Question 1

Why is "top center" translated as middenboven (literally "middle-above")?

Accepted Answer

In Dutch, compound locative adverbs that combine the center with an edge always start with midden. You attach the vertical or horizontal position to the end. So "top center" is middenboven, "bottom center" is middenonder, and "center left" is middenlinks.

Question 2

Why does middenboven come right after De marge instead of before it like an adjective?

Accepted Answer

Middenboven is an adverb of place, not an adjective. While English often uses words like "top" or "center" as adjectives before a noun (like "the top margin"), Dutch places the locative adverb immediately after the noun it specifies. It acts a bit like a shortened relative clause: "the margin [that is] top center".

Question 3

Why does the Dutch word lay-out have a hyphen, unlike the English word "layout"?

Accepted Answer

Dutch spelling rules for English loanwords often insert a hyphen into noun combinations made of a verb and a preposition or adverb. You will also see this in words like back-up and make-up. The hyphen helps preserve the original English pronunciation without conflicting with Dutch vowel reading rules.

Question 4

Can I split middenboven into two words, like midden boven?

Accepted Answer

In this specific context, no. It is written as one word because it represents a single, exact coordinate on a page. If you wrote midden boven as two separate words, it would usually mean something is physically "in the middle, upstairs" or "in the middle, above [something else]".

De marge middenboven is perfect voor deze lay-out.

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