# lockdown



## kokoro_mo

Hello,

with a couple of friends, we're trying to establish a list of expressions that name in respective linguistic communities the current security hygienic "dispositifs". It's pretty evident that the use is rather arbitrary and "improper" from the point of view of the internal sens of the word (in so far as it makes any sens to speak in these terms of an actual spoken language). For instance, in English we call a "lockdown" (not only) the measures aiming to isolate people in their homes, while there is a more specific word for that in French, "confinement". Moreover, in Central European languages, it has become common to use the local equivalents of the word "quarantine" (English), such as karatnén (Hungarian), karanténa (Czech), kwarantanna (Polish) and so forth, while "quarantine" or "quarantaine" have more specific meaning in English or French respectively. This could be developed at length for Japanese, Chinese and so on, I am just trying to illustrate the fact that *there's no point to look into dictionary*, the reason for me to solicit the help of the native speakers living in the actual social and linguistic context and so forth. Would you please be so kind to explain which word or words are used to name aforementioned realities in Dutch, *namely the "dispositif" of isolation of the population in their homes*, the strategy that we see developed (almost) everywhere to fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus? If you add an explanation (hypothesis) of how and why was the particular linguistic convention established, where does the word "come from" and so on, it will be much appreciated.

Thank you very much! Take care,

P.S. I'll be posting a similar thread in different forums to ask the same question for the other languages where we still don't have a proper translation, I hope it won't be considered as double-posting.


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## Deleted721968

Not a native speaker, but I would use the *-maatregelen *suffix, e.g. _isolatiemaatregelen, hygiënemaatregelen, beschermingsmaatregelen._

For the specific case of COVID, also -*isolatie*: _thuisisolatie_, and* -quarantaine: *_thuisquarantaine, gezinsquarantaine._


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## kokoro_mo

Thank you very much for your contribution! Do you think that you could verify in the vernacular press which of those they use as a general word for the sanitary measures in question?


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## Deleted721968

I don't currently live in a Dutch speaking country and all I can do is google the above mentioned term on Google news, which I'm sure you can do. I'd rather let native speakers chime in and leave their input. If you're in a hurry, try the channel #thenetherlands on Snoonet (I hope this is not against the forum rules).


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## kokoro_mo

Sure i can google, but with basically no notion of Dutch, i can't really judge if the occurrences that show up are relevant or not. And you seem to speak Dutch. Thanks for the suggestion, i'll try that! Take care.


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## Red Arrow

De maatregelen / richtlijnen in verband met Covid-19.
De quarantainemaatregelen zijn verstrengd.
We zijn nog steeds in quarantaine.

"Isolatie" wordt niet zo vaak gebruikt in de Vlaamse media.


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## kokoro_mo

Thanks! I gather that we might point out the words "quarantaine" and "quarantainemaatregelen" and rule out the "isolatie" (at least for Belgium). It's noted, you've been most helpful!

Anybody from Netherlands?


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## bamia

We use _lockdown, _the word isn't translated. The specific kind of lockdown that exists here was dubbed _intelligente lockdown_ by the Dutch PM. _Zelfquarantaine _is used for self-imposed quarantining in one's own house. _Thuisquarantaine _is used in reference to the phenomenon of quarantining those who have Covid-19 or who live with someone who contracted Covid-19.


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## Red Arrow

Oh yes, of course, lockdown is also used in Flanders.

Also *op slot*, literally "locked": België is op slot wegens het coronavirus.
This is mostly reserved for headlines.


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## kokoro_mo

bamia said:


> We use _lockdown, _the word isn't translated...





Red Arrow said:


> Oh yes, of course, lockdown is also used in Flanders...



Thank you very much, I gather all the variants, the compiling of all the remarks now, I'm really thankful. Also I'm sorry it took me some time to get back to this, I hope you haven't considered me ungrateful... Cheers.


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## bamia

kokoro_mo said:


> Thank you very much, I gather all the variants, the compiling of all the remarks now, I'm really thankful. Also I'm sorry it took me some time to get back to this, I hope you haven't considered me ungrateful... Cheers.



Any time!


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