Dutch is the official language in Belgium
Dutch is the official language in Belgium. French-speakers often pejoratively call the Dutch language used by Flemings Flemish but it is Dutch nevertheless. The Flemish tend to use it to refer to the various dialects of Dutch spoken in Flanders.However, perhaps a bit like the Scots of Robbie Burns, the dialects spoken by Flemings can differ enormously from Dutch. Yet, if you read a Flemish newspaper, what you are reading is Dutch not Flemish dialect.This strong relationship with dialect is much weaker in Wallonia and amongst French-speakers in Brussels and also in the Netherlands itself.When Belgium was created in 1831, the favoured language was French, primarily because, since they had just broken free of the Dutch they weren't about to use their language. The Vlaamse Beweging, Flemish movement, - and therefore the use of Dutch - began a couple of decades later. The importance of dialect in Flanders is down to the fact that official business was previously conducted in French. Official Dutch is fairly recent.
Sent by: Simon
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The story with Flemish soldiers who died without understanding French speaking officers is a romantic Flemish legend. In 1915 a law imposed the knowledge of the Dutch language to all Belgian officers. A lot of soldiers were issued of Wallonie and had a very limited knowledge of French language too (it was the same in the French army!).
The Belgian headquarter has always refused to launch massive attacks against the German trenches and the protection of floods in front of the frontline limited the number of Belgian losses (French and Flemish speaking!).
Slight correction: Belgium recognises three official languages in the "Constitution": French, German and Dutch. French and Dutch have the same importance, i.e. none prevails on the other.
Wallonia will NOT become part of France. Catrina is also portraying inaccuracies in her facts.
There are three official languages in Belgium (Dutch, French and German) so this article is wildly inaccurate. It is not just the French speakers that call the Dutch used in Belgium Flemish, but I know plenty of Flemings who are proud to speak Flemish. It is also possible to ask when having a text translated to either have Dutch or Flemish in the big translation agencies (as you can select Brtish or American English or European or Latin America Spanish). Wallonia is French speaking and if the country does split as has been detailed recently in the press, then there is a strong possibility that Wallonia would become part of France. Brussels is officially bilingual, but whilst I was visiting it was French predominantly (which was a nuisance as I speak Dutch). When doing pan-Belgium events then the language of choice tends to be English as the Flemish tend to speak and understand French, but the French speakers do not speak and understand Flemish, this lack of effort annoys the Flemish speakers and therefore the meetings are in English. The author of the original piece has oversimplified and also has portrayed inaccuracies as fact.
Dutch is indeed the official language in Belgium. Both Belgian and Dutch linguists work together in the 'Taalunie' in order to create a standard Dutch language. Nevertheless there is a big difference between the Dutch spoken in the Netherlands and the Dutch spoken in Belgium. I suppose it is more than correct to say that Flemish is the Belgian variant of Dutch. We just use different words and expressions that are understood by every Dutch-speaking Belgian and that is used in our newspapers as well; as it is to us common language. On the other side there are a lot of words that are only used in certain areas of Flanders. The difference between language and dialect is often very difficult to determine. A fact is that the use of dialects in Flanders is still very common as well. I suppose this is because we are first of all inhabitant of our own village or town and isn't it only normal that we then speak the dialect of the town or city we belong to, in order to have this feeling of togetherness. Belgium was indeed created in 1831 and the only official language in Belgium was French, because the rich industrials and the men of power only knew and only spoke French. We may not forget that French was for a very long time the most important language spoken by all men of power in Europe. Even the Dutch king spoke French, but he had the intention to set up schools were Dutch would be teached as the majority of Belgians spoke Dutch. The rich being afraid to lose their power (as education is power in a way), wanted to get rid of the Dutch king and this actually lead to tearing off and the creation of a new state (Belgium) with help of the English. Dutch only became an official language in 1929 and only because king Albert I had promised to his people that they would be rewarded because of what they had suffered during World War I. Lots of Flemish soldiers died then only and because they weren't able to understand the orders of the superiors, who could only speak French.
A new trend is emerging: Dutch is now 'pluricentral', that is, the 'Dutch' Dutch and Flemish Dutch are considered as varieties of equal value, which are very similar in writing and when used on formal occasions, but which mainly differ in pronunciation, word choice and some grammar features in informal use.
Personal anecdote, when I go to Amsterdam and ask for a room with my Flemish accent, people reply in (pretty poor) English.
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