Research projects

Research activities of the department for Dutch Linguistics focus on the structure and the history of Dutch in a contrastive perspective (especially with regard to German and other Germanic languages). In addition, we deal with social aspects of Dutch in the Netherlands, Belgium, Surinam and the Dutch Caribbean. These topics are also central in our teaching.


Current projects:

  • Graduate School Normativity - Critique - Change (GRK 2638, DFG, since 2021)

  • Linguistic variation in postcolonial contexts: historical, social and contact linguistic perspectives (LiVaPoCo)
  • (2021, Seed Funding project within UNA Europa, together with partners from Helsinki, Bologna, Edinburgh, Leuven, Madrid)

Completed projects:

  • Dutch++: Examples and new models for learning and teaching pluricentric languages
    Dutch++ is an e-learning project (coordinated by the University of Vienna), funded by the EU's Lifelong Learning Programme.

  • Proper name compounds
    DFG project on proper names in German and in German-English-Dutch comparison. The project has been moved to Leipzig University together with Barbara Schlücker

  • Words & Phrases
    DFG project - a comparative investigation of A+N compounds (type Sauermilch) and idiomatic A+N phrases (type saurer Regen) in Dutch and German

  • History of Dutch Studies
    Our department has been involved in a research project on the History of extramural Dutch Studies, i.e., Dutch studies outside of Belgium and the Netherlands. This project has been conducted by both the department for Dutch Linguistics and the department for Dutch literature at FU. It was funded by the 'Nederlandse Taalunie' (Dutch Language Union). A follow-up project on the history of Dutch studies in Germany was funded by the DFG.

  • Forms of multilingualism in European history
    Sub-project within the Integrated Project DYLAN (Language Dynamics and Management of Diversity) funded by the EU

  • Modifying words. Dutch adverbial morphology in contrast.
    PhD research project on adverbial word formation in Dutch (in comparison to English and German) from a diachronic perspective