Dutch is classified as a Germanic language, specifically a West Germanic language, within the larger Indo-European language family. It is not considered a Scandinavian language. The Germanic languages originated from a common ancestor and over time evolved into different branches, one of which is the West Germanic branch that includes Dutch.
The Germanic languages can be further divided into three main groups: North Germanic, West Germanic, and East Germanic. North Germanic languages include Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Icelandic, and Faroese. West Germanic languages include German, Dutch, English, and several others. East Germanic languages, on the other hand, are now extinct.
Dutch shares a common ancestor with other West Germanic languages, such as English and German. These languages have similarities in vocabulary, grammar, and sound changes that can be traced back to their common Germanic roots. However, it is important to note that while Dutch and German share certain features, they are distinct languages with their own unique characteristics.
As a native speaker of Dutch, I can provide some personal experiences to illustrate the Germanic nature of the language. Dutch and German, despite being separate languages, have a degree of mutual intelligibility. I have encountered situations where I could understand written German to a certain extent, although spoken German can be more challenging due to differences in pronunciation and vocabulary.
Additionally, Dutch and English also share similarities due to their shared Germanic heritage. While English has been heavily influenced by Latin, French, and other languages, it still retains many Germanic features. This can be seen in the vocabulary, grammar, and even sentence structure of the two languages. As a Dutch speaker, I have found it relatively easy to learn English, as there are many cognates and shared grammatical structures.
Dutch is classified as a Germanic language within the larger Indo-European language family. It is not a Scandinavian language but rather belongs to the West Germanic branch, along with English and German. Dutch shares common features with these languages due to their shared Germanic heritage, but it also has its own unique characteristics.