LL-L "Language varieties" 2009.08.28 (01) [EN]

[Lowlands-L List]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 28 August 2009 - Volume 01
lowlands at lowlands-l.net - http://lowlands-l.net/
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From: Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc. <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: LL-L Language varieties

De Standaard of today has a full page on the progression of Brabantish as
local form of Dutch in Northern Belgium.

Here is a log of the page in pdf from the subscribers-only part of the
website:
http://www.euro-support.be/tmp/brab/brab.pdf

For those who are new to the list.

The Belgian North, now forming a region called "Vlaanderen",  has Dutch, as
official language.
It consists of the provinces:
- West-Flanders: formerly part of the County of Flanders
- East Flanders: also formerly part of the County of Flanders
- Flemish Brabant: formerly part of the Duchy of Brabant
- Antwerp: also formerly part of the Duchy of Brabant
- (Belgian) Limburg: most of it formerly part of the County of Loon, a fief
of the principality of Liège

Main dialect groups:
- (West)-Flemish in West-Flanders, with a transition area towards Brabantish
in East-Flanders
- Brabantish: in Vlaams Brabant and Antwerp
- Limburgish in Limburg

Confusion:

The word "Flemish" can have different meanings:

- For the French it is as good as a synonym for Dutch. The County of
Flanders was closest to France, even (formally) part of the French kingdom
till 1520. (compare with  "allemand" for German)

- The official Dutch in Belgium has some local vocabulary and
particularities. I would define it as "Belgian Dutch". Some call it
"Flemish" though. Since, in the last 3 decades, the Northern Belgian
provinces formed a region, that got the name "Vlaanderen", the name
"Flemish" also applies anyhow to the new combination of the 5 provinces.
When, in the mid nineties, Brabant was split in a walloon part and a
Northern part, the latter got the name "Vlaams Brabant", a contradictio in
terminis. But "Brabantish Brabant" would not sound very good and "Noord
Brabant" already is the name of a province in the Netherlands.

- Some "heimat"-writers intentionally included dialect vocabulary in their
publications in Dutch. It may be a bilingual combination: narrative in
Dutch, dialogs in dialect  or close to (Claes wit Brabantish), or a direct
inclusion of local vocabulary in the narrative part (Steuvels, Gezelle with
Flemish)

- Since parishes often have their particular variety of dialects,
immigrants, originally speaking an other variety, adapt partly. It is felt
cute to share some local color and a "regiolect" developts.

- A special regiolect developped over a large area, under influence of
migration towards houses on new land divisions, and it got the name
"Verkavelingsvlaams". It found its ways in TV soap and tends to develop
towards an kind of accepted standard. It is not based on "Flemish" nor
"Limburgish" dialects but largely on "Brabantish" dialects. This is where
the article is all about.

Regards,
Roger

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language varieties

Thanks for the handy overview, dear Roger.

And in French Flanders? West Flemish, I take it.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

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