LL-L: "Historical linguistics" LOWLANDS-L, 13.AUG.2000 (08) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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  L O W L A N D S - L * 13.AUG.2000 (08) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Floor van Lamoen [f.v.lamoen at wxs.nl]
Subject: LL-L: "Historical linguistics" LOWLANDS-L, 13.AUG.2000 (02) [D/E]

Dear Roger,

Roger Thijs wrote:

> I'm puzzled a bit by the linguistic situation of "Zeeuws Vlaanderen".
It's
> a region just North of the Belgian province of East Flanders, that got
> conquered by the Dutch and became formally part of the North in 1648.
>
> The vocabulary is covered by and included in the "Woordenboek de Zeeuwse
> dialecten", by Ghijsen, tiende druk, 1959-1965, xv + 1232 pp.
>
> The volumes of the "Woordenboek der Vlaamse Dialecten" only covered
> "West-Vlaanderen" and "Oost Vlaanderen" in Belgium and the North of
France
> till 1987, but since 1988 "Zeeuws Vlaanderen" (Nl) is also included here.

>
> Is it Zeeuws? Is it Flemish? Curious thing is: although it's a small
strip
> of land, it is dialect wise divided, and has a West significantly
different
>
> from the East.

Zeeuws as a whole has a lot of Flemish influences. Zeeland has been more
or less part of Flanders until the late middle ages. And also after that
there has been significant influence from the Southern Netherlands.

A special case is there for the region Terneuzen, Axel, Zaamslag en Hoek
- het land van Axel. In the seventeenth century this region became
inhabited by people from Walcheren, and this region is the only
protestant ones in Zeeuws Vlaanderen. This region is dialectological
distinct from the other part of East Zeeuws Vlaanderen.
The land van Axel was the part of Zeeuws Vlaanderen that early came to
the "Staatse" zijde (in the 80 year war - a.k.a. Flemish uprising) -
Terneuzen in 1583 and Axel and Axeler Ambacht in 1586. They were
considered an important frontline by the Staatsen, and were brought
under administration of Zeeland in 1594. This was called the
"Committimus". The rest of Zeeuws Vlaanderen was conquered by the
Staatsen in the seventeenth century, and in 1684 became part of "the
Netherlands" in the Munster peace. Apart from the Committimus region,
Zeeuws Vlaanderen was then called Staats Vlaanderen, and was under
direct administration of the Staten Generaal. In 1814 Staats Vlaanderen
was first (29 March) appointed to Noord Brabant, and later (20 July) to
Zeeland.

The distinction between Oost and West Zeeuws Vlaanderen has a long
tradition. In 1375 the "Braakman" was formed, being a natural border.
But already before that, even in the 10th century, administration was
divided along this border.

For those unfamiliar with Zeeuws Vlaanderen: this region of the
Netherlands cannot be reached from other parts of the coutnry by road
without either taking a boat, or passing through Belgium.

As an answer to your question "is it Zeeuws, is it Flemish?", I think we
should consider Zeeuws as a transition language from Flemish to rural
Hollandic, and the Zeeuws Vlaams dialects are the start of the
transition from the Flemish side. So, it is Zeeuws and also borderline
Flemish.

Kind regards,
Floor van Lamoen.

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