# kneuterig



## ilias05

Dear people

I am trying to find the right English word that explains ´kneuterig`in the right way in the context below. Can you help me with that, please? Intially I translated it as _Parochial_, but that word has semantically a religious overtone. 

_Lange tijd was er niemand op wie ik meer neerkeek dan mensen die uitroepingstekens gebruiken. Het heeft op mij dezelfde uitwerking als – of zo stel ik het me toch voor – iemand die in het midden van een gesprek luid ‘hoera’ of ‘leuk, hé’ brult. Het suggereert een ongepaste, *kneuterige *graad van enthousiasme, en het is bovendien een uiterst luie manier om dat uit te drukken._


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## ThomasK

The main semantic aspect is something like small, or small mind (or small farming area). The -erig betrays that the word is pejorative. 
I consider these words from interglot.be useful: _petty; narrow minded; small-town; lower-middle-class; narrow-mindedness and _especially_ bekrompen a_s a synony_m _(with a shrunk mind??? ;-)). It might be derived from a verb (_kneuteren_), meaning something like nagging - about how things used to be better before, how things developed too fast, etc. Those people cannot adapt to the modern world. Above it is suggested that they behave in unadapted ways...


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## elroy

I don’t understand what any of this has to do with using exclamation points.  Could you elaborate?


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## ThomasK

OK, I had not focused on that aspect, only on the meaning of the word. People using exclamation marks figuratively are those of course who have fierce/... opinions and want to spread them as if they [those speakers] hold the truth. And in that way they behave like narrow-minded people who cannot really react adequately in a conversation. "Ongepast": it is for sure. "Kneuterig", bourgeois-ish: a little strange to me here. _Kneuterige mensen_ in my view are those who have a very bourgeois or provincial taste and whose dreams and views are very small or narrow. I'd like to read more about the context... 

Why it is called lazy is another question: I suppose the speaker/...  means that these people are not willing to spend energy on how to express themselves with nuance and style...


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## elroy

Might it be something like “unsophisticated,” “unrefined,” “uncivilized”?


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## ThomasK

Well, I am afraid the writer has made an unfortunate choice. 

@ilias05 : could you give us more context?


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## ThomasK

elroy said:


> Might it be something like “unsophisticated,” “unrefined,” “uncivilized”?


Well, yes, but then "kneuterig" is generally kind-of ridiculous, because betraying no 'high culture' or something the like, focusing on kitsch for example...


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## elroy

Tacky?


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## ThomasK

elroy said:


> Tacky?


Had to look it up, but no, it is not negative in that sense. It is mainly ridiculous...


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## ilias05

COLUMN
!!!
Hoe ik leerde om me geen zorgen meer te maken en van het uitroepingsteken te houden

Lange tijd was er niemand op wie ik meer neerkeek dan mensen die uitroepingstekens gebruiken. Het heeft op mij dezelfde uitwerking als – of zo stel ik het me toch voor – iemand die in het midden van een gesprek luid ‘hoera’ of ‘leuk, hé’ brult. Het suggereert een ongepaste, *kneuterige *graad van enthousiasme, en het is bovendien een uiterst luie manier om dat uit te drukken. Een uitroepingsteken is zelfs banaler dan een smiley, geen kleine opgaaf.

https://www.knack.be/nieuws/de-pandemie-heeft-mij-het-uitroepingsteken-doen-omarmen/


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## ThomasK

OK, I see. Well, it is a top magazine in Flanders, but I still think the word "kneuterig" is not perfect here. Just google for "kneuterige" and you will see what you get. I would not have used it here.


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