A compendious guide to the Low-Dutch language / Korte wegwyzer der Nederduytsche taal

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To fill up an empty page or two I'll add these following Observations.

SOme writers amongst the Dutch do not fully agree in the construction of words. For thô many think it very good to say De wysheyd Salomons the wisdom of Solomon, Het Ryk Davids the Kingdom of David, Het Huys myns vaders the house of my father; yet others count it better to say Salomons Wysheyd, Davids Ryk, and myns Vaders Huys.

Some will express the Subjunctive Mood thus: Zie óf hy dat gedaan hebbe, see whother he has done it. But others judge with good reason, that althô hebbe be good for the Optative, as for instance, Dat hy zyne wille hebbe that he may have his will; yet the Subjunctive is expressed better by heeft, if it be duely transplaced; for in the Indicative Mood we say, Hy heeft het gedaan; and the Subjunctive requires onely the transplacing of the auxiliar word heeft, thus, Ik

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weet niet of hy 't gedaan heeft, I do not know whether he hath done it.

Some will add a finall e to the Verb in the Indicative, thus, Ik weete dat het zo is I know it to be so; Ik verneeme dat hy t'huys is, I understand that he is at home; Ik hebbe hem nog niet gezien I have not seen him yet. But others, and I my self also, reject this, and say always in the Indicative Ik weet I know, Ik verneem I understand, Ik heb I have; leaving weete, verneeme, and hebbe, for the Optative or Subjunctive mood.

None but our best Authors take the words Opdat thatso, omdat because, for one word; since the vulgar way is to write op dat and om dat. Every body writes waarom why or wherefore, daarom therefore; and yet the most will divide (without any other reason than that is usuall) the words waar by whereby, waar in wherein, daar door thereby &c. But some few, observing this irregularity, will write now, waardoor whereby daarin therein, daarmede therewith.

It is very frequent to say, De gene die ons quamen zien Those that came to see us;

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But some are of opinion that the word de gene is altogether superfluous here, and that it is beter to say, Die ons quamen zien.

We say dank weeten in imitation of the French sçavoir gré to be thankfull; or to take kindly: And others count it more proper to say dank wyten to ascribe or impute thanks.

The Pronouns Gy, wy, zy are often pronounced and writ thus, Ge, we, ze.

The END.

As for the Dialogues that follow, thô I think them to be usefull, yet since they are not of my making, I won't answer for every thing contained therein.