What does 'hoofdweg' mean?

by **Fria** » June 14th, 2010, 5:01 pm

Is de hoofdweg by any chance the same as highway in English?
Thanks!

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by **Quetzal** » June 14th, 2010, 5:15 pm

No, not really. "Hoofdweg" just means "main road", which can have different meanings depending on the country or context, but will generally refer to some kind of road with relatively heavy traffic, but not a highway. Highways are called "snelweg" or "autosnelweg", and in Flanders also "autostrade".

by **Fria** » June 14th, 2010, 5:22 pm

Thanks for detailed explanation! =D>

by **falcybe** » June 16th, 2010, 11:37 am

Hoi,

In Engeland:
Een Main Road de belangrijkster straat of in een staad of tussen twee steden is, zonder dat we over snelwegen praten.
Een Highway is een andere naam voor Main Road maar gebruikt alleen voor straten tussen steden is. Dit is ook geen snelweg.
Byways zijn kleiner straten die tussen dorpen of in de platteland lopen.

Als je in het Engels zegt "neem de highway noordwaarts van/uit (?) Londen" dan neem ik de weg die A5 genoemd is en ik ga nooits maar nooits denken over de autosnelwegen die of de M1 of de A1(m) genoemd zijn. Ik denk echter dat in Amerikaans, highway kan snelweg bevatten/behelzen? (include)

Groetjes, falcybe

by **Fria** » June 16th, 2010, 12:11 pm

This one was a bit trickier to understand

So snelweg can be also like a German autobahn, but hoofdweg cannot?
Thanks!

by **Grytolle** » June 16th, 2010, 12:46 pm

perhaps hoofdweg = Bundesstraße?

by **Fria** » June 16th, 2010, 12:48 pm

Oh, cool, I've thought it would be smth. like this! Thanks for clearing that up :-D

by **falcybe** » June 16th, 2010, 12:55 pm

Hoi Fria,

As Quetzel wrote, hoofdweg = main road but not a highway.
I suspect that Quetzel is talking American when she talks about highways being motorways because it isn't so in English.
For me, snelweg = motorway = autobahn.
If you want to talk in a practical manner in England then the road system is, in decreasing order of importance:
Motorways (M1, M2...) = snelwegen (A16) = autobahn (40, 57...)
Main Roads (A1, A2...) (in België N6, N25...)
'B' Roads (B1111, B8043...) (in Frankrijk D55, D917...)
Other minor roads and tracks.
The word highway was used in centuries past and is no longer used in practical life but only in poetical or prosaic expressions.
If you are giving road directions in England you would tell someone to "take the main road" or "take the A5" but if you say "take the highway.." then either people will assume you are American or they will expect to hear "...to heaven".

by **falcybe** » June 16th, 2010, 12:58 pm

En de Bundesstraße is met of zonder letter in de benaming?

by **Fria** » June 16th, 2010, 1:02 pm

Motorway, then! Thanks, Will avoid the poetic highway in practical life :wink:

by **Quetzal** » June 16th, 2010, 2:17 pm

I suppose I was talking about the American word, then, yes, I didn't realize the British didn't use that at all. Though on the other hand, Americans often use other words instead - interstate, for instance, though obviously that's only for highways that go through several different states.

In any case, I think for the Dutch word my explanation was clear. By the way, Arthur, I don't know if that was a typo, but I am male, you know.

by **falcybe** » June 18th, 2010, 2:50 pm

By the way, Arthur, I don't know if that was a typo, but I am male, you know

Nee, geen typo, ik heb het opzettelijk gedaan

. Eigenlijk, onder mijn avatar heb ik 'male' gewezen maar onder het jouw heb je niets, dus ik heb er moeten raden over. Nu, jouw avatar een mooi vogel is en het Engels voor vogel bird is en bird in het Engels jargon voor (not at all bad looking) girl is. Neem me niet kwalijk, Quetzel, maar ik denk dat mijn vergissing (of fout) jouw fout (of schuld) is :lol: