The official languages of Belgium are Dutch (standardized), French and German, as some may know. However, Dutch is a standardized language based on Brabantic dialects. The language we speak here, West-Flemish (French may know it as Vlemsch, spoken in Pas de Calais and Dutch as Zealandic), is regarded as a backwards language, a patois that is rude and ordinary. But, West-Flemish is a language on it's own, or is treated as such, because it is unintelligible (or something like that) for Dutch people and other Flemings outside of West-Flanders. It is basically Middle Dutch with Frisian, English, French, German and Celtic (?) traces. Should the government allow us to speak West-Flemish, our language, in public affairs or should we stick to the language of the oppressor, namely standardized dutch ? Frisian, closely related to our language, managed to get official in Holland, being, next to Dutch, the official language of Fryslan.
2007-01-15
02:40:58
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5 answers
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asked by
Anonymous