# elkaar vs. mekaar



## killerbees

I did a quick search which yielded no results, so I hope I'm not being redundant. One of the grammar books I'm presently working with lists a number of words it considers colloquial speech and their written language counterparts [which I assume means less formal/literary versus moreso]. Most of the examples are supported by my own experience thus far with the exception of _mekaar_, deemed colloquial speech, and _elkaar_, deemed written language. Honestly, I've only heard _mekaar _once, on a Belgian TV show, and I was wondering if this might be a regional difference, if _mekaar_ is falling out of use, or if I've just been watching TV that's biased toward _elkaar._


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## Hitchhiker

This web page explains some differences between Belgian and Netherlands usage.

http://taaladvies.net/taal/advies/vraag/530/


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## HKK

killerbees said:


> I did a quick search which yielded no results, so I hope I'm not being redundant. One of the grammar books I'm presently working with lists a number of words it considers colloquial speech and their written language counterparts [which I assume means less formal/literary versus moreso]. Most of the examples are supported by my own experience thus far with the exception of _mekaar_, deemed colloquial speech, and _elkaar_, deemed written language. Honestly, I've only heard _mekaar _once, on a Belgian TV show, and I was wondering if this might be a regional difference,


I don't know if _mekaar _is used in the Netherlands. It is however used in some dialects and substandard varieties of Dutch in Belgium.



killerbees said:


> if _mekaar_ is falling out of use, or if I've just been watching TV that's biased toward _elkaar._


I don't think it's falling out of use, but on the other hand, using the standard 'elkaar' will not brand you as pretentious or _nen Hollander_ in Belgium. That means _mekaar _is one of those words that could be fading out without anyone noticing.
Also, all Belgian TV shows will use 'elkaar' except if they are meant to portray dialectical speech (for example in soap operas which are almost invariably spoken in Antwerp dialect or at least accent), or in interviews (where the station obviously has no control over what the interviewee says and how they say it).


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## killerbees

Thanks to you both. I ought to google a little more thoroughly [or use google, in general] before I ask questions, since that handy website was the first result when I looked up both words together.


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## Sauv

Some Dutch people say '_mekaar_', (even Van Dale (dictionary) knows it: http://www.vandale.nl/vandale/opzoeken/woordenboek/?zoekwoord=mekaar) but - as Van Dale says - it's informal, and it's better not to write it. I never use it myself, to be honest.


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## Brownpaperbag

In Rotterdam it's extremely frequent in spoken language. I'd never write it though.


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## grendelsbayne

I hear mekaar all the time here in Brabant. I would say it's probably a bit of a regional difference, but more north/south in general as opposed to Dutch/Flemish in particular.


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## Frank06

Hi,

I think the explantion provided by Hitchhiker's link describes the situation/usage quite well.

On the verge of being off topic, I just wanted to add that in quite some dialects (at least in Flanders) the archaic forms 'elkander' and 'malkander' are used (the latter from Middle Dutch _mal(ij)c_, _manlijc_ (ieder, elk) + _ander_).

Groetjes,

Frank


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## Grytolle

And in case it wasn't clear for everyone, mekaar and elkaar are derived from those forms Frank mentioned:

elkander > elkaar
malkander > malkaar > mekaar

Flemish also tends to use -een more than standard Dutch

ineen vallen
bijeen komen et c (not sure if those are the best examples to illustrate the phonomenon though)


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## shakira282

I have just heard "mekaar" being used on BVN. The coach of a football team was interviewed (Antwerp?) in a sport report but his interview was subtitled and "mekaar" was translated to "elkaar".

"Mekaar" is standard in Afrikaans, but I will never use it when I speak or write Dutch.


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## shakira282

I have just heard "mekaar" being used on BVN. The coach of a football team was interviewed (Antwerp?) in a sport report but his interview was subtitled and "mekaar" was translated to "elkaar".


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## Ktke

I think in Antwerp 'mekaar' or even 'mekander' is still quite commonly used.


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