What languages are spoken in different regions of Belgium. Belgium

Usually the language is the main problem for visitors to any country, and in Belgium the language takes on a special meaning, as it is a symbol of the self-determination of different communities. Foreigners coming to Belgium are much more likely to know French than Dutch; some of the guests traveling in Flanders suggest that by speaking French they are at least partly attuned to Belgian culture. It seems logical, but in Flanders they will most likely be asked to speak English.

Visitors to Wallonia are unlikely to encounter such a problem, although those who speak Dutch in the Walloon hinterland may stumble upon a wall of misunderstanding. In any case, only a small number of Belgians insist on the priority of their language to such an extent that it turns into impoliteness towards guests.

To an outside observer, questions of language can be quite entertaining. Very often Belgians talk to each other in some kind of neutral language, mixing French and Dutch words and adding English phrases to them.
Almost all announcements are published in two languages. Each community has its own national dishes, special beers and cheeses with names in French or Flemish (it is very close to Dutch). Official forms - they are filled in triplicate - must be printed in two languages. And sometimes even three, if you count German. The Eastern Cantons of Wallonia have a German-speaking community, which adds to the diversity of this mix of languages.
There is no such linguistic minority in Flanders, although part of the population of East Flanders speaks a dialect that the rest of the Flemings have difficulty understanding. In addition, most Belgians speak English. German is also widely spoken.

Surprisingly, there is actually no Belgian language as such, three languages are spoken and officially recognized in the country: Dutch, French, German. As you may have guessed, the areas where these languages are spoken are geographically and nationally close to the Netherlands, France and Germany.

The Dutch language has its Flemish roots and dialects in Belgium, this includes regions such as the Brussels-Capital Region and Flanders with the provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Flemish Brabant, East and West Flanders.

The Liege region speaks German. And French is spoken by Wallonia and partly by Brussels. Local German and French received dialects, although they are now becoming a thing of the past in the wake of the development of the media and television, the older generation mainly use dialects, and young people are close to the literary language and are trying to actively learn English.

Dutch in Belgium is spoken by about 60% of the population, 35% by French, 5% by German.

Before the First World War, Belgium was a French-speaking country, later a "language struggle" began due to the self-determination of the Dutch-speaking population.

In the 60s of the last century, some laws on languages \u200b\u200bthat gave more rights to Dutch were already passed, in the same years the constitution was first translated into Dutch. Only by the age of 80 both languages were equalized in rights, however, there is still tension between the two main groups of the country's population.

Tourists need to know that in large cities, respectable restaurants and hotels, the staff knows English, in other cases, you need to be guided by the geographical location of each region where you are, just like, for example, Ukraine is divided into regions where they speak Ukrainian or Russian, however, in our case, this does not lead to ethnic conflicts.

Back to section

Brussels is the capital of the Kingdom of Belgium Brussels has two official languages, Dutch and French, although the majority of the population (between 80 and almost 100 percent, depending on the area) speaks French. All streets, metro stations, etc.

have two names each (Dutch and French), which are sometimes completely different from each other. In the course of historical development, two large and compactly living ethnic groups have developed on the territory of the country. The north is populated predominantly by the Flemings (50.7% of the total population), speaking a language similar to the language of neighboring Holland and belonging to the Germanic group. In the south live the Walloons (39.1%), whose native language is French. There are also Germans in Belgium (100 thousand people), living mainly in the 9 communes of Wallonia bordering Germany. P.S. By the way, you can also communicate in English. Although English does not have an official status, it is widely spoken thanks to numerous emigrants and Europeans.

Brussels has two official languages, Dutch and French, although the majority of the population (between 80 and almost 100 percent, depending on the area) speaks French. Please note that all streets, metro stations, etc. have two names (Dutch and French), which are sometimes completely different from each other. English has no official status, but is widely spoken thanks to numerous emigrants and Eurocrats.

A mixture of Flemish, French and German!

Dutch, German and French. In different parts of the country, different languages.

French, German, Flemish, sort of.

There are two languages: French and Flemish, similar to Dutch. For more details, see pediviki

This is a difficult topic, they understand French, but defiantly ignore it. :)) Belgium has three official languages. French is spoken in the southern part of the country, in the provinces of Hainaut, Namur, Liege and Luxembourg, the Flemish version of the Dutch language is in West and East Flanders, Antwerp and Limburg. The central province of Brabant with the capital Brussels is bilingual and is divided into northern Flemish and southern French parts. The French-speaking regions of the country are united under the general name of the Walloon region, and the north of the country, where the Flemish language dominates, is commonly called the Flanders region. In Flanders live approx. 58% of the Belgians, in Wallonia - 33%, in Brussels - 9% and in the region of the German language, which went to Belgium after the First World War - less than 1%.

Perhaps, for many tourists, one of the most important questions will be what is the official language in Belgium.

Despite the small territory, this Kingdom has 3 official state languages. In addition, the indigenous use a large number of other languages and dialects.

. Its history is inseparable from the history of Europe as a whole. For a long time this territory was inhabited by people - carriers of various languages and cultural traditions. Their descendants still live here. They are trying to preserve the ancient heritage.

Language for any nation is a means of communication and not only. It is a symbol of self-determination. There are many different communities in Belgium. Guests who come here in our time, French is most often heard on the streets. The second state language is Dutch. In addition, many here speak German and English.

For convenience, all signs, signs and guides are written in two or more languages at once. So you can't get lost here. But when communicating with the local population, problems can arise. Sometimes it is well audible that a person speaks, for example, in English, but it is difficult to make out something. The reason is in the peculiar pronunciation, which is characteristic of a particular dialect.

Commonwealth of Nations

The originality of the peoples living in this small country is expressed not only in pronunciation. Each community has its own national dishes or beers. However, most often they differ only in the name, which changes depending on where you decide to try the traditional dish or drink.

Brussels, the capital of the state, has its own capital district. Historically, Belgium is divided into 2 large parts: Wallonia and Flanders.

Wallonia and Flanders

Each of them is divided into provinces. It is easy to guess that both have their own language and dialects. The Walloon region is mostly French-speaking. Dutch is spoken in Flanders. But the metropolitan area often uses French and German in communication.

The situation that exists today in Belgium with the state languages did not appear immediately. According to statistics, the French-speaking population is only about 40%. Most of the inhabitants are Flemings. But for a long time French was considered the state language, and all official documents, including the constitution, were also written in French. This was the reason for the antagonism within the country.

The Flemings have always used Flemish and Dutch for everyday communication. It cannot be said that everything was fine when they communicated with French-speaking compatriots. They argued in the communities a lot and often. The indigenous people of the country felt like second-class people.

The language of the Flemings over time, under the influence of education and other factors, became more and more like a set of different dialects. It took a lot of effort to bring it into line with the literary norms of the Dutch language.

The Flemish Council for Culture decided that the language should be uniform, and the championship was given to the Dutch. It happened in 1973. And in 1980, it was the Dutch language that became one of the official languages of Belgium.

In the eastern part of the country, the inhabitants use the German language. This is a small percentage of the population. Of course, they understand their neighbors from other provinces, but all TV shows, newspapers and radio programs are broadcast exclusively in German.

How to be a tourist

For tourists visiting this European country, the disputes of philologists can be complex and uninteresting. It is important for them to see the cultural masterpieces left here by the ancient Romans and barbarians. In Belgium, as in any state of Europe, there are sights from the Middle Ages to the present day.

In order to make it convenient to navigate, the names of stops, hotels, shops and road signs are written in several languages.

If it is interesting to get to know the local population and appreciate the uniqueness of traditional culture, you need to know that in addition to European peoples, Belgian gypsies also live here. They are called Yenishi and Manushi. The first are French-speaking. Manush communication style is considered similar to the Swiss dialect of German.

In general, to visit the country it is enough to understand the language of international communication - English. Every Belgian studies it, starting from elementary school. All staff serving tourists, and just sellers in shops, also speak English. For the Kingdom of Belgium, this has long become the norm.

The linguistic picture of Brussels is one of the most peculiar both in Belgium and in modern Europe. In 19 communes that form the agglomeration of the modern city of the Brussels capital region (Brussels-Capital District) with an area of 161.38 km² ... ... Wikipedia

Official languages Dutch (>90%) Regional languages West Frisian (2.50%), Limburgish (4.50%), Low Saxon dialects, English (FSU Islands), Papiamento (Bonaire) ... Wikipedia

An inscription in the swamp dialect of the Cree language using the Canadian syllable ... Wikipedia

Belgian French (French: Le français de Belgique) is a regional variant of French in the Kingdom of Belgium; one of the three official languages spoken in the country, along with Dutch and German. Characterized by ... ... Wikipedia

High German language Self-name: Hochdeutsch Countries ... Wikipedia

- (Dutch Taalstrijd in België, French Problèmes communautaires en Belgique) has a long history dating back to antiquity. In the middle of the III century, the border of the Roman Empire passed along the river. The Rhine, however, the river valley, as well as ... ... Wikipedia

Official languages of the European Union languages that are official in the activities of the European Union (EU). The following languages are officially used equally in European institutions: English Bulgarian Hungarian Greek Danish Irish ... ... Wikipedia

Languages that are official in the activities of the European Union (EU). The following languages are officially used equally in European institutions: English Bulgarian Hungarian Greek Danish Irish Spanish Italian Latvian ... ... Wikipedia

The inscription on the Flemish road sign. There are two differences from standard Dutch: first, a grammatical simplification: in uitrit is written instead of in en uitrit ("entry" and "departure"). Secondly, instead of the Dutch word vrachtwagen ... ... Wikipedia

Books

Typological substantiations in grammar, . This book will be produced in accordance with your order using Print-on-Demand technology. The collection of articles "Typological Justifications in Grammar" has been prepared for the 70th anniversary of the famous ...

Over the centuries-old history of the state, its borders have repeatedly changed, and the composition of the population has become more and more diverse each time.

Panoramic view of the canal in the city of Bruges

A significant role in its formation was played by geographical neighbors, whose resettlement not only contributed to the spread of culture, but also led to the mixing of several speech dialects. As a result, the language in Belgium acquired its own flavor and personality.

Belgium is a small state in the center of Europe with a population of 11 million people. Despite the small area and the relatively small number of inhabitants, there is no single language in the country, and the society uses the dialects and adverbs of neighboring countries for communication. The most widespread in Belgium are the following languages and their branches:

French;
Dutch;
Deutsch.

Each of them is official, which is confirmed by the relevant legislative acts. Belgium, like most European countries, has a multinational composition. However, most of its population is formed by only 2 ethnic groups - the Walloons and the Flemings. The first of them are direct descendants of the Gauls and make up the French community, while the second have Dutch roots and belong to the Flemish group.

Initially, only one language, French, had official status in Belgium, although the majority of the population were Flemings. Initially, all legislative acts, official documents, training programs and mass media were drawn up in the national language. However, in 1873, thanks to the activity of the Flemish ethnic communities, the Dutch language acquired the official status of national Belgian. Despite this, he remained in the shadows for a long time and only after 1963 did he reach the same level as the French. It was during this period that the government legislated the use of two languages for the preparation of official papers and events.

Communauté française (French Community): distribution and sphere of influence

French is one of the main languages of Belgium, which has had official status since independence. Although the majority of the population has always been Flemish, the influence of Walloon culture has been enormous. Therefore, even the numerical advantage of immigrants from the Netherlands did not become a reason for changing the country's speech policy.

In modern Belgium, the French community makes up about 39-40% of the total number of local residents. Most of it is located directly at the border of France and occupies the entire southern part of the country, which received the unofficial name of Wallonia. It consists of five southern provinces:

Liege;
Walloon Brabant;
Luxembourg;
Namur.

These five regions are the Communauté française and occupy almost 60% of the total area of the state. Most of these lands belong to the French-speaking population. It is on their territory that the Picardy, Champagne, Gom and Walloon dialects most often sound, which came from the northern regions of France and are the main ones for communication between people. However, it is the Walloon dialect that most often sounds on the streets of the Communauté française, which is the most common and easiest to use.

Vlaamse Gemeenschap (Flemish Community): territorial location and variety of dialects

Since 1873, the Dutch language has acquired the status of the second national language. However, it took another 90 years to confirm its legal status.

Today, the Flemings make up about 59-60% of the total population of Belgium and form the corresponding community of Vlaamse Gemeenschap. Unlike Communauté française, which is located in the southern regions of the country, representatives of the Flemish group occupy the northern regions of the state, these are:

West Flanders;
East Flanders;
Antwerp;
Limburg;
Flemish Brabant.

It is these five provinces that are on the border with the Netherlands and form one large area, called Flanders. Most of the population of this region uses the Dutch language and its many dialects to communicate. At the same time, Belgian Dutch differs significantly from classical Amsterdam Dutch. In each region of Flanders, people speak different dialects, which are part of the West Flemish, East Flemish, Brabant and Limburg speech groups.