Common Dutch
Standard Dutch (Algemeen Nederlands, often abbreviated to AN) is the standard language as it is taught in schools and used by authorities in the Netherlands, Flanders, Suriname, and Aruba, as well as the former Netherlands Antilles. The Dutch Language Union defines what is AN and what is not. Since efforts to “uplift” people came to be considered rather presumptuous, the earlier name Algemeen Beschaafd Nederlands (“Common Civilised Dutch”) and its abbreviation, ABN, have been replaced with Algemeen Nederlands and thus AN. The implicit insinuation that people speaking dialects or with an accent were not civilised was thus removed.
Read more about this topic: Dutch Language Union
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