A Dutch learning website
The Dutch language, or Nederlands, is part of the West Germanic branch of the Indo-European family. Its origins trace back to the Frankish dialects spoken by Germanic tribes in the region of present-day Netherlands and northern Belgium. These dialects evolved from Old Low Franconian, influenced by Proto-Germanic and local tribal languages. Old Dutch (ca. 500–1150) marks the language’s earliest distinct stage, preserved mainly in inscriptions, glosses, and early religious texts. From the Middle Dutch period (ca. 1150–1500), regional diversity flourished alongside literature such as epic poems, religious writings, and legal texts.
Trade and urbanization gradually promoted standardization, while latin and other germanic influences enriched vocabulary and pronunciation. Early Modern Dutch (ca. 1500–1800) benefited from the printing press, wider dissemination of texts, and the Statenvertaling (1637) Bible translation, which helped stabilize grammar and spelling - I imagine this is similar to what the Gutenburg bible was for German
Modern Dutch emerged in the 19th century, with official norms formalized by the Taalunie (see below) in 1980. Today, Dutch is spoken by over 23 million native speakers worldwide, continuing to evolve while maintaining its Germanic roots, reflecting a millennium of regional diversity, trade, religious influence, and cultural exchange.
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The Taalunie 🏫, or Dutch Language Union, is a joint policy organization for the Netherlands, Flanders (Belgium), and Suriname to promote and regulate the Dutch language. It is responsible for official spelling, grammar guidelines, and supporting Dutch language studies and literature worldwide. - Lo que es para el español la Real Academia Español (RAE)
Governing body: It was established by a treaty between the Netherlands and Belgium (in respect of Flanders) in 1980, and Suriname has been an associate member since 2004. It also cooperates with Dutch-speaking Caribbean islands.