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Dunglish (portmanteau of ''Dutch'' and ''English''), better known in the Netherlands as ''steenkolenengels'' (literally: "charcoal-English"), is a popular term for mistakes native Dutch speakers make when trying to speak English. The term's usage is loosely connected to that of other English language corruptions, such as ''Engrish''. English instruction in the Netherlands begins in elementary school or secondary school, and Dutch-speaking Belgians are usually taught English from the age of twelve. In addition, like all foreign-language movies, English-spoken movies are subtitled rather than being dubbed in the Netherlands and in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. The Dutch word for the poorest form of Dunglish, ''Steenkolenengels'' (''"Coal English"''), goes back to the early twentieth century when Dutch port workers used a rudimentary form of English to communicate with the personnel of English coal ships. Errors occur mainly in pronunciation, word order and the meaning of words. Former Dutch ambassador and prime minister Dries van Agt supposedly once said "I can stand my little man" (translation of ''ik kan mijn mannetje staan'', a Dutch idiom meaning roughly "I can stand up for myself"). The former leader of the Dutch Liberal Party, Frits Bolkestein, repeatedly referred to economic prospects as "golden showers", unaware of the term's sexual connotation. == Incorrect meaning of words == Errors often occur because of the ''false friend'' or false cognate possibility: words are incorrectly translated for understandable reasons. Examples are: * Former prime minister Joop den Uyl once remarked that "''the Dutch are a nation of undertakers''". The Dutch verb ''ondernemen'' is literally the English ''undertake'' (as ''onder'' is ''under'', and ''nemen'' is ''take''). The noun ''ondernemer'' is thus literally ''undertaker''; however the idiomatic English usage is instead the French loanword ''entrepreneur''.〔 (Dutch uses the more specific ''begrafenisondernemer'' for a funeral director.) * Former prime minister Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy had a meeting with Winston Churchill in London. Gerbrandy entered the room and shook Churchill's hand, saying: "Good-day!" Churchill responded: "This is the shortest meeting I have ever had". Gerbrandy had looked up the English translation of ''goedendag'', which in Dutch is often used as a formal greeting, yet "good day" is most often used as valediction in Britain (as opposed to "good morning" or "good afternoon"). * During the Second World War, Churchill said to Gerbrandy while the two were standing on a balcony: "Spring is in the air". Gerbrandy's response was: "Why should I?" Gerbrandy thought Churchill told him: "Spring 'ns in de lucht", which translates into English as "jump into the air". * The Dutch word "actueel" means "current" (whereas "actual" in English means "genuine"). A Dutch person unfamiliar with the English word might therefore be confused if he or she were asked about the "actual time" an appointment was supposed to start. * The Dutch verb ''solliciteren'' means to apply for a job, which can lead to an embarrassing situation if someone claims that they have come to solicit. * The word ''eventueel'' in Dutch means ''potentially'' (like ''éventuel'' in French, ''eventuell'' in German, ''eventual'' in Spanish, ''eventuale'' in Italian, ''eventual'' in Portuguese, ''eventuell'' in Swedish) and not ''eventually'', which is ''uiteindelijk'' in Dutch. This mistake caused a row between the Scottish and Belgian football associations when the Belgian football association invited delegates from various associations over for the "eventual qualification of the Belgian national football team" before the play-offs against Scotland started. While the Scottish federation accused the Belgians of sheer arrogance, the Belgian association had actually meant to hold the drink after a "possible qualification".〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dunglish」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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