what language is spoken in belgium

It is also the traditional national language of the Walloons. The country does have 3 languages that are typically spoken in public affairs: French, German, and Dutch. Since the late 20th century, Belgium has received immigrants from different areas of Europe, the Mediterranean, and North Africa. During the 1800’s, courts and government were conducted in French, the language of the upper class. Almost the entire population of the country speak this West Germanic language. Some sub-dialects may be quite distant from standard Dutch and not be readily … Dutch dialects are common but dialects such as the Walloon language, Picard or Limburgish are not used in public life any longer. Since 1992 Low Dietsch has been acknowledged as an internal regional language by the Walloon authority. All these are spoken across the border in the Netherlands as well. It is neither a part of Flanders nor Wallonia, although the vast majority of locals speak French. ‘regional native languages’) since 1990. Like LSFB, Flemish Sign Language, or VGT, is a Francosign language descended from Old Belgian Sign Language. In the East Cantons in the far east of the country there is a German-speaking population numbering just over 75,000. The main Dutch dialects spoken in Belgium are Brabantian, West Flemish, East Flemish, Antwerp and Limburgish. This community is one of the few left in the world that still speaks Yiddish as its primary language. The French-speaking community lives in the... German. Some younger Walloons may claim some knowledge. The prevailing language spoken in a specific area also became the language of administration for that area. They have brought with them their customs as well as their languages, contributing to a changing landscape in the country. In the south the French-speaking Walloons make up about one-third of the country’s population. Flemish people speak BelgianDutch in Flanders, which is the Flemish part of Belgium. While the Constitution does not explicitly name these languages as official, it does state that Belgium has 4 linguistic areas: the French-speaking, the German-speaking, the Dutch-speaking, and the bilingual capital of Brussels. The second-most spoken primary (Belgian) language, used natively by approximately one third of the population, is French. In 1878, it was declared the public announcements in Brussels must be made in Dutch or both Dutch and French. German is the least prevalent official language in Belgium, spoken natively by less than 1% of the population. Although the country is gradually progressing towards unison but even today there is prevalence of three distinct cultures illustrated by Flanders in the northern region that incorporates mainly Dutch, Wallonia towards the south primarily comprising of the French and finally the northeast that is under the influence of the German community. Low Dietsch was the favorite foreign language in the 19th century of American President Andrew Jackson for its sound and eloquence. Another Belgian government has just collapsed because of a dispute over language. It is one of the few Jewish communities worldwide in which Yiddish remains the dominant language[citation needed] (others include Kiryas Joel, New York, and predominately Orthodox Ashkenazi neighborhoods in the United States, Montreal, London, Paris, and Israel). It has significant German influence and is not mutually intelligible with other Romani languages. A common misconception is that Flemish is a completely different language. The dialect was named after the Marollen, a neighborhood in Brussels. ][6], Within the report, professors in economics Ginsburgh and Weber further show that of the Brussels' residents, 95% declared they can speak French, 59% Dutch, and 41% know the non-local English. The Final Language Frontier Historically Belgium has been at the crossroads of the Germanic and Celtic tribes, one side speaking Dutch and the other French. tax papers, local politics, ID/passport requests, building permits etc.) [dead link] While it remains a matter of controversy, the linguist Maurits Gysseling, who attributed the term to SJ De Laet, hypothesised a Belgian that was distinct from the later Celtic and Germanic languages.According to the theory, … In addition to the three official languages, others are spoken in Belgium, for instance in Wallonia, where French became dominant only relatively recently. The population of Belgium is divided into three linguistic communities. The Languages of Belgium. Dutch is the world's third most widely spoken Germanic language. The original Brabantian dialect of Brussels has been very much influenced by French. Three official languages are spoken in Belgium: Dutch, French, and German. It is mainly spoken in Champagne, France, and a small part of Wallonia. Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands. This country has had ongoing debates about which languages should be used officially since 1830. In olden times, the people of Brussels spoke Flemish. Second on the list of most-spoken languages in Belgium is French. 0 votes In the areas of Belgium near the border to the Netherlands, mainly it is spoken Dutch. What Type Of Government Does Belgium Have? Of these, English is widely spoken. Official languages in Belgium are Dutch (57%), French (42%) and German (1%). The language legislation of Belgium has changed over the years. In addition to the three official languages, others are spoken in Belgium, for instance in Wallonia, where French became dominant only relatively recently. Some of the most common foreign languages include Berber, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Greek, Polish, and English. Other regional languages are Germanic in nature. Since 1990 this language has been recognised by the Walloon authorities as Francique (Franconian). Flanders too has a number of dialects, but linguists regard these as varieties of Dutch rather than a separate Flemish language, with the exception of Limburgish and West Flemish. [9][10] But there have been no significant measures to support usage of those varieties. The main Dutch dialects spoken in Belgium are Brabantian, West Flemish, East Flemish, and Limburgish. A large French-speaking population lives around Brussels, in Flanders, and by geography are considered part of the Flemish Community. Yiddish is spoken by the Ashkenazi Jews, a population of around 20,000 in Antwerp. This language freedom is embedded in the Constitution. Dialects of Dutch: East Flemish, Brabantian, Low Dietsch, Dialects of French: Walloon, Picard, Champenois, Lorrain. The language belongs to the Northwestern Romani dialect group. Unlike other Flemish dialects, the one spoken in Belgium adopted much more French vocabulary … As such, they are not always readily intelligible for Dutch speakers outside Flanders. 59% of inhabitants belonging to the Flemish community, Dutch is the most spoken primary language. Language is one of the most important facts of life in Brussels and Belgium. It is used primarily in Flanders, with five major regional dialects: West Flanders, East Flanders, Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, and Limburg. Of the inhabitants of Belgium, roughly 59% belong to the Flemish Community, 40% to the French Community, and 1% to the German-speaking Community. Original question: What is the most common language spoken in Antwerp, Belgium? The main Dutch dialects spoken in Belgium are Brabantian, West Flemish, East Flemish and Limburgish. It is also used theatre productions and other forms of literature, though not in schools. The surveys show that Flanders is clearly more multilingual, which is without doubt a well-known fact, but the difference is considerable: whereas 59% and 53% of the Flemings know French or English respectively, only 19% and 17% of the Walloons know Dutch or English. Words which are unique to Belgian Dutch are called belgicisms (as are words used primarily in Belgian French). ‘regional native languages’) since 1990. It is spoken as a primary language by around 6.5 million residents, most of them located in the northern region of Flanders. The main Flemish dialects spoken in Belgium are Brabantian, West Flemish, East Flemish and Limburgish. The different definition is due to the fact that the German-speaking region was annexed by Belgium in 1919, whereas the "Low Dietsch" area has been part of Belgium since 1830. 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