Van Dale's dictionary was first published after the death of
Johan Hendrik van Dale, who had started work on his
New Dictionary of the Dutch Language ( ) in 1867. This was built upon the original same-named 1864 dictionary of I.M. Calisch and N.S. Calisch. Van Dale did not see the new work published in his lifetime, as he died in 1872. It was finished by his student Jan Manhave. Today it is published by the
private company Van Dale Lexicografie. Commonly nicknamed '
("thick Van Dale") and ' ("big Van Dale") due to its size, the dictionary is published in three volumes (A-I, J-R, S-Z). It is usually updated every 7–8 years, and the 15th edition was published in 2015. Today there are compilations,
pocket editions, electronic editions on CD-ROM and an online edition on the Van Dale website. The online edition includes a free version for the more common words, and a subscription-based professional version with access to the full 90,000-word dictionary. ==Position ==