Van Dale's Great Dictionary of the Dutch Language (vɐn ˈdaːlə ˈɣroːt ˈʋʊːrdə(n)ˌbuk vɐn də ˈneːjərˌlɑntsə ˈtaːl) is the leading dictionary of the Dutch language

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...

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History

The dictionary is published by Van Dale Lexicografie and has been published since 1874, after J.H. (Johan Hendrik) van Dale started work on the New Dictionary of the Dutch Language (ˈniu ˈʋʊːrdə(n)ˌbuk dər ˈneːjərˌlɑntsə ˈtaːl) in 1867, which followed up upon the original same-named 1864 dictionary of I.M. Calisch en N.S. Calisch.

Van Dale did not see the work published as he died in 1872, it was finished by his student Jan Manhave.

“Dikke van Dale”

Commonly named the “Dikke van Dale” (ˈdɪkə vɐn ˈdaːlə) (Fat Van Dale) due to its size, the dictionary is split into three tomes (A-I, J-R, S-Z) and is usually updated every 7–8 years. The 14th edition was published in 2005.

There are also compiled and pocket editions available as well as electronic editions on CD-ROM and an online edition on the Van Dale website (both a free version for the more common words and a subscription-based professional version which gives access to the full 90,000 word dictionary).

Editions

Edition	Year	Editors	Notes
1st edition	1864	I. M. Calisch en N. S. Calisch	Nieuw woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal; in one volume.
2nd edition	1874	J. H. van Dale, J. Manhave	Facsimile-reprint 1992
3rd edition	1884	J. Manhave
4th edition	1898	H. Kuiper jr., dr. A. Opprel en P. J. van Malssen jr.	New title: Van Dale's Groot woordenboek der Nederlandsche taal.
5th edition	1914	P. J. van Malssen jr.
6th edition	1924	P. J. van Malssen jr.
7th edition	1950	dr. C. Kruyskamp, dr. F. de Tollenaere
8th edition	1961	dr. C. Kruyskamp
9th edition	1970	dr. C. Kruyskamp	For the first time in two volumes (A-N, O-Z).
10th edition	1976	dr. C. Kruyskamp
11th edition	1984	prof. dr. G. Geerts en dr. H. Heestermans, met medewerking van dr. C. Kruyskamp	For the first time in three volumes (A-I, J-R, S-Z).
12th edition	1992	prof. dr. G. Geerts en dr. H. Heestermans	Republished in 1995 with the new official spelling.
13th edition	1999	prof. dr. G. Geerts, drs. C. A. den Boon	Also appeared on CD-ROM, edited by prof. dr. D. Geeraerts.
14th edition	2005	drs. C. A. den Boon, prof. dr. D. Geeraerts	Used the new official spelling of 2005. New title: Van Dale Groot woordenboek van de Nederlandse taal.

Company

Apart from publishing the authoritative Dutch language dictionary Van Dale Lexicografie also publishes bilingual dictionaries for other languages, translated from and to Dutch, and also offers language courses and translation services.

See also

• Dutch Language Union
  Dutch Language Union
  The Dutch Language Union is an international institution for discussing issues regarding the Dutch language. It was founded on 9 September 1980 by the Netherlands and Belgium...
  
  
• Word list of the Dutch language
• Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal
  Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal
  Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal is a dictionary of the Dutch language. It has over 430,000 entries of Dutch words from 1500 to 1921 and the paper edition consists of 43 volumes and close to 50,000 pages. The dictionary was almost 150 years in the making: the first fascicle was published in...
  
  

External links

Van Dale official website

• Van Dale 14th edition at the Library of Congress
  Library of Congress
  The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
  
  
• Van Dale 14th edition at WorldCat
  WorldCat
  WorldCat is a union catalog which itemizes the collections of 72,000 libraries in 170 countries and territories which participate in the Online Computer Library Center global cooperative...