Re: Odp: Odp: Slavic or Slavonian?

From: Marc Verhaegen
Message: 971
Date: 2000-01-18

The confusion with Slovene, Slavian etc. etc. is also seen in the continental Germanic languages, though to a lesser degree. English "Dutch" means Netherlandic, Dutch "Duits" means German, but Dutch "Diets" (uncommon word today) means Dutch, though in the 17th century "Nederduytsch" meant Dutch; German "Deutsch" means German, etc. Literally Dutch-Diets-Deutsch means "clear" (Dutch "duidelijk"; the expression "diets maken" means "make clear to somebody"), or "the people's" (ie, said in the people's language, as opposed to Latin).
 
Marc