This morning at breakfast my eye was caught by NRC Next's daily page 2 header "Next question" (a must read for curious types like me). A reader tossed the question what nouns are most popular in Dutch language. And of course someone had an answer - The Dutch Institure for Lexicology can tell us that in writing the Dutch most frequently use the words
- year <jaar>
- human <mens>,
- subject <onderwerp>
- time <tijd>
- day <dag>
- municipality <gemeente>
- place <plaats>
- hour <uur>
- country <land>
- Netherlands <Nederland>
And when we speak, we most often use the words:
- people <mensen>
- year <jaar>
- day <dag>
- things <dingen>
- time <tijd>
- man <man>
- moment <moment>
- children <kinderen>
- a bit <beetje>
I think the latter list is the more interesting one. The list on written language was based on news paper articles and magazines which might be the reason that the typical words of news reporting score so many hits - e.g. municipality. When looking at spoken language, it strikes me how preoccupied we are with 'time': time, moment, year, day... Maybe that's a reflection and a confirmation of what is in today's western world most valuable to us: time. And what to think about the word 'things'? Can we be more vague in expressing what we mean that by using this word 'thing'?
