TNTL 119/4

Alexander J. de Voogt

Helicopter en zijn synoniemen: een vluchtige verkenning

Abstract -- Aviation terminology developed together with aviation technology. First there was Dutch hélicoptère, borrowed from French. Subsequent changes in spelling and pronunciation as well as Dutch alternatives for this foreign word have resulted in a complex group of synonyms. The development of Dutch helicopters and the large scale introduction of helicopters into the Netherlands have influenced the use of synonyms for the word hélicoptère. Dictionaries show no distinct preference for one of the competing synonyms. In common usage, the English synonym helicopter seems to have claimed a permanent place in the Dutch language.

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