Recognize West-Flemish as an official language or not ?

Question

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.

Those interested in hearing west-flemish (dutch subs) :

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-wXUCnY1E0o

And something from the local hiphop group, in westflemish:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=V18OxJMCBCE

Answer 1

It's a purely political question: "A language is a dialect with an army and a navy" ("A shprakh iz a diyalekt mit an armey un a flot" , Max Weinreich).

Answer 2

Waarschijnlijk oorsprongkelijk. It migh have been the same Dutch that is spoken in the South of the Netherlands. But you know there could be in the past an isolation due not much to the distance but to the religion.
Ik hoop deze antwoord is helprijk for je

Answer 3

Sorry but in Wallonia we don't speak the French that's spoken in France, so we could call the official language of Wallonia "Belgium French" like "Canadian French" in Canada. It's the same problem.

Answer 4

As long as you still know your country's "official" language, I see no reason you shouldn't love your own =) I think Belgium should recognize your language (or dialect, as the government no doubt calls it) as official if indeed the whole area speaks it as their first language. I don't know about petitions and things going on, but if nothing's being done, why don't you start collecting autographs? =)

Answer 5

that is only a dialect, no longer a unique language. imagine what is going to be in Italy if each italian area will ask for the attractiveness of their close by dialect... Italy grow to be in trouble-free words an celebration, each united states has different dialects.