Chapter 3 The Dutch Situation - LOT publications

The Dutch Situation
worden, deed een paar gedroogde dadels in de rest van
get put a few dried dates in DEF.C rest(C) of
de melk om de melk te zoeten en zette die
DEF.C milk(C) in_order DEF.C milk(C) to sweeten and put DEM.C
in de schaduw om af te koelen.
in DEF.C shade(C) in_order off to cool
(Frances Temple “Dochter van de Bedoeïnen”, 1997, Lemniscaat, translated
by Anneke Koning-Corveleijn)
English original:
She set some milk in the sun to sour, and some she mixed with dried dates to
sweeten it for drinking, then put it in the shade to cool.
(Frances Temple “The Beduins’ Gazelle”, 1998[1996], Harper Trophy Books)
Pronoun avoidance by noun repetition can assume astonishing proportions, witness
example (10) (the example is translated rather than glossed because it does not
contain any pronouns). Why chocolade ‘chocolate’ is such a problematic noun to
pronominalize will be clear after Chapter 6.
(10) Verwarm de chocolade in 1-2 minuten in de magnetron op vol vermogen. Is
de chocolade nog niet helemaal gesmolten? Even roeren en laten staan, dan
smelt de chocolade vanzelf. Lukt het niet? Zet de chocolade dan nog (een
paar keer) 20 seconden in de magnetron. Roer de kardemom door de
gesmolten chocolade. Doe de chocolade in een schaaltje. Serveer de noten,
stukken peer en druiven op een apart bord, om aan tafel in de chocolade te
dippen.
‘Heat the chocolate in the microwave on full power for 1-2 minutes. Hasn’t
the chocolate melted completely yet? Stir for a moment and leave, then the
chocolate will melt by itself. Doesn’t it work? Put the chocolate back (a few
times) in the microwave for 20 seconds. Stir the cardamom through the melted
chocolate. Pour the chocolate in a bowl. Serve the nuts, pieces of pear and
grapes on a separate plate, to dip into the chocolate at table’
(supermarket magazine AllerHande 11/2006)
The use of the common gender demonstratives deze or die provides an alternative
for awkward repetitious structures such as the above. Unfortunately, this evasion
manoeuvre may jeopardize the semantics of the sentence. The reason is a difference
in usage between personal pronouns and demonstratives in Dutch. In a sentence with
two nouns, an ordinary personal pronoun can be interpreted as coreferent with either
of the nouns, whereas the demonstrative normally picks out the second as antecedent
(E-ANS § 5·6·3·3·1). (11) illustrates the difference.
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