How do you pronounce these 'dam ship names?

[cavcmy]

First time HAL cruiser needs to know -- is it dam or dom? Maasdam - is it moz or maz or maus? Volendam - is it vol or vole?

[ptoronto]

Being a Canadian of Dutch heritage, I might be able to answer your question - I only hope that you'll understand my attempts at phonetic spelling:

 

Maasdam - maz' dam - it's a short a sound and the s is more like a z

 

Volendam - vole' en' dam - it's a long o sound

 

In both cases the accent is on the first syllable - no matter what the crew will know what you're talking about

[dsawyer]

That is the question. :D

[jhannah]

I've heard HAL ship staff say both "dam" and "dahm" ... so I guess it depends on if you're from the north or south! John (copper10-8) or Ine can tell us, since they're Dutch and that's the origin of the names.

[iceman93]

I say "mahs dahm" and "zweeder dahm". I don't know if those are technically correct, but I've never been told otherwise!

[jhannah]

I'm reasonably sure Zuider rhymes with cider.

[lauderdalebob]

Taking the Oosterdam (pronounced as in "OH" ster dam) on 5/20 to Alaska and have taken the Zuiderdm (yes, you're correct, rhymes with cider) twice in the Caribbean (and now you can get into is it CARIB E AN or CARA BE AN?) PO TAY TOE, PA TAY TOE, "let's call the whole thing off!"

[Sopwith]

In Dutch the ui is pronounced like ow in English, as in "how".

 

In other words, Zow'- der- dam.

[Copper10-8]

Jim is right on; just like in this country, the Dutch have accents and even dialects depending on what part of the country they're from so you might get a different pronounciation from someone from the province of Friesland (the far north), Amsterdam in the province of Noord Holland in the west and/or the southern provinces of Brabant and Limburg. Even the inhabitants of the three big cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Den Haag (the Hague) have their own accents.

Prinsendam "Princen-dam" as in "Prince"

Statendam "St-ah-ten-dam" as in "say Aah"

Maasdam "Maahs-dam" as in "say Ahh"

Ryndam "Rhine-dam"

Veendam "Veyn-dam" as in "hey"

Rotterdam "Rott-ehr-dam" as in Rotweiler

Amsterdam "Ahm-ster-dam"

Volendam "Vohl-en-dam" as in "Foal"

Zaandam "Zahn-dam" as in "say Aah"

Zuiderdam "Zey-der-dam"

Oosterdam "Oasterdam" as in Toast but drop the "T"

Westerdam "West-ehr-dam"

Noordam "Nor-dam" as in More

[S.S.Oceanlover]

the crew on the Zuiderdam last summer pronounced it Ziderdam and JHannah said.

 

Bill

[Coolcruise02]

Ok...now what do the names mean? I read somewhere that some are for compass points and others for dams in Holland. Is this true?

 

Westerdam-west

Zuiderdam-east

Noordam-north

 

Thanks :)

[jhannah]

Oosterdam is for east. Zuiderdam is for south.

[Ine]

QUOTE: Zuiderdam "Zey-der-dam"UNQUOTE>

Almost right, unless somebody from NL can pronounce it for you, we cannot explain it.

One of those other test to check who is from NL is.... Scheveningen!

[Copper10-8]

Ok...now what do the names mean? I read somewhere that some are for compass points and others for dams in Holland. Is this true?

 

Westerdam-west

Zuiderdam-east

Noordam-north

 

Thanks :)

 

Yes, most, except Prinsendam, Statendam, Ryndam and the four Vista's are names of cities originally built near dams in rivers. i.e. Amsterdam, the capitol, originated in the 12th century when a dam was built on the river Amstel. Amstel was later changed in Amster

Prinsendam - based on the Princes of the House of Orange

Statendam - based on the original seven Dutch provinces

Maasdam - city in province Zuid Holland

Ryndam - dam in the river Rhine

Veendam - city in province Groningen

Rotterdam - city in province Zuid Holland

Amsterdam - city in province Noord Holland

Volendam - city in province Noord Holland

Zaandam - city in province Noord Holland

Zuiderdam - compass heading south

Oosterdam - compass heading east

Westerdam - compass heading west

Noordam - compass heading north

One of those other test to check who is from NL is.... Scheveningen!

The Germans couldn't say it, right Ine? ;)

[Old As Dirt Mom]

....for all the facts on name origins and pronunciation. It is "dam" interesting. Now, as to Scheveningen, you basically start by clearing your throat like you're going to spit, and then blur all those "Ns" and vowels together in one fluid tongue movement.:p My husband has been learning Dutch from his mother-in-law over the past nineteen years. He says that any language where you tell people to "slop their liquor" (slaap lekker) when they go to bed is his kind of lingo.

[K&RCurt]

John /Copper:

 

In Dutch is the W pronounced as in english or does it get a "V" sound as in German?

 

i.e. Westerdam or Vesterdam?

 

And also, from your point of view is the ending Dam or Dahm or does it change from ship to ship and you just have to be "in the know"?

[Copper10-8]

John /Copper:

 

In Dutch is the W pronounced as in english or does it get a "V" sound as in German?

 

i.e. Westerdam or Vesterdam?

 

And also, from your point of view is the ending Dam or Dahm or does it change from ship to ship and you just have to be "in the know"?

 

Keith, the "W" is similar to English. "West" is pronounced the same in both languages. "Dam" is prounced "dam" as opposed to "daaam"

Middle-aged Mom; right on with "Scheveningen" and "slaap lekker" :D Pronouncing the word "Scheveningen" was one of the methods used in WWII to verify that a person was really Dutch and not a German trying to impersonate a Dutchman because the Germans had a real hard time pronouncing it correctly:D

[Ine]

Pronouncing the word "Scheveningen" was one of the methods used in WWII to verify that a person was really Dutch and not a German trying to impersonate a Dutchman because the Germans had a real hard time pronouncing it correctly:D

 

I gues besides the dutch also the german speaking Swiss can pronounce Scheveningen...

[HALOnlyCruiser]

This is all so interesting! Especially where the names come from. Thank you, Copper 10-8! I bought a book on board once about HAL, and noticed they followed a custom of ending the names of cargo ships with "dyk" and passenger vessels with "dam". Or is that just coincidence? Where does that practice come from?

[Copper10-8]

HALonlycruiser; I have the same book I think you're talking about, a little green one called "The Holland America Line" by Peter C. Kohler. You're right, HAL's freighters (some had a few passengers berths), all had names that ended in "dyk" ("dike' in English).

There were eight "B" class ships: Blommersdyk, Burgerdyk, Blijdendyk, Binnendyk, Bilderdyk, Boschdyk, Breedyk & Beemsterdyk

There were four "D" class ships: Dinteldyk., Drechtdyk, Delftdyk (Dongedyk) and Damsterdyk (Dalerdyk)

Then there were Andyk (ex-Groningen),Sommelsdyk and her sister Sloterdyk, Eemdyk (ex-Empire Albion), Duivendyk (ex-Vancouver), Soestdyk (same name as the queen's palace) and her sister Schiedyk, Almdyk, Diemerdyk and her sister Dinteldyk II, and lastly, Poeldyk.

There were thirteen VC2-type Victory ships: Amsteldyk, Arkeldyk, Averdyk, Aalsdyk, Abbedyk, Axeldyk, Aardyk, Arnedyk, Arendsdyk, Akkrumdyk, Aagtedyk and Appingedyk (missing one ?).

 

There were five "K" class ships: Kinderdyk, Kloosterdyk, Kerkedyk, Kamperdyk, Korendyk and Katsedyk.

Unlike me, real ship connoisseurs like Stephen Card and Host Doug can correct me and/or add to this list:)

 

 

 

[HALOnlyCruiser]

Yep, it's the same book. Maybe I should read it, huh?

Wow! You sure know your stuff! Thank you for the info.

And since you brought up Stephen Card, I always go up and down the forward staircases and take pictures of his paintings, copiously copying down the details on the plate to go in my cruise album.

Thanks for taking the time to answer. See my new thread "Why I like HAL...". Already I need a support group for this! "Hi. My name is Cindy, and it's been 30 minutes since I checked the HAL Message Boards."

[bepsf]

You can learn about more of the HAL fleet here:

http://www.unofficial.net/hal/mainindx.html

 

Most will be listed under the "Deepsea Fleet"

[bepsf]

Yep, it's the same book. Maybe I should read it, huh?

Wow! You sure know your stuff! Thank you for the info.

And since you brought up Stephen Card, I always go up and down the forward staircases and take pictures of his paintings, copiously copying down the details on the plate to go in my cruise album.

Thanks for taking the time to answer. See my new thread "Why I like HAL...". Already I need a support group for this! "Hi. My name is Cindy, and it's been 30 minutes since I checked the HAL Message Boards."

 

Cindy--

You really should order Stephen's new book "The Spotless Fleet" - a compendium of his paintings for HAL - it includes descriptions of his paintings and short histories of the ships depicted.

http://www.worldshipny.com/library.htm

There's also a listing of other books that discuss the history of HAL:

http://www.unofficial.net/hal/library1.html

Enjoy!

[HALOnlyCruiser]

Brian...

Thanks so much for the info on The Spotless Fleet. I am anxious to order it!

Cindy

[Copper10-8]

Cindy, I hang around in the stairwells too (for that same purpose);)

Those are great links, Brian!