0 , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁over arch ing ▁standard ▁language , ▁but ▁all ▁dialect s ▁were ▁mut ually ▁intellig ible . ▁During ▁the ▁period , ▁a ▁rich ▁Med ieval ▁Dutch ▁literature ▁developed , ▁which ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁existed ▁during ▁Old ▁Dutch . ▁The ▁various ▁literary ▁works ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁are ▁often ▁very ▁readable ▁for ▁speak ers ▁of ▁Modern ▁Dutch ▁since ▁Dutch ▁is ▁a ▁rather ▁conserv ative ▁language . ▁Non ling u ists ▁often ▁refer ▁to ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁as ▁Di ets . ▁ ▁Ph on ology ▁ ▁D iffer ences ▁with ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁Several ▁ph on ological ▁changes ▁occurred ▁leading ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁period . ▁▁▁ ▁> ▁. ▁ ▁This ▁change ▁did ▁not ▁occur ▁in ▁all ▁dialect s ; ▁in ▁some , ▁ ▁remained ▁sy ll able - fin ally ▁or ▁before ▁. ▁▁ ▁> ▁, ▁mer ging ▁with ▁the ▁ph on eme ▁origin ating ▁from ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁. ▁ ▁This ▁change ▁did ▁not ▁occur ▁in ▁all ▁dialect s ; ▁some ▁instead ▁show ▁ ▁mer ging ▁with ▁. ▁This ▁results ▁in ▁later ▁pairs ▁such ▁as ▁di et sc ▁ ▁versus ▁du its c ▁. ▁ ▁Vari ous ▁dialect s ▁also ▁show ▁ ▁> ▁, ▁while ▁others ▁retain ▁. ▁Comp are ▁sout he astern ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁hi wen ▁ ▁with ▁modern ▁Dutch ▁h uw en ▁. ▁ ▁In ▁word - initial ▁position , ▁some ▁northern ▁dialect s ▁also ▁show ▁a ▁change ▁from ▁a ▁falling ▁to ▁a ▁rising ▁di ph th ong ▁( ▁> ▁) ▁like ▁Old ▁F ris ian . ▁C f .