Dutch traders used foreign words to seal deals, reshaping diplomacy

A new study reveals how the Dutch East India Company embedded foreign language into 17th-century treaties to build trust across cultures and cement commercial power. The finding sheds light on how language choices shaped early global business—and suggests communication strategies matter more than we typically recognize in modern international agreements.

Originaltitel: Can I have your word?: Foreign terms in seventeenth-century treaties of the Dutch East India Company