Veluws dialect
Veluws is a Westphalian dialect which is spoken on the Veluwe. The language was recognized by the government of the Netherlands in 1996 (as being part of Low Saxonian).[1]
Veluws | |
---|---|
Veluws | |
Native to | Netherlands |
Official status | |
Official language in | Netherlands Recognized in 1996 (as being part of Low Saxonian).[1] |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | vel |
Glottolog | velu1238 |
![]() Geographical location of Veluws (colour: light green) among the other minority and regional languages and dialects of the Benelux countries |
Geographic distribution
Veluws is spoken in the Central Netherlands, in the Northwest of Gelderland.
Dialects

Veluws is usually divided into two main dialects, West-Veluws (West Veluws) and Oost-Veluws (East Veluws), these two dialects are reasonably similar but differ in grammar. For example: in Oost-Veluws they say ie warkt/wärkt ('you are working') and in West-Veluws jie warken/waarken ('you are working').
Lexical similarities
West-Veluws is also more influenced by Dutch. The closer one gets to the border with Oost-Veluws, the more the dialects typically differ from Standard Dutch. For example, in the central part where West-Veluws is spoken they say hie staot; in the North Western part they say hij steet, compared to hij/hee stiet 'he is standing' in Oost-Veluws. This has a more Low Saxon influence. In Hattem, the North Eastern part where and when Oost-Veluws is spoken, it seems to "have" or in the direct mentioned, 'has a' Sallandic influence.