What's in a name?

To start off this blog, maybe it’s a nice idea to explain why I chose the name “Goesting in Taal” for this platform. As mentioned on the homepage, “goesting” was voted to be the favourite word of Flemish people in 2004. They were not asked what was their favourite Flemish word, but simply their favourite word in the Dutch language. Yet, what came out of the polls, was indeed a truly Flemish one.

Similarly to the word “envie” in French, “goesting” is a word to express what you feel like, what you are in the mood for. It is related to the French “goût” and the Italian and Spanish “gusto”. Its equivalent in correct Dutch would be “zin”. However, “zin” simply doesn’t generate the same feelings with Flemish people as does “goesting”. Flemish author Tom Lanoye, who also confessed to having a insatiable “goesting in taal”, was once asked: Why “goesting” and not “zin”? His answer was straightforward and beautiful: “Simply because to my feeling it is a more beautiful word and it expresses more accurately what I am trying to say.” I believe this is one of the key reasons why studying the Flemish language is so fascinating: it is a living language that evolves and grows to help people express what they truly want to say. In everyday life, with its everyday situations and everyday emotions.

So I chose “Goesting in Taal” as a name for this platform because it captures my feeling exactly while writing my books and while teaching. I feel “goesting in taal”, there is a great pleasure for me in (re)discovering the language, in putting it down on paper and sharing it with others.