gravely insulting the tulip-eater. "Ik ben geen Duitser!" he would have shouted, which translates as "I am no German!". The Englishman would have understood 'Duitser', a word not related to 'German' or 'Belgian' or 'Danish' and.. Later that day would have written in his diary he had an interesting meeting with a Deutschman. A Dutchman.

So, blame the English, the Germans and the Dutch altogether. If only Holland, the 'hollow land' that lies beneath the sea, would actually have been beneath the waves back then. A 'Dutchman' from any of the other 9 (now 10) provinces would have given a better answer. Either the lowly Netherlanders would be known as Netherlanders, or we'd be referred to as the 'Gelders', 'Freese', 'Drenths' or 'Grunnings'. And now that you know all this, don't make the mistake of thinking I am from Holland. I am however Dutch.

Answer 3

, the word Holland is often used by both Dutch and foreign people to denote the entire Netherlands, possibly because "The Netherlands" ("Nederland" in Dutch) is more cumbersome. People from the other provinces of the Netherlands (such as Friesland, Groningen, North Brabant, Zeeland, etc.) are often offended when referred to as "Hollanders".

Answer 4

I believe if you look at thier history, it was not called the Netherlands when they first settled there...

Also, I will venture, that since most of the land is below sea level, (reclaimed from the ocean), and could flood at any time if the dike system would give way, (remember the story of the little dutch boy who stopped the leak by poking his finger in the dike?), they call the land, "netherland" because its not "really" the land that is land, but sea bottom...

Just my suppositions...and meanderings :)

I wish you well..

Jesse

Answer 5

It is puzzling but think that they are referred to as Netherlanders and the language the speak is Dutch but it has become a coloquialism. You can also say that for Belgium they speak Flemmish.

Answer 6

Because its what they speak, not what the country is called.
People from England speak English so they are called English.
People from America speak English but they have their own different spelling so they speak American and so are called Americans!

Answer 7

ummmm... have you looked at the world........ we have a president that wants to kill everyone till hes the only one left, we have news telling terrorist what they can do, we are dumb asses for paying $3 a gallon at the pumps, we have people robbing banks and they cant even spend the money if there face is seen on camera, we belive in some triangle thing in the ocean. look at the world and then ask your self that question

Answer 8

lol
probably because the Dutch settled first in the Netherlands and just didn't call it...Dutchland. I don't know :)

Answer 9

they used to be called Hollindaise, but they didn't like the jokes people made about the sauce, so they changed it to Dutch.

Answer 10

double dutch netherlands holland