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ArchivesDoes Beau have a different meaning in Dutch?
I know that Beau means "beautiful" and is a word directed towards boys in France, is the Dutch usage different, but why is it that it is used for girls in the Netherlands as well?
Rate my PNL or I will boil your teeth.
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/223227
Rate my PNL or I will boil your teeth.
https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/223227
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I don’t think it different, I think they just adopted it from the french, I get their completely different countries but we’ve taken a lot of names from Arabic and English and Arabic have massive differences so it isn’t unheard of. Also I’m somewhat scared of you because you said you’ll boil my teeth �.
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No, I don't think so. German and Dutch are very similar and it doesn't really match the Dutch language pattern from what I am aware. I can't tell you 100%, though.
The Dutch also use Puck for girls. So I think they are just very open and they often like nickname-ish, short names judging from their top 100. And Beau matches this because even though it is not a nickname (it comes directly from the word, but it can also be a nickname for Beauregard I guess) it sounds like the nickname Bo.
The Dutch also use Puck for girls. So I think they are just very open and they often like nickname-ish, short names judging from their top 100. And Beau matches this because even though it is not a nickname (it comes directly from the word, but it can also be a nickname for Beauregard I guess) it sounds like the nickname Bo.
This message was edited 6/1/2021, 10:08 AM
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No
Of course not. Dutch people are well aware that beau is a French word. Just the spelling alone gives it away for even the most ill-educated in French, as that sort of sequence of vowels does not occur naturally in Dutch.
I suppose the average Dutch person does not know the difference between beau and belle. They are probably unaware that the former is masculine and the latter feminine, and thus instead take them to be neutral gender-wise. This is understandable, because honestly, most people would probably end up doing that with words from a foreign language. Can *you* tell at a glance if a word is masculine or feminine in, say, German or Polish? If not, wouldn't you be more likely to perceive it as neutral instead?
To confuse matters further, there is Isabeau. A feminine name (genuinely of French origin at that), yet it contains beau. I don't blame people for thinking something along the lines of: "Well, if it's okay in that name, then why not use Beau on its own for women? Especially since Beau could be a short form of Isabeau."
You know... and sometimes prospective parents' reasoning is a bit more superficial than that. "I love the spelling!" or "I love the sound of the name!". If they are aware that it is grammatically incorrect in French, then most of them will be like: "Sod that! I love the name and the average Dutch person won't notice, so I will just use it for my daughter."
TL;DR: the meaning remains the same. There are different reasons for why Dutch people choose to bestow the name upon their daughters.
Of course not. Dutch people are well aware that beau is a French word. Just the spelling alone gives it away for even the most ill-educated in French, as that sort of sequence of vowels does not occur naturally in Dutch.
I suppose the average Dutch person does not know the difference between beau and belle. They are probably unaware that the former is masculine and the latter feminine, and thus instead take them to be neutral gender-wise. This is understandable, because honestly, most people would probably end up doing that with words from a foreign language. Can *you* tell at a glance if a word is masculine or feminine in, say, German or Polish? If not, wouldn't you be more likely to perceive it as neutral instead?
To confuse matters further, there is Isabeau. A feminine name (genuinely of French origin at that), yet it contains beau. I don't blame people for thinking something along the lines of: "Well, if it's okay in that name, then why not use Beau on its own for women? Especially since Beau could be a short form of Isabeau."
You know... and sometimes prospective parents' reasoning is a bit more superficial than that. "I love the spelling!" or "I love the sound of the name!". If they are aware that it is grammatically incorrect in French, then most of them will be like: "Sod that! I love the name and the average Dutch person won't notice, so I will just use it for my daughter."
TL;DR: the meaning remains the same. There are different reasons for why Dutch people choose to bestow the name upon their daughters.
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