When does a hyphen become unnecessary? When should old words be dropped from the dictionary?
In the Netherlands’ Het Groene Boekje, or Little Green Book, a new official guide to spelling can be found, but it is already causing its fair share of misunderstandings. Het Groene Boekje is the Dutch language “rule book” Dutch class is one of the highlights of my week. I even enjoy doing the tests and the homework. I sit next to Kevin, an engineer and fellow countryman from Ireland. Then there is Ali, an Iranian, who prays with his lamp on his mat before the lesson. And Ignatius, an Austrian monk, who happens to be my neighbour. We all start off with “Goede Morgen” (good morning), then progress to more advanced guttural sounds – once we get our throats warmed up. I first started learning the language here 25 years ago. Though I read and understand everything and, I am told, speak charming Dutch, it is full of mistakes. And alas, all my friends here love to practise English. But when local TV stations began asking me to take part in live debates – in Dutch – I decided it was time to b
