Talk:IJ (Amsterdam)

Lake?
Is this considered a "lake" because damns and locks have enclosed it, if even only by feet and inches? It would seem that it'd be better to describe it as a canal. --68.31.180.251 (talk) 07:07, 30 May 2008 (UTC)
 * According to the wikipedia article on canal, a canal is man-made, while the IJ is definitely of natural origin. Historically a sea bay with salty (or brackish?) water, today it has fresh water and has the characteristics of a river (there is some flow), a lake (by its shape), a canal (by the man-made shores and locks you already mentioned), but none of these concepts seems to cover the IJ correctly. Perhaps that's why we Dutchmen stay on the safe side and keep calling it the IJ, a Dutch word fallen into disuse, meaning water (compare French eau). If you insist on a comprehensive term, you would have to fall back on something vague, like body of water. Even the Dutch language, with its dozens of terms for surface water bodies, can't cover the IJ. We do have several songs covering it though. ;) Jaho (talk) 20:59, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Ri != IJ
"Today, the IJ is divided into two parts: the Binnen-リ (inner リ) or Afgesloten-リ' (closed リ), and the Buiten-リ (outer リ)."

Is there a reason that the article uses a Japanese character to represent the IJ digraph? --Damian Yerrick (talk) 18:16, 25 May 2014 (UTC)

What does IJ stand for?
The IJ in Amsterdam would be pronounced as I.J. by foreigners, suggesting that it is an acronym. But whenever I search the web, I could not find what does IJ stand for for this body of water.

Additionally, I know a few non-acronym words to begin with two or more capital letters, such as ATPase and UFOlogy. In Dutch, names beginning with "ij" would also begin with two capital letters, such as IJmuiden, IJsselmeer, etc. I know that ATP means "Adenosine Triphosphate" and UFO means "unidentified flying object." But I don't know what IJ means, even though it should stand for something, especially when it occurs in the beginning of a name or something.

Can someone help or figure out what I.J. means?

ßlackHeart (talk) 00:56, 14 November 2016 (UTC)


 * The opening paragraph very clearly states what this means in Dutch.

"The name consists of the digraph digraph ij, which behaves like a single letter. Therefore, both letters are capitalized."


 * This is not difficult to understand. --Criticalthinker (talk) 07:58, 14 November 2016 (UTC)


 * Seriously?? Is IJ really not a short form of anything? If not, what could IJ even stand for? It is indeed a mysterious name for a river in Amsterdam. ßlackHeart (talk) 06:48, 20 December 2016 (UTC)


 * Is this some kind of joke? For the second time, the opening paragraph clearly answers your question. --Criticalthinker (talk) 10:16, 20 December 2016 (UTC)


 * Nope. I seriously believe IJ stands for something and that thing now applies to all IJs, so much that it "became a special digraph." Now consider this: have you seen any acronyms that actually do not stand for anything?ßlackHeart (talk) 00:13, 21 December 2016 (UTC)


 * A digraph is not an acronym. Just because both letters are capitalized does not make it an acronym. Please read the entry at IJ (digraph). The ij digraph represents a single vowel sound. — Kleio (t · c) 10:34, 25 December 2016 (UTC)


 * OMG what a *funny* name to give to a river. Let's all go the I.J. one day!ßlackHeart (talk) 03:52, 30 December 2016 (UTC)


 * You were just told it's not an acronym, and you're still going to render it "I.J." You were trolling before, this is just confirmation.  Maybe you need to go somewhere else since you can't wrap your small mind around the concept what a digraph is even though there is literally a link to this particular one. --Criticalthinker (talk) 12:21, 30 December 2016 (UTC)


 * OK. Suppose a foreigner is introduced to a river that happens to be called IJ. Guess what they would pronounce it as? I.J., not, "I." How would they feel if they see a name that begins with IJ___? Did you see any other names which look like acronyms that actually do not stand for anything? ßlackHeart (talk) 22:18, 31 December 2016 (UTC)


 * Foreigners' ignorance has no bearing on spelling conventions. — Kleio (t · c) 09:17, 3 January 2017 (UTC)

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Binnen & Buiten Ĳ
If I'm understanding these words correctly, wouldn't it be more clear to simply say that the Buiten-IJ is the part that lies outside the eastern locks, and the Binnen-IJ is the part within the eastern and western locks (i.e. the channelized part of the old bay)? I think the dividing line needs to be clarified, and someone from the area or more familiar with the area can make these changes. --Criticalthinker (talk) 12:04, 8 November 2017 (UTC)
 * Actually, the Dutch version of this page says just that, and even uses a different term. The Afgesloten-IJ is the "closed IJ" west of the Oranjesluizen (Orange Sluices/Locks).  The Buiten-IJ is the "open IJ" outside/east of the Oranjesluizen.  I'd suggest a native Dutch-speaker move a lot of the information on the Dutch page over to this one, as it's much more clear and detailed. --Criticalthinker (talk) 12:34, 8 November 2017 (UTC)