Dutch Names

Sassee · May 13, 2009

My google-fu has failed me. I can't find an audio file or anything for the name Lolkje (I found a Dutch pronunciation guide but that's just making me more uncertain). Does anyone here speak Dutch or know the accent? Can you tell me how it's pronounced?

Bonus points if anyone can tell me the meaning of the name. Baby name sites seem to be lacking a lot of info or don't list the name at all.

Much appreciated <3

Parametric · May 13, 2009

My experience of having many Dutch friends suggests that a -je ending is a diminutive and has a kind of -yah or -yuh sound. For example, kat = cat, katje = kitten. (A friend of mine's name is Kat and her nickname is Katje, which sounds like Katya.)

I'm going to leave the tougher points of Dutch pronunciation to people who can actually speak Dutch without tying their tongue in knots. Jesus, people. Adopt German pronunciation already. :tongue

melaniehoo · May 13, 2009

From what I recall, the J is soft, like a Y, but I'm not really sure how to pronounce this. My guess would be Lolk-yee. My step-dad is Dutch and while I've learned a little about the culture, I don't speak it.

eta: Or Lolk-ya. :tongue

Sassee · May 13, 2009

Thanks guys!

Melanie, when you get a chance can you ask your step-dad how that name is pronounced? Hearing it straight from the source would be *awesome*.

melaniehoo · May 13, 2009

I just sent him an email.

Ariella · May 13, 2009

As Parametric said, it would be pronounced Lolk-yuh or Lolk-yeh, with the stress on the first syllable. I'm not sure what it means and baby name sites in Dutch don't seem to help.

Sassee · May 13, 2009

Ariella said:
As Parametric said, it would be pronounced Lolk-yuh or Lolk-yeh, with the stress on the first syllable.

So the "lolk" part might be pronounced like "folk"? I fail at Dutch.

melaniehoo · May 13, 2009

Here's what my dad said:

Not sure but think "lauke ya" seems close the first part is usually a shorter sound than it looks and the je us usually pronounced as with an "a".

I don't know if that helps. :e2shrug:

IceCreamEmpress · May 13, 2009

"Lolkje" is a feminine version of the male name "Lolke". I have no idea what "Lolke" means; it's a relatively uncommon first name in the Netherlands today, and I have the sense that it's a bit old-fashioned.

"-je" is a pet name suffix in Dutch, and adding it to a male name makes the name female.

Sassee · May 14, 2009

Mel -

I hate to be a pain in the ass, but is that "lauke" sound like "Faulkner" or is it more like "lo' and behold"?

IceCreamEmpress said:
"Lolkje" is a feminine version of the male name "Lolke".

This lead me to look up Lolke, which lead me to someone's grave marker that says [SIZE=-1]Klynstra, Lokke (Lolke) "Lawrence"[/SIZE], so then I searched for "Lokke" thinking that might help, but then I came across this guy:

Lars Løkke Rasmussen (the Prime Minister of Denmark)

And I thought... how the eff do you pronounce that O with a slash through it?

And when I originally searched for "lolke," Google asked me if I meant "Luke," so then that got me wondering if it's an "oo" kind of sound or if Google was just being ridiculous with alternate spellings.

Problems with going off on tangents, I has dems.

So then I was like you know, I should just call my Grandpa. His mom's name was Lolkje which is actually what got me started on this whole thing. (And why didn't I call him in the first place, you might ask, but I keep thinking about this stuff at work and I'm not supposed to call him at work, then I get home and have so much crap to do that I forget until it's 11pm or I'm back at work the next day. This morning I said screw it and called him while I was at work anyway.)

Funny thing, though, I don't think they pronounced it like a traditional Dutch name. Over the phone it sounded like he said "lowkee" or "lolkee" (like "folks") and he made a point to say that he didn't know if the J was supposed to be silent or what because his mother didn't ever pronounce it. Could be because she was part Spanish and the pronunciation got warped, which I suspected might be the case and why I came to the boards asking if anyone knows how the Dutch pronounce it.

So yeah. Adventures in naming.

melaniehoo · May 14, 2009

Gah, I'm trying to remember how all the various names in my family are pronounced. I want to say it's like Faulkner, but I really can't be sure. My dad wasn't a ton of help.

I just checked my Dutch relatives' pages on facebook and I think a single O is pronounced like the A in fall, but again, I'm not 100% certain.

If you talk to your grandfather, please let us know what you find out.

Ariella · May 14, 2009

The 'ol' would be pronounced with a short 'o', more or less like the one in 'behold'. I think the 'l' in Lolkje could sometimes get dropped, the same way English speakers can make 'folk' sound like 'foke'. Similarly, the 'e' on the end can sometimes be cut off, making the name sound like Lolky.

I found a guide to Dutch pronunciation with sound files. This may be helpful to you: http://homepage.mac.com/schuffelen/dupron.html.

Sofie · May 15, 2009

I know nothing about Dutch, but the name Lolkje is spoken at 0:04 seconds into this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkHGPls-Bh8

Also, this website (http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/voornamen/VNB/) explains that Lolkje is a short form derived from Lodewijk (Ludwig, Louis). So Lolkje seems to essentially be a Frisian form of Louise (which apparently means "famous warrior").

Sassee · May 18, 2009

Ariella said:
The 'ol' would be pronounced with a short 'o', more or less like the one in 'behold'. I think the 'l' in Lolkje could sometimes get dropped, the same way English speakers can make 'folk' sound like 'foke'. Similarly, the 'e' on the end can sometimes be cut off, making the name sound like Lolky.

Sofie said:
I know nothing about Dutch, but the name Lolkje is spoken at 0:04 seconds into this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkHGPls-Bh8

Also, this website (http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/voornamen/VNB/) explains that Lolkje is a short form derived from Lodewijk (Ludwig, Louis). So Lolkje seems to essentially be a Frisian form of Louise (which apparently means "famous warrior").

You guys ARE MY HEROES. <3

Dutch Names

Sassee

Momma Wolf

Parametric

melaniehoo

And thus we begin the edits

Sassee

Momma Wolf

melaniehoo

And thus we begin the edits

Ariella

...

Sassee

Momma Wolf

melaniehoo

And thus we begin the edits

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

Sassee

Momma Wolf

melaniehoo

And thus we begin the edits

Ariella

...

Sofie

Sassee

Momma Wolf