Batavianization
Encyclopedia
Batavianization or Batavianisation (see -ise vs -ize) also known as Dutchification and; historically, as Belgianization, is the spread of the Dutch language, people and/or culture either by force or assimilation. In Dutch
it is known as vernederlandsing or neerlandisatie.
. The term Dutchification is mostly used in English publications by Dutch authors, less so by native English-speakers. This likely has to do with the fact that Dutch isn't a Latin
-derived term and hence sounds somewhat childish to some ears in combination with the (Latinate) suffix
-fication. As for Belgianization, Belgae was the standard term in Latin to refer to the Dutch (compare the Leo Belgicus
, United Belgian States and Belgic Confession
for example) in the Late Middle Ages
. After the establishment of Belgium, its use generally shifted to mean Belgicism
.
For the concept of "Batavianization" in colonial North America, see:
Also:
For the concept of "Batavianization" in colonial Indonesia, see:
. Beginning at the end of the migration period
, Dutch nobles sought to conquer the Frisian lands, in which they largely succeeded around the end of the High Middle Ages
. The conquest was gradual and moved from the West to the East. By the time the Frisian heartland (the modern province of Friesland
) was conquered, many Frisians formerly living in West Frisia
had already fled and the region was subsequently colonized by Dutch settlers. In the remaining Frisian territory, a ruling Dutch upper class was instituted, the legacy of which can still be found in Stadsfries. The Frisian language
has since adopted large amounts of Dutch vocabulary, to such an extent that many objects or concepts originating after the Dutch conquest are nearly all calque
s or loanword
s from Dutch.
Despite Batavianization and the general idea that Frisians were underdeveloped and rural, Frisians never were the subject of ethnic discrimination or willful linguistic or cultural oppression.
, a social movement
seeking acknowledgement of the Dutch language and culture. When Belgium was established in 1830, the Francophone government oppressed the Dutch populace. Dutch was banned from higher education, politics and justice in favour of French
. Hence Batavianization in Belgium largely refers to the process of replacing French as the language of education in universities and as the language of culture among the elite.
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
it is known as vernederlandsing or neerlandisatie.
Terminology
The term Batavianization, derives its name from the Batavi, a Germanic tribe living in the Netherlands, and long regarded as the mythical ancestors of the Dutch peopleDutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
. The term Dutchification is mostly used in English publications by Dutch authors, less so by native English-speakers. This likely has to do with the fact that Dutch isn't a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
-derived term and hence sounds somewhat childish to some ears in combination with the (Latinate) suffix
Suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
-fication. As for Belgianization, Belgae was the standard term in Latin to refer to the Dutch (compare the Leo Belgicus
Leo Belgicus
The Dutch Lion or Leo Belgicus, Latin for Netherlandic Lion , is a map of the Low Countries drawn in the shape of a lion....
, United Belgian States and Belgic Confession
Belgic Confession
The Confession of Faith, popularly known as the Belgic Confession, is a doctrinal standard document to which many of the Reformed churches subscribe. The Confession forms part of the Reformed Three Forms of Unity...
for example) in the Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
. After the establishment of Belgium, its use generally shifted to mean Belgicism
Belgian nationalism
Belgian nationalism defines an ideology that favours a strong centralised government, with less or no autonomy for the Flemish Community who constitute Flanders, the French Community of Belgium and the German-speaking Community of Belgium who constitute Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region...
.
For the concept of "Batavianization" in colonial North America, see:
- John M. Murrin, "English Rights as Ethnic Aggression: The English Conquest, the Charter of Liberties of 1683, ... suggests that "Batavianization" played as significant a role as "Anglicization" in early New York.
Also:
- Richard C. Simmons - 1976: The American colonies: from settlement to independence -
- Joyce D. Goodfriend: Before the Melting Pot: Society and Culture in Colonial New York City, 1664-1730 -
- Jeremy Adelman, Stephen Aron (2001): Trading cultures: the worlds of Western merchants : essays on authority ...
- Ned C. Landsman: Crossroads of Empire: The Middle Colonies in British North America
- Amy Turner Bushnell - 1995: Establishing exceptionalism: historiography and the colonial Americas -
For the concept of "Batavianization" in colonial Indonesia, see:
- Gerald H. Krausse - 1988: Urban Society in Southeast Asia: Political and cultural issues -
The Netherlands
In the Netherlands, most of the Batavianization was of a linguistic and, to a lesser extent cultural nature, and was focused on the Frisian regionFrisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
. Beginning at the end of the migration period
Migration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
, Dutch nobles sought to conquer the Frisian lands, in which they largely succeeded around the end of the High Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
. The conquest was gradual and moved from the West to the East. By the time the Frisian heartland (the modern province of Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
) was conquered, many Frisians formerly living in West Frisia
West Friesland (historical region)
West Friesland is a historical region in the northern part of the Netherlands. It was located in parts of what now is Noord-Holland and the Waddenzee. The region was bordered by the rivers Vlie and IJ...
had already fled and the region was subsequently colonized by Dutch settlers. In the remaining Frisian territory, a ruling Dutch upper class was instituted, the legacy of which can still be found in Stadsfries. The Frisian language
West Frisian language
West Frisian is a language spoken mostly in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands. West Frisian is the name by which this language is usually known outside the Netherlands, to distinguish it from the closely related Frisian languages of Saterland Frisian and North Frisian,...
has since adopted large amounts of Dutch vocabulary, to such an extent that many objects or concepts originating after the Dutch conquest are nearly all calque
Calque
In linguistics, a calque or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal, word-for-word or root-for-root translation.-Calque:...
s or loanword
Loanword
A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language. By contrast, a calque or loan translation is a related concept where the meaning or idiom is borrowed rather than the lexical item itself. The word loanword is itself a calque of the German Lehnwort,...
s from Dutch.
Despite Batavianization and the general idea that Frisians were underdeveloped and rural, Frisians never were the subject of ethnic discrimination or willful linguistic or cultural oppression.
Belgium
In Belgium batavianization was an essential part of the political objectives of the Flemish movementFlemish movement
The Flemish Movement is a popular term used to describe the political movement for emancipation and greater autonomy of the Belgian region of Flanders, for protection of the Dutch language, and for the over-all protection of Flemish culture and history....
, a social movement
Social movement
Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals or organizations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change....
seeking acknowledgement of the Dutch language and culture. When Belgium was established in 1830, the Francophone government oppressed the Dutch populace. Dutch was banned from higher education, politics and justice in favour of French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. Hence Batavianization in Belgium largely refers to the process of replacing French as the language of education in universities and as the language of culture among the elite.