maandag 6 november 2017

Sunday Stamps: 'N' is for neus, neushoorn and nijlpaard

The first Sunday of the month November, Sunday Stamps is dedicated to the letter 'N'.

A peculiar stamp I received from Ireland is one, showing a neus (nose in English).
It is part of a serie about the five traditional human senses.



And thinking of neuzen (neus plural), we think of neushoorns (rhinoceros in English).
Dutch Post has issued two stamp sheets in honour of the annniversaries of two Zoo's.

These neushoorns live in the city of Arnhem, in Burgers Zoo, where the little one has been born:



And this neushoorn lives in Blijdorp, the Zoo of Rotterdam:



Speaking of the letter 'N', in the same zoo there is this nijlpaard. Literally 'Nile horse', which is more or less the same as the English word 'hippopotamos', which is from Latin language, meaning 'horse of the river'.



It is hard to explain in words how you have to pronounce the diphthongs 'eu' and 'ij'. I think there is no equivalent in English for these. While during hearing and speaking the distinction is important, because of the different meanings, for instance of the words 'kijken' (to look) and 'keuken' (kitchen). Google.translate gives a good pronounciation of 'neus' (click on the loudspeaker under the translation), and I tried to combine some words with 'ij' (click on the loudspeaker). From a previous post you might remember the 'ei' has the same sound as 'ij' :-)

See more stamps on the letter 'N' at and via today's Sunday Stamps!

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