IJ (digraph)
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2008-07-16T13:55:59Z
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/* Abbreviations */
{{Nofootnotes|date=June 2006}}
{{Dutch Grammar}}
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< PLEASE: Do not replace the IJ/ij written as two letters in this article with >
< Unicode IJ (U+0132) / ij (U+0133). Though these characters obviously exist their >
< use is officially discouraged. They are mentioned in the sections "encoding" >
< and "keyboards" and that should remain the only places where they're used. >
< Richardw NL / 2007-10-15T0717 >
< -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
The '''IJ''' (lowercase '''ij''') is the [[Digraph (orthography)|digraph]] of the letters ''i'' and ''j''. It is often described as a [[Ligature (typography)|ligature]], although in most fonts the two composing characters are not connected, but sometimes slightly [[kerning|kerned]] together.
In the [[Dutch language]], it is sometimes considered to be a single letter. It usually represents the [[diphthong]] {{IPA|[ɛi]}}.<ref>G. E. Booij. ''The Phonology of Dutch''. Oxford University Press, 1995, p. 4.[http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=LT6E6YdAh-MC&oi=fnd&pg=PP12&dq=phonology-of-dutch&ots=Bih9cv2Q8s&sig=WwIs4xoBNOQJOeAuI7k-pxtFpHk#PPA4,M1].</ref>
In standard Dutch, and most Dutch [[dialects]], there are two possible spellings for the [[diphthong]] {{IPA|[ɛi]}}: ''ij'' and ''ei''. To distinguish between the two, the ''ij'' is referred to as the ''lange ij'' ("long ''ij''"), the ''ei'' as ''korte ei'' ("short ''ei''") or simply ''E – I''.<ref>Woordenlijst Nederlandse Taal. p. 22-23</ref> The ''long'' name is probably because of the form extending below the baseline, not because of its sound, as both sounds are pronounced identically. This causes confusion for schoolchildren, who need to study lists of words with ''ei'' and with ''ij''.
In certain Dutch dialects (notably [[Dutch Low Saxon]], [[West Flemish]] and [[Zeelandic]]) a difference in the pronunciation of ''ei'' and ''ij'' is maintained.
Whether pronounced identical to ''ei'' or not, pronunciation is often perceived difficult by native English speakers. There seems to be a tendency to pronounce ''ij'' using the "long A" sound,{{Fact|date=April 2008}} which in turn can lead to confusion among native listeners.
The ''IJ'' is different from the letter ''[[Y]]'', but the Dutch sometimes confuse them. It used to be common, in particular when writing in capitals, to write Y in stead of IJ. This is now frowned upon. But if you ask a Dutch child to recite the alphabet, it is likely that he/she will pronounce ''IJ'' when ''Y'' is written. Also, in science (for example mathematics), the ''y'' is usually pronounced ''ij''.
In Dutch ''Y'' only occurs in [[loanword]]s, names or in (variantly spelled) old Dutch. ''Y'' is called ''Griekse IJ'' ("Greek ''Y''"), ''I-grec'' (the latter from [[French language|French]], with the stress on ''grec'') or ''[[Ypsilon]]''. However, in [[Afrikaans]], the ''Y'' replaces the ''IJ''. Further, the names of Dutch immigrants to the United States and Canada often were Anglicized so that the ''IJ'' became a ''Y''; for example, the surname ''Spijker'' became ''Spyker''.
[[Image:IJ (letter).png|thumb|The words “ijsvrij” and “yoghurt” in various forms of handwriting]]
[[Image:Station Rijssen.jpg|thumb|The name of a railway station]]
[[Image:Spandoek Hengelo.jpg|thumb|IJ is here written as if it is one letter]]
[[Image:Graffiti viaduct boven A1.jpg|thumb|Here, IJ is written as Y]]
==History==
''IJ'' probably developed out of ''ii'', representing a long {{IPA|[i:]}} sound (which it still does in some occasions, such as in the word ''bijzonder'' and in several Dutch dialects). In the [[middle ages]], the ''i'' was written without a dot in handwriting, and the combination ''ıı'' was often confused with ''u''. Therefore, the second ''i'' was elongated. Later, the dots were added (albeit not in [[Afrikaans]], a language that has its roots in Dutch. In this language the ''y'' is used instead).
Another theory is that it may have arisen from lowercase ''y'' being split into two strokes in handwriting. At some time in the 15th or 16th century, this began to be spelled as a ligature ''ij''. Contradicting this theory is the fact that even in handwritings which do not join letters, ''ij'' is often written as a single sign.
Some time after the birth of the new letter, the sound which was now represented by ''ij'' in most cases began to be pronounced much like ''ei'' instead, but words containing it were still spelled the same. Today ''ij'' in most cases represents the [[diphthong]] {{IPA|[ɛi]}}, except in the suffix ''-lijk'', where it is usually pronounced as a [[schwa]]. In one special case, the Dutch word ''bijzonder'', the (old) sound {{IPA|[i:]}} is correct standard pronunciation, although {{IPA|[i]}} is more common and {{IPA|[ɛi]}} is also allowed.
==Status==
[[Image:Dutch handwriting sample.png|thumb|A poster showing the letters of the alphabet used for writing education in the Netherlands. The final three letter pairs read "Xx IJij Zz".]]
[[Image:Leesplankje0951.JPG|thumb|This board was used to teach Dutch children to read. Letters which form a single sound are grouped, and this includes 'ij' in 'g ij s']]
[[Image:Leesplankje van Hoogeveen (2).png|thumb|In this version the letter i and j are joined as if they are a single letter]]
The ''IJ'' is not only confusing to foreigners. It is also a source of discussion among those who speak Dutch, since the actual usage in the Netherlands and Flanders sometimes differs from the official recommendations.
=== Official status ===
The smaller ''Van Dale Handwoordenboek Hedendaags Nederlands'' (descriptive) dictionary states that ''ij'' is a ''letter sign'', consisting of two ''i''’s, with the second elongated.<ref name="vandalehand">Handwoordenboek Hedendaags Nederlands</ref> Both the [[Dutch Language Union]] and the Genootschap Onze Taal consider the ''ij'' to be a digraph of the letters ''i'' and ''j''.
=== Netherlands ===
In the Netherlands, ''IJ'' is often considered to be one letter:
* In Dutch primary schools 'ij' used to be taught as being the 25th of the alphabet.
* In the [[Netherlands]], when a word starting with ''IJ'' is capitalised, the entire digraph is capitalised: ''[[IJsselmeer]]'', ''[[IJmuiden]]''.
* On old-fashioned typewriters there is/was one key that produced 'ij' (in a single letterspace). However, this is not the case on computer keyboards.
* In word puzzles it fills one square.
* The [[Winkler Prins|Winkler Prins encyclopedia]] states that ''ij'' is the 25th letter of the Dutch alphabet, between ''X'' and ''Y''.
=== Flanders ===
In Flanders, ''IJ'' is usually considered to be two letters:
* In Flemish primary schools ''IJ'' is taught as consisting of two letters.
* In [[Belgium]], sometimes only the ''I'' is capitalized: ''Ijzer'', ''Ijzeren Rijn''. However, this practice is uncommon and capitalisation of the entire digraph is the norm.
* Other letter combinations, such as ''ou'', ''au'', ''eu'', ''ui'', are not considered one letter either. Even ligatures, such as the French ''œ'', are usually considered as two letters. The sound {{IPA|[ɛi]}} can occur in words as ''ij'' or ''ei'', both of which have two letters.
==Usage==
===Capitalisation===
When a Dutch word starting with ''IJ'' is capitalised, the entire digraph is capitalised: ''IJsselmeer'', ''IJmuiden''.<ref>Taalunie. Taaladvies [http://taaladvies.net/taal/advies/vraag/1188/ ''Ijsland / IJsland'']</ref>
In Flanders, this rule is not followed as strictly, resulting sometimes in spellings like ''Ijzer''. Although this is not standard usage, one can sometimes even find this type of capitalisation on official road signs in Flanders.
Many software packages with automated spelling corrections have the tendency to change the capital "J" to lower case, resulting in the frequent erroneous combination Ij in text prepared in such programs.
===Collation===
Dutch dictionaries since 1850 invariably sort ''ij'' as an ''i'' followed by a ''j'', i.e. between ''ih'' and ''ik''. This is the preferred sorting by the Taalunie.<ref>Taalunie. Taaladvies [http://taaladvies.net/taal/advies/vraag/1194/ ''IJ - alfabetiseren'']</ref>
On the other hand, some encyclopedias, like the ''[[Winkler Prins]]'', 7th edition, sort ''ij'' as a single letter positioned between ''x'' and ''y''.
[[Telephone directory|Telephone directories]] as well as the [[Yellow Pages]] in the Netherlands (but not those in Belgium) sort ''ij'' and ''y'' together, as if they are the same, between ''x'' and ''z''. Thanks to this, surnames like ''Bruijn'' and ''Bruyn'' which sound and even (to some extent) look the same can be found in the same spot. Only ''Bruin'' (which also sounds the same) is to be found elsewhere.
===Abbreviations===
When words or (first) names are shortened to their initials, in the [[Netherlands]] a Dutch word or name starting with ''IJ'' is abbreviated to ''IJ''. For example, ''IJsbrand Eises Ypma'' is shortened to ''IJ. E. Ypma''<ref name="eu">[http://www.uazone.org/multiling/euroml/annex02.html ''European rules for the use of the IJ in public records'']</ref>
[[Image:Signboard-slijterij.jpg|thumb|On this signboard of a liquor store (slijterij) , IJ occupies the same space as single letters. The I is put over the lower end of the J to reinforce their unity, but this is optional and I and J can also be found separately on other signs]]
===Wide inter-letter spacing===
When words are written with large inter-letter spacing, ''IJ'' is often, but not always, kept together. ''F r a n k r ij k'' or ''F r a n k r i j k''.
When words are written from top to bottom, with non-rotated letters, ''IJ'' is usually, but not always, kept together. Keeping it together is the preferred way. <ref name="eu"/>
{| cellspacing="20"
|
''F''<br />
''r''<br />
''a''<br />
''n''<br />
''k''<br />
''r''<br />
''ij''<br />
''k''
|or:
|
''F''<br />
''r''<br />
''a''<br />
''n''<br />
''k''<br />
''r''<br />
''i''<br />
''j''<br />
''k''
|}
===Spelling===
''Vrijdag'' can be spelled out in two ways, depending on whether the speller considers ''ij'' to be one letter or not:
* ''V – R – IJ – D – A – G''
* ''V – R – I – J – D – A – G''
===Radio alphabet===
In the Dutch [[radio alphabet]], the codeword ''IJmuiden'' represents the ''IJ''. This is clearly different from the codeword ''Ypsilon'', which is used to represent the ''Y''.
===Word games===
In most [[crossword puzzle]]s, and in [[Lingo (game show)|Lingo]], ''IJ'' is considered one letter, filling one square, but the ''IJ'' and the ''Y'' are considered distinct. In other word games, rules may vary.
Until March 1998, the Dutch version of [[Scrabble]] had two tiles ''IJ'', with face value 4, in addition to the single tile ''Y'' with face value 8. The recent Dutch version has abolished the ''IJ''; the word ''rij'' formerly was two letters, but now it is three. The Flemish version never had ''IJ'' tiles. The Dutch version is now in line with the Flemish one.<ref name="Scrabble">[http://www.gtoal.com/wordgames/details/dutch/ ''Dutch Scrabble'']</ref>
In word games which make distinction between vowels and consonants, ''IJ'' is considered a vowel if it is considered one letter. (Whether ''Y'' is a vowel or a consonant, is another matter of discussion, as ''Y'' can both represent a vowel or a (half-)consonant sound in loanwords.)
===In sports===
The Dutch football team of [[Feyenoord Rotterdam|Feyenoord]] changed its name from the original "Feijenoord" to "Feyenoord" after achieving some international successes. This was done as a reaction to foreign people mispronouncing the name. The [[Feijenoord district]] in [[Rotterdam]] where the team is from still writes its name using the original ''ij''. The names of football players [[Johan Cruijff]] and [[Ruud van Nistelrooy|Ruud van Nistelrooij]] are often written as ''Johan Cruyff'' and ''Ruud van Nistelrooy''.
==Technical details==
[[Image:(1) ij, (2) ij-Ligatur, (3) y mit Trema, (4) y (Garamond).png|framed|Apt to confusion: (1) i + j, (2) ligature ij, (3) y with diaeresis, (4) y in [[Garamond]]]]
===Print and handwriting===
In print ''ÿ'' (lowercase [[y]] with [[Diaeresis (diacritic)|diaeresis]]) and ''ij'' look very different, but in the [[handwriting]] of most{{Fact|date=May 2008}} Dutch speakers ''ÿ'', ''ij'' and ''Y'', ''IJ'' are identical. Fortunately, since the ''y'' occurs only in loanwords, the ''ÿ'' is extremely rare (if not altogether non-existent) in Dutch.
The ''long ij'' extends below the baseline and is therefore written with a long stroke; even in handwritings which do not join letters, it is often written as a single sign.
On some road signs in the Netherlands, IJ appears as a single glyph formed like a U with a break in the left-hand stroke.
[[Image:IJ uppercase ligature.png|thumbnail|Uppercase IJ glyph with the distinctive "broken-U" [[Typographical ligature|ligature]] in a [[Helvetica]] font for [[Omega (TeX)|Omega TeX]]]]
=== Braille ===
In Dutch [[Braille]] the IJ is represented by ⠽, which represents a Y in standard Braille. The Y is written as ⠠⠽.<ref>Kim Bols. [http://www.kimbols.be/hulp/braille/brailleschrift.php Het brailleschrift].</ref>
===Encoding===
The Dutch ''ij'' is not in [[ASCII]] or in any of the [[ISO 8859]] [[character encoding]]s, and therefore the digraph is most often encoded as an ''i'' followed by a ''j''. The ligature does exist in Unicode in the Latin Extended-A range as the uppercase character IJ (U+0132) and lowercase character ij (U+0133).<ref>Unicode code charts. [http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0100.pdf Range 0100–017F: Latin Extended-A]</ref> In [[HyperText Markup Language|HTML]] they would be coded &#306; and &#307; respectively. These characters are considered compatibility decomposable characters. They are included for compatibility and round-trip convertibility with legacy encodings. Their use is discouraged.<ref>Unicode. ''The Unicode standard'', Version 4.0. 2003. [http://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode4.0.0/ch03.pdf Chapter 3], p. 71–72.</ref> So even with Unicode available, it is recommended to encode ''ij'' as a two separate letters.<ref name="eu"/><ref>SIL international. [http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&item_id=LatinLetterCombinations ''Unicode two and three Latin letter combinations'']</ref>
===Keyboards===
While Dutch typewriters usually have a separate key for lowercase ''ij'', Belgian typewriters do not. In the Netherlands, a [[QWERTY]] computer keyboard lay-out is common. The standard US layout (sometimes in 'International Mode') is widely used although a specific Dutch variant (KBD143) is available. In Belgium a specific Belgian variant of [[AZERTY]] keyboard lay-out (KBD120) is widely used. None of these keyboards feature a key for ''ij'' or ''IJ''.
[[Image:Bijoux fout gespeld.jpg|thumb|This Dutch shopkeeper wrote 'byoux' in stead of 'bijoux', perhaps because he could not imagine 'ij' to exist in a French word]]
==Exceptions==
If the ''i'' and the ''j'' belong to different syllables, such as in the mathematical term ''[[bijection|bijectie]]'' (syllables ''bi-jec-tie''), they are not considered to form a ligature or a single letter. Earlier statements about sorting ''ij'' on par with ''y'', keeping ''ij'' together in wide inter-letter spacing, the single square in crossword puzzles, etc. do not apply.
In other languages the combination ''i''+''j'' can exist as well, but in those foreign (from Dutch point of view) words that combination should not be considered a single letter either. In the Netherlands, the combination is sometimes confused with the letter ''y''. In several Dutch shops, ''byoux'' or ''byous'' are for sale according to the signs, instead of ''bijoux'' (jewels).
== Notes ==
{{reflist|2}}
== References ==
* Nicoline van der Sijs. ''Taal als mensenwerk: De geschiedenis van het ABN''. Sdu Uitgevers. ISBN 9789012105873.
* [[:nl:Van Dale Groot woordenboek van de Nederlandse taal|Van Dale]]. ''Groot Woordenboek van de Nederlandse Taal''. XIVth edition. 2005.
* Van Dale. ''Handwoordenboek Hedendaags Nederlands''. [http://www.vandale.be/opzoeken/woordenboek/?zoekwoord=IJ "IJ"]. 2005.
* [[Taalunie]]. ''Woordenlijst Nederlandse Taal'' (het Groene Boekje). 2005.
* Taalunie. [http://taaladvies.net/taal/advies/vraag/1188/ "Ijsland / IJsland"]
* Taalunie. [http://taaladvies.net/taal/advies/vraag/1194/ "IJ - alfabetiseren"]
* [[:nl:Genootschap Onze Taal|Genootschap Onze Taal]]. [http://www.onzetaal.nl/advies/ontstaanij.php "Lange ij (oorsprong)"].
* Genootschap Onze Taal. [http://www.onzetaal.nl/advies/ijalfabet.php "IJ, plaats in het alfabet"].
* [[Grote Winkler Prins Encyclopedie]]. "IJ [alfabet]". 9th edition. 1993.
* [http://www.uazone.org/multiling/euroml/annex02.html ''European rules for the use of the IJ in public records''].
* [[Michael Everson]]. [http://www.evertype.com/alphabets/dutch.pdf ''Repertoires of letters used to write the indigenous languages of Europe: Dutch''].
* Leendert Brouwers. Meertens Instituur. ''Nederlandse Familienamen Databank''. [http://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nfd/component.php?act=detail&naam=ij-y "ij-y"]
== External links ==
*[[Steven Pemberton]]. [http://homepages.cwi.nl/~steven/spelling.html#HDR-2-8a ''An Englishman's Difficulties with the Dutch''].
* Andreas K. Horlings. [http://www.geocities.com/akhorlin/95-ij.html ''De lange IJ bestaat niet''].
* R. Harmsen. [http://www.rudhar.com/lingtics/nlij_en.htm ''The Dutch "letter" IJ''].
{{Digraphs}}
[[Category:Digraphs]]
[[Category:Dutch language]]
[[Category:Vowel letters]]
[[Category:Latin alphabet ligatures]]
[[br:IJ (lizherenn)]]
[[ca:IJ (lletra)]]
[[de:IJ]]
[[es:IJ]]
[[eo:IJ]]
[[fr:IJ]]
[[ko:IJ]]
[[he:IJ]]
[[nl:IJ (digraaf)]]
[[ja:IJ]]
[[pl:IJ]]
[[pt:IJ (letra)]]
[[ru:IJ (латиница)]]
[[sk:IJ (písmeno)]]
[[zh:IJ]]