Anyone walking around Nijmegen knows that General Dutch is not the only language spoken on the streets of the city. The city still has people who speak real Nimweegs (Nijmegen dialect), but also many international students from all over Europe and beyond, and newcomers who speak, for instance, Ukrainian or Arabic. How many languages and dialects are actually spoken in the city, and which ones? To answer this question, the Faculty of Arts, in collaboration with the Besiendershuis, was the first in the world to appoint a City Linguist.
This City Linguist is Luis Miguel Rojas Berscia, a hyperpolyglot linguist at Radboud University. His mission? To uncover Nijmegen’s linguistic treasures. 'Everyone is naturally multilingual and uses different forms of language to communicate,' explains Luis Miguel. 'In the multicultural city of Nijmegen, most people, if not all residents, speak more than one ‘language’.' Together with students, he is therefore on a quest to discover the languages of Nijmegen by interviewing as many residents as possible.
Art Project
These interviews are given an artistic treatment by sound artist Elise ’t Hart, who incorporates the voices and sounds into an audiovisual artwork. 'We interact with language every day, but because it’s so commonplace, we don’t truly listen to it,' says Elise. This project, according to her, is an opportunity to pause and genuinely listen to voices, sounds, and tones. 'It lets us see and listen closely to the people around us.'
Celebrating Nimweegs
Luis Miguel and Elise also hope to give a voice to Nimweegs, Nimwegian in English, Nijmegen’s Indiginous language. 'Nimwegian is beautiful, we love it and is at the core of this lovely city,' says Luis Miguel. By placing this dialect at the center of their work, they hope to preserve and celebrate a piece of Nijmegen’s cultural identity.
Speak your language
Would you like to help with this research and contribute to the artwork? Click the button below, fill out the questionnaire and record your language! (You will see an information document asking for permission to use the data before continuing to the questionnaire).
