KE> All these accents you are talking about have French names, so they KE> cannot possibly be a part of the Dutch language.
Names with accents are usually of French origin, but accents are not just found in names. "ВВn" versus "een". The trema is also used in Dutch. "beЛnvloeden".
Like it or not accents and tremas /are/ part of the Dutch written language. So I will continue to use them when applicable.
KE> These weird additions must have been added by language purists.
They are not weird additions, they are and have been part of the Dutch langauage ever since it was formally documented.
KE> I have very few recollections of my encounters with my teacher, his KE> name was Harm. A name that sounds strange to english speaking readers.
When I was a kid, teachers did not have first names. They were "meester" or "juf".
