Maatskappy

Maatskappy is a Dutch term historically used to denote a company, association, or society formed for a common purpose. In modern standard Dutch the word is generally regarded as archaic or dialectal, with "maatschappij" or "vereniging" serving for company or association, and "vennootschap" used for legally constituted corporate entities.

The term derives from maatschap, referring to companions or partners, with the suffix -schap forming a noun for an association. In the 16th to 19th centuries maatskappy appeared in both commercial and civic contexts and was used in the names of trading companies, mutual societies, and charitable bodies. A well-known historical example is the Maatschappij tot Nut van het Algemeen, a philanthropic society founded in the Dutch Republic.

In contemporary Dutch, the usual word for a business organization is maatschappij, with vennootschap used in legal forms such as naamloze vennootschap (N.V.) and besloten vennootschap (B.V.). Maatskappy survives mainly in historical texts, older spellings, or as part of proper names. By contrast, in Afrikaans, a closely related language, maatskappy is the standard and current term for a company or corporation, reflecting the Dutch linguistic heritage.

Summary: maatskappy is an historic Dutch term for a company or association, now largely superseded in the Netherlands by maatschappij and related terms. It remains active in Afrikaans as the everyday word for a company, while in specialized or legal contexts Dutch professionals use contemporary equivalents such as maatschappij or vennootschap.