The modern industrial city Tilburg is no longer a local town or neighborhood. Modern Tilburg is a well known, international center of business and economical production. It is the fast growing centre of transport and industry in the Benelux. In accordance to these facts of international significance the official language is no longer Dutch or local dialect.
Young children already are given names like ‘John’, Kimberley’ and ‘Wesley’. On websites, like msn, these children give additions to their names like "feel happy", "feel good". Together with the old language even the name of the town has been changed. It is no longer "Tilburg", but quite simple "T", "T-town" or "T-City". Upgrading this city is no longer called "onderhoud", but "painting the city". And of course this city has now a "university" and no longer an "universiteit".
Especially in the centre you see the new language in the town. Yet the inhabitants don’t realize. There was a kind of quiz with a list of English names from shops and texts in the inner city (see ‘Terug-van-vakantie-spel’). The inhabitants was asked: "which town might this be?"
But they didn’t realize it was their own town!!! They thought it was New York, Miami, London.
It is unbelievable. It seems that the development of the town goes faster than the development of the mind. Only one citizen (a certain Aldert van der Burg) knew the right answer. And even this person said "Tilburg" and not "T" or "T-town". So he can forget the price of a long weekend London. But we suppose he will enjoy the honor of having given the best and almost right answer.
Voor overzicht per onderwerp van eerdere en latere stukjes zie weblogoverzicht.
Reacties
13 reacties op “The new language in the city”
We have a very good mayor. He knows where Abraham fetches the mustard. And he thinks highly of cultural development. Not only for the Art with a big K, but also for volunteerswork. (Tilbo people like to work so much that they do it for nothing.)
give aldert a trip to tilbury, that is near london, and it sounds like tilburg
its a kind of poedelprice
as we say in stonecole english
I'm disappoinTed!
That 's better: a big 'T' even in the word "disappointed"! May be it is possible to give you a little TroosTprice.
And The ConsolaTion prize is…?
Quiet, quiet. But we can tell you that we are talking about consolating you with a new lay-out for your T-koerier.
GeT The hell ouT of Tilburg… I mean T-Town!
I do not hope that all of the above people got a degree in english at T-university, because then it is clear: T is a sad, sad city!
can one study english at the univarsity of tilbury?
Was het niet Theo die zei het verder niks n**qt als het maar met een 'T'begint? Of woorden van gelijke strekking?
Sorry, you not speak our language.
A few minutes ago mister Henk Kuiper gave the prize to me. It's a very interesting book ('Tilburg, vijf eeuwen rond een 'heilige' linde'), written by mister Kuiper himself. Thank you very much, Henk!
Toch wel, vloeiend zelfs maar niet hier. Maybe the quiz jury don