Editing Dutch grammar (section)

====Diminutive in {{lang|nl|-ke(n)}}====

In the south, the ending {{lang|nl|-ke(n)}} is often used instead. It also has different forms depending on the preceding sounds, with rules very similar to those for the {{lang|nl|-tje}} ending.

An older form of this ending was {{lang|nl|-ken}}, which is more like its German cognate {{lang|de|-chen}}. This form is not used much today, due to final n-deletion which is common in Dutch, but it is still found in older texts and names. A famous example is {{lang|nl|[[Manneken Pis]]}}.

When the word ends in a [[Velar consonant|velar]] consonant (-g, -ch, -k, -ng), an extra [[Dissimilation|dissimilative]] {{lang|nl|-s-}} is inserted, giving {{lang|nl|-ske(n)}}.
* dag → dagske
* lach → lachske
* stok → stokske
* ding → dingske
* koning → koningske

An extra {{lang|nl|-e-}} is inserted in three cases, giving {{lang|nl|-eke(n)}}:
* Words ending in a non-velar plosive (-p, -b, -t, -d).
* Words ending in {{lang|nl|-n}}, which is not a velar itself but would assimilate to one before the following {{lang|nl|-k-}}.
* Words ending in {{lang|nl|-m}}, {{lang|nl|-l}} or {{lang|nl|-r}} preceded by a stressed short vowel.

Examples:

* hond → hondeke
* voet → voeteke
* map → mappeke
* boon → boneke
* bon → bonneke
* kom → kommeke
* hol → holleke
* bar → barreke

In all other cases, the ending is the basic {{lang|nl|-ke(n)}}. This includes:
* Words ending in a vowel.
* Words ending in a non-velar [[fricative]] (-f, -v, -s, -z).
* Words ending in {{lang|nl|-m}}, {{lang|nl|-l}}, {{lang|nl|-r}} preceded by a long vowel, [[diphthong]], or unstressed vowel.

Examples:

* mama → mamake
* koe → koeke
* slof → slofke
* doos → dooske
* school → schoolke
* muur → muurke
* boom → boomke
* bodem → bodemke