The Flemish government has approved a decree to end the printed version of 'Het Groene Boekje,' ('The Green Booklet') with the final edition to be published this year before transitioning entirely to a digital format.
'Het Groene Boekje,' first published in 1954, serves as the official lexicon of the Dutch language.
It is compiled by the Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch Language Union), a joint organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders dedicated to promoting the correct usage of the Dutch language.
Updated several times a year, the lexicon provides the official spelling of words, but not their definitions.
The last printed edition will contain 52,000 words, while the digital version will maintain the same count.
Online users will have access to about 233,000 words, along with additional information such as articles, plurals, and pronunciation.
The decision to discontinue the printed version was made last year by the Council of Ministers of the Nederlandse Taalunie.
