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Dutch to English translations [PRO] Textiles / Clothing / Fashion
Dutch term or phrase:Stof, wol, laken, donkerblauw
It's the LAKEN that is foxing me. It is not sheets - this fabric is used for naval uniforms - don't think they dress up in sheets!! Is it just a strange way of saying it is woven, not knitted? Is it some weaving process? Google is not being helpful. Can you help me?
Explanation: Stof is the fabric or material. The material from which the uniforms are made is wool made into cloth and coloured dark blue. Bear in mind that wool can be in different stages of production, i.e. raw, carded, spun. And then the spun wool can go on to be knitted, crocheted, braided or woven. the word laken means that it has been woven into cloth, as opposed to any other process. Historically, laken was produced in a lakenweverij - which was a flourishing cottage industry in former times.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 49 mins (2009-05-14 23:00:52 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Laken - apart from sheet - also means baize, which is the felt-like cloth you will see on billiard tables. However, as you have indicated the context is military uniforms, it is unlikely that baize is your target word for the translation.
"Melton" is defined in Collins as "a heavy smooth woollen fabric with a short nap, used especially for overcoats, also called melton cloth". So "wol" and "laken" seem to refer to the same thing in Dutch. The correct translation is then indeed "woollen cloth" or "melton".
"wol" is "wool"
"laken"
The glossary entry sems wrong. "wol" is "wool". "laken" is a specific type of cloth "Kaardgaren stof, gevold en geruwd, met een in-één-richting-gestreken, zeer kort geschoren haardek." http://www.topstof.nl/index1.html Corresponds to the description of "melton" given by Jennifer Barnett
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Answers
2 mins confidence:
.........cloth
Explanation: laken = cloth according to Van Dale dictionary
Explanation: Stof is the fabric or material. The material from which the uniforms are made is wool made into cloth and coloured dark blue. Bear in mind that wool can be in different stages of production, i.e. raw, carded, spun. And then the spun wool can go on to be knitted, crocheted, braided or woven. the word laken means that it has been woven into cloth, as opposed to any other process. Historically, laken was produced in a lakenweverij - which was a flourishing cottage industry in former times.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 49 mins (2009-05-14 23:00:52 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Laken - apart from sheet - also means baize, which is the felt-like cloth you will see on billiard tables. However, as you have indicated the context is military uniforms, it is unlikely that baize is your target word for the translation.
Textpertise United Kingdom Local time: 09:52 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
I am going to go with "woollen cloth" - thanks for the help in getting there.
Explanation: Bit late but this is a more precise answer. 'Laken' really means more than just cloth=stof. After weaving, laken/melton is felted and then shorn on one or both sides to create a smooth velvety finish.
The translation workplace 
