rekenaars

Rekenaar is a Dutch term that can refer to a person who performs calculations or to a calculating device. In contemporary Dutch, rekenaar is increasingly used as a synonym for computer, especially as a machine that processes data electronically. The plural rekenaars can denote both older calculators and modern computers.

History and development: The concept of calculating devices predates electronics, with mechanical calculators and slide rules widely used from the early modern period. The word rekenaar historically described such devices as well as human calculators. In the 20th century, electronic computers emerged, using vacuum tubes and later transistors to perform complex computations at high speed, transforming science, engineering and business.

In the Netherlands and other Dutch-speaking regions, early computing activity took place in universities and research institutes. The Mathematisch Centrum in Amsterdam, later part of what is now the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), contributed to the development of computer science and hardware in the region.

Modern era and usage: From the late 20th century onward, personal computers and networked systems popularized the term computer in everyday language, though rekenaar persists in some contexts—particularly in formal or historical writing or in translations of older texts. Today, rekenaars include general-purpose computers, laptops and servers, as well as embedded systems and specialized computing devices.

Impact: Rekenaars have transformed science, industry and daily life by enabling automated calculation, data storage and networked information processing, laying the foundation for the digital era.