An eskimo, a celt and a Jew

The Dutch have changed their spelling again. We can throw out the last lot of dictionaries, bought not so very long ago. Some of the changes are going to be the source of endless confusion. Take, for instance, the one about the names of different nationalities and groups. From now on, you have to give them all a capital letter. So an eskimo becomes an Eskimo and a 'kelt' [Celt] - seen one recently? - a Kelt. So far, so good...

A special distinction is made for the word 'Jew' - 'Jood' in Dutch. If you're using the term to refer to someone in terms of the ethnic group to which the belong, then you refer to him or her as a Jood (pronounced 'yode' ) - with a capital letter. If you're using the term to refer to someone in terms of the religious group to which he or she belongs, then you still use the same spoken word ' jood' - but it's written with a small letter.

Now, in a nation of farmers where bluntness is the rule and nuances are trampled under foot - you're asking for trouble expecting people to make a distinction like that.

And nevermind the farmers, what are the rest of us going to do if asked to write something about secular and religious Jews in Israel? Is the one a Jood and the other a jood or do you get round it by using the adjective - always a small letter - and calling them both joods? Will quality newspapers have to print corrections to explain that Mr. B. was wrongly referred to as a small letter jood in yesterday's paper when, in fact, he's a capital Jood?

Luckily, I don't have to write in Dutch.