59-413: Grâce-Hollogne ( French pronunciation: [ɡʁas ɔlɔɲ] ; Walloon : Gråce-Hologne ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège , Belgium . The municipality is effectively a part of the greater Liège conurbation , separated from Liège city centre by the municipality of Saint-Nicolas . Included within its boundaries is Liège Airport . On 1 January 2006 Grâce-Hollogne had
118-688: A clutch of communities in northeastern Wisconsin , United States. It belongs to the langues d'oïl dialect continuum , the most prominent member of which is French . The historical background of its formation was the territorial extension since 980 of the Principality of Liège to the south and west. Walloon is classified as "definitely endangered" by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger . Despite its rich literature, beginning anonymously in
177-419: A dialect of French, which in turn is a langue d'oïl . Like French, it descended from Vulgar Latin . Arguing that a French-speaking person could not understand Walloon easily, especially in its eastern forms, Jules Feller (1859–1940) insisted that Walloon had an original "superior unity", which made it a language . The phonological divisions of regional languages of southern Belgium were studied by
236-503: A dozen Walloon magazines publish regularly. The Société de Langue et de Littérature Wallonne , founded in 1856, promotes Walloon literature and the study ( dialectology , etymology , etc.) of the regional Roman languages of Wallonia. There is a difference between the Walloon culture, according to the Manifesto for Walloon culture , and the Walloon language (even if the latter is a part of
295-617: A foreign language as primary language, as well as of Belgian regional migrants, who likely largely balance one another for native French and Dutch speakers. A large French-speaking population lives around Brussels, in Flanders, though by geography is considered part of the Flemish Community. Though the standard form of Dutch used in Belgium is almost identical to that spoken in the Netherlands, and
354-402: A good number of the developments that we now consider typical of Walloon appeared between the 8th and 12th centuries. Walloon "had a clearly defined identity from the beginning of the 13th century". In any case, linguistic texts from the time do not mention the language, although they mention others in the langue d'oïl family, such as Picard and Lorrain . During the 15th century, scribes in
413-566: A historic language of the region, Picard was recognized in 1990 by the government of the French Community. Picard has been historically based in France, with speakers also in the western part of Wallonia. Champenois was also legally recognized in 1990. It is mainly spoken in Champagne , France, and a small part of Wallonia. Like the other indigenous languages closely related to French, Lorrain
472-479: A large collection of literary works in Walloon, quite possibly the largest outside Belgium, and its holdings are representative of the output. Out of nearly a thousand works, twenty-six were published before 1880. Thereafter the numbers rise gradually year by year, reaching a peak of sixty-nine in 1903. After that, publications in Walloon fell markedly, to eleven in 1913. Yves Quairiaux counted 4,800 plays for 1860–1914, published or not. In this period, plays were almost
531-413: A result of contact between Lyons Sign Language and LSF. Like LSFB, Flemish Sign Language , or VGT, is a Francosign language descended from Old Belgian Sign Language. It is used primarily in Flanders, with five major regional dialects: West Flanders , East Flanders , Antwerp , Flemish Brabant , and Limburg . There is dialectal variation between men and women speakers due to historical developments of
590-599: A small German-speaking Community ), as well as the Brussels-Capital Region . Almost all of the inhabitants of the Capital region speak French as either their primary language (50%) or as a lingua franca (45%). Many Flemish people also speak French as a second language. Belgian French is in most respects identical to the French of France, but differs in some points of vocabulary, pronunciation, and semantics. According to
649-589: A total population of 21,753. The total area is 34.24 km, which gives a population density of approximately 635 inhabitants per km. The municipality consists of the following districts: Bierset , Grâce-Berleur , Hollogne-aux-Pierres , Horion-Hozémont , and Velroux . Grâce-Hollogne was formed by the grouping of former municipalities Bierset, Grâce-Berleur, Hollogne-aux-Pierres , Horion-Hozémont , and Velroux, along with part of Mons-lez-Liège. The killing of four demonstrators on 30 July 1950 in Grâce-Berleur
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#1733086278983708-501: Is William Dunker ( b. 15 March 1959). Langue r%C3%A9gionale endog%C3%A8ne Germanic Languages: Limburgish , Luxembourgish Dialects of Dutch: West Flemish , East Flemish , Brabantian The Kingdom of Belgium has three official languages: Dutch , French , and German . A number of non-official, minority languages and dialects are spoken as well. As a result of being in between Latin and Germanic Europe, and historically being split between different principalities,
767-720: Is a nearly extinct dialect spoken in Brussels , and used primarily in informal contexts. It is mostly a mixture of French and Dutch influences. Marols originated from the Brabantian dialect and gained greater French influences after the Kingdom of Belgium was established in 1830 following the Belgian Revolution . The dialect was named after the Marollen , a neighborhood in Brussels. Yiddish
826-482: Is also the traditional national language of the Walloons . Though it has been recognized since 1990, like other vernaculars in Belgium, it is spoken mainly by older people. Some younger Walloons may claim some knowledge. It is used mainly in rural regions, where change comes more slowly. It is also used in theatre productions and other forms of literature, though not in schools. Another language related to French, and also
885-503: Is distinguished from other languages in the langue d'oïl family both by archaism coming from Latin and by its significant borrowing from Germanic languages, as expressed in its phonetics, its lexicon , and its grammar . At the same time, Walloon phonetics are singularly conservative: the language has stayed fairly close to the form it took during the High Middle Ages . From a linguistic point of view, Louis Remacle has shown that
944-594: Is now spoken by a minority in the Capital region, since the primary language of most inhabitants shifted during the Francization of Brussels . The second-most spoken primary (Belgian) language, used natively by approximately one third of the population, is French. It is the official language of the French Community (which, like the Flemish Community, is a political entity), the dominant language in Wallonia (having also
1003-584: Is spoken by many among the 18,000 Jews living in Antwerp , where there is a considerable number of orthodox Jews who "maintain a largely traditional Jewish way of life...[in which] Yiddish is widely spoken even outside the homes and also by Jews who were born in Belgium." LSFB, or French Belgian Sign Language , is used primarily in Wallonia and Brussels and is related to LSF and other Francosign languages . It developed from Old Belgian Sign Language, which developed as
1062-519: The Walloon Misplaced Pages officially in 2003. In 2004, a Walloon translation of a Tintin comic was released under the name L'èmerôde d'al Castafiore ; in 2007 an album consisting of Gaston Lagaffe comic strips was published in Walloon. Walloon is more distinct as a language than Belgian French , which differs from the French spoken in France only in some minor points of vocabulary and pronunciation . Linguists had long classified Walloon as
1121-619: The Belgian Constitution does not explicitly mention which languages enjoy official status. Article 4 divides the country into linguistic areas, which form the basis of the federal structure : "Belgium has four linguistic areas: The French-speaking area, the Dutch-speaking area, the bilingual area of Brussels Capital, and the German-speaking area." Before the federal structure and the language legislation were gradually introduced in
1180-659: The Belgian parliament provides simultaneous interpretation for those who require it to assist in communication. Education is provided by the Communities, Dutch in the Flemish Community (Flanders and Brussels), French in the French Community ( Wallonia and Brussels), German in the German-speaking community . Instruction in other languages is prohibited in government-funded schools except for foreign language subjects. However,
1239-572: The Borinage dialect under the pen-name Bosquètia . In the 20th century, Joseph Houziaux (1946) published a selection of 50 fables in the Condroz dialect. The motive among Walloon speakers in both France and Belgium was to assert regional identity against the growing centralism and encroachment of the language of the capital, on what had until then been predominantly monoglot areas. There are links between French literature and Walloon literature. For instance,
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#17330862789831298-572: The Low Countries . One might say that the period which saw the establishment of the unifying supremacy of the Burgundians in the Walloon country was a turning-point in their linguistic history. The crystallization of a Walloon identity, as opposed to that of the thiois (i.e. Dutch-speaking) regions of the Low Countries, established "Walloon" as a word for designating its people. Somewhat later,
1357-509: The Rifondou walon . This orthography is diasystemic , reflecting different pronunciations for different readers, a concept inspired by the spelling of Breton . The written forms attempt to reconcile current phonetic uses with ancient traditions (notably the reintroduction of xh and oi that were used for writing Walloon until the late 19th century) and the language's own phonological logic. Other regional languages spoken in Wallonia, outside
1416-511: The Treaty of Versailles , which concluded World War I . In 1940, Nazi Germany re-annexed the region, following its invasion of Belgium during World War II ; after the war it was returned to Belgium. In the Arelerland in the southern part of Belgium Luxembourgish is traditionally spoken. In national politics, politicians can freely choose to speak in any of the three official languages. In turn,
1475-487: The 16th century and with well-known authors since 1756, the use of Walloon has decreased markedly since France's annexation of Wallonia in 1794 . This period definitively established French as the language of social promotion, far more than it was before. After World War I , public schools provided French-speaking education to all children, inducing a denigration of Walloon, especially when accompanied by official orders in 1952 to punish its use in schools. Subsequently, since
1534-520: The East Flemish and West Flemish dialects. Limburgish is a language spoken mainly in north-eastern Belgium and the south-eastern Netherlands , in the Belgian and Dutch provinces of Limburg. It is closely related to Dutch but has more German influences. Luxembourgish , a Moselle Franconian language, is native to Arelerland , the eastern part of the Belgian province of Luxembourg , including
1593-514: The English language has become increasingly used in higher education. Also all official correspondence and communication with the government (e.g. tax papers, local politics, ID/passport requests, building permits etc.) must be in the official language of the region or community. Inhabitants of a few municipalities are granted an exception to these rules. In 2006, the Université catholique de Louvain ,
1652-703: The Flemings know French or English respectively, only 19% and 17% of the Walloons know Dutch or English. The measures advocated by the Marshall Plan are heading towards the proper direction, but are doubtlessly quite insufficient to fully overcome the lag. [This particular 2006–2009 'Marshall Plan' was devised in 2004 and published in 2005 to uplift the Walloon economy.] Within the report, professors in economics Ginsburgh and Weber further show that of Brussels' residents, 95% declared they can speak French, 59% Dutch, and 41% know
1711-470: The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (2022), 76% of Belgians are French-speaking: https://www.francophonie.org/belgique-936 German is the least prevalent official language in Belgium, spoken natively by less than 1% of the population. The German-speaking Community of Belgium numbers 77,000, residing in an area of Belgium that was ceded by the former German Empire as part of
1770-578: The Walloon domain, are: The Picard, Lorrain and Champenois dialects spoken in Wallonia are sometimes also referred to as "Walloon", which may lead to confusion. The Walloon alphabet generally consists of the basic ISO Latin Alphabet , and six types of diacritic . It also makes frequent use of digraphs. Various orthographies have been used, most notably the Feller system ( sistinme Feller ) and Unified Walloon ( rifondou walon or rfondou walon ). Walloon
1829-457: The Walloon population speak their ancestral language. Breaking the statistics down by age, 70–80% of the population aged over 60 speak Walloon, while only about 10% of those under 30 do so. Passing knowledge of Walloon is much more widespread: claimed by some 36–58% of the younger age bracket. Laurent Hendschel estimates there are 1,300,000 bilingual people in Wallonia (Walloon-French, Picard-French...). Many French words that pertain to mining and to
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1888-501: The academic language, French became the object of a political effort at normalization; La Pléiade posited the view that when two languages of the same language family coexist, each can be defined only in opposition to the other. Around the year 1600, the French writing system became dominant in the Wallonia. From this time, too, dates a tradition of texts written in a language marked by traces of spoken Walloon. The written language of
1947-744: The border in the Netherlands as well, and West Flemish is also spoken in French Flanders . Much like English, Flemish dialects have adopted more French and other Romance vocabulary through mutual cultural exchange throughout history when compared with other Dutch dialects. As such, they are not always readily intelligible for Dutch speakers outside Flanders. Nevertheless, linguists regard these as varieties of Dutch. Words which are unique to Belgian Dutch are called belgicisms (as are words used primarily in Belgian French ). The original Brabantian dialect of Brussels has been very much influenced by French. It
2006-495: The city of Arlon (Arel) . Since the late 20th century, it has largely been replaced by Belgian French in recent decades, in contrast to its flourishing on the other side of the border, in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg . Since 1990 this language has been recognised by the Walloon authorities as Francique ( Franconian ). It was the only non-Romance language recognized in the 1990 decree. Marols , also known as Brusseleir,
2065-401: The contemporary linguist E.B. Atwood. He defined the precise geographical repartition of the four chief dialects of Walloon. In addition, he defined them against the dialects of Picard , Lorrain and Champenois . Since then, most linguists (among them Louis Remacle ), and gradually also Walloon politicians, regard Walloon as a regional language, the first in importance in Wallonia . It is
2124-421: The country's largest French-speaking university, published a report with the introduction (translated): This issue regarding economies is devoted to the demand for knowledge of languages in Belgium and in its three regions (Brussels, Flanders, Wallonia). The surveys show that Flanders is clearly more multilingual , which is without doubt a well-known fact, but the difference is considerable: whereas 59% and 53% of
2183-466: The culture). Walloon-language literature has been printed since the 16th century, or at least since the beginning of the 17th century. It had its "golden age" during the peak of the Flemish immigration to Wallonia in the 19th century: "That period saw an efflorescence of Walloon literature, plays and poems primarily, and the founding of many theaters and periodicals." The New York Public Library holds
2242-565: The different dialects across the border, it is often colloquially called " Flemish ". Dutch is the most spoken primary language of Belgium and the official language of the Flemish Community and the Flemish Region (merged to Flanders ). Along with French, it is an official language of the Brussels-Capital Region . The main Dutch dialects spoken in Belgium are Brabantian , West Flemish , East Flemish , and Limburgish . All these are spoken across
2301-440: The language alive. Formally recognized as a langue régionale endogène (regional indigenous language) of Belgium since 1990, Walloon has also benefited from a continued corpus planning process. The "Feller system" (1900) regularized transcription of the different accents. Since the 1990s, a common orthography was established (the Rifondou walon [ wa ; fr ] ), which allowed large-scale publications, such as
2360-408: The language. Unlike VGT and LSFB, DGS, or German Sign Language , is unrelated to LSF and comprises its own language family. DGS is related to PJM and Shassi . It is used primarily around the German-speaking communities of Belgium, although German and DGS are unrelated. Sinte Romani is spoken by many among the 10,000 Romani or Sinti living in Belgium. It has significant German influence and
2419-416: The language. Those born since the 1970s usually know little more than a few idiomatic expressions , often profanities . The Walloon language is still part of the Walloon heritage; it is one component of Walloon identity. Four dialects of Walloon developed in four distinct zones of Wallonia: Despite local phonetic differences, there is a regional movement towards the adoption of a common spelling, called
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2478-700: The later 20th century, French was generally the only language used by public authorities. For example, the Dutch version of the Constitution has enjoyed equal status to the original French one only since 1967, and the German version since 1991. Of the inhabitants of Belgium , roughly 59% belong to the Flemish Community, 40% to the French Community , and 1% to the German-speaking Community . These figures relating to official Belgian languages overlook substantial numbers of immigrants and their children, who may speak
2537-443: The middle of the 20th century, generational transmission of the language has decreased, resulting in Walloon almost becoming a dead language . Today it is scarcely spoken among younger people, with the vast majority of its native speakers being the elderly (aged 65 and over). In 2007, the number of people with knowledge of the language was estimated at 600,000. Numerous associations, especially theatre companies, are working to keep
2596-509: The murdered girls, and flowers are still left regularly on the Julie & Melissa Monument. Avient Aviation has its Continental Europe offices on the property of Liège Airport . Walloon language Walloon ( / w ɒ ˈ l uː n / ; natively walon ; French : wallon ) is a Romance language that is spoken in much of Wallonia and, to a very small extent, in Brussels , Belgium; some villages near Givet , northern France; and
2655-467: The nation has multiple official languages. The Belgian Constitution guarantees, since the country's independence, freedom of language in the private sphere. Article 30 specifies that "the use of languages spoken in Belgium is optional; only the law can rule on this matter, and only for acts of the public authorities and for legal matters." For those public authorities, there is extensive language legislation concerning Dutch, French and German, even though
2714-445: The non-local English. Of those under the age of forty, 59% in Flanders declared that they could speak all three, along with 10% in Wallonia and 28% in Brussels. In each region, Belgium's third official language, German, is notably less known than those. In addition to the three official languages, others are spoken in Belgium, for instance in Wallonia , where French became dominant only relatively recently. Sometimes seen as dialects,
2773-506: The old Gallic language which we call Vualon or Rommand (...). And we use the said old Vualon or Rommand language in our Belgian Gaul: That is to say in Hainaut, Cambrai, Artois, Namur, Liège, Lorraine, Ardennes and Rommand Brabant, and it is very different from French, which is more fashionable and courtly. The word "Walloon" thus came closer to its current meaning: the vernacular of the Roman part of
2832-523: The only one to have originated from that part of Belgium. The eleventh edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica identified Walloon as the "northernmost Romance language". Walloon is spoken in the Wallonia Region in Belgium. In addition, it is spoken in: Although Walloon was widely spoken until the mid-20th century, today only a small proportion of the inhabitants of the region are fluent in
2891-509: The only popular entertainment in Wallonia. The Walloon-language theatre remains popular in the region; theatre is flourishing with more than 200 non-professional companies playing in the cities and villages of Wallonia for an audience of over 200,000 each year. During the 19th-century renaissance of Walloon-language literature, several authors adapted versions of Aesop's Fables to the racy speech (and subject matter) of Liège. They included Charles Duvivier (in 1842); Joseph Lamaye (1845); and
2950-405: The preceding centuries, scripta , was a composite language with some Walloon characteristics but it did not attempt to be a systematic reproduction of the spoken language. Walloon was the predominant language of the Walloon people until the beginning of the 20th century, although they had a passing knowledge of French. Since that time, the use of French has spread to the extent that now only 15% of
3009-758: The region called the language "Roman" when they needed to distinguish it. It is not until the beginning of the 16th century that first occurrence of the word "Walloon" appeared in the current linguistic sense. In 1510 or 1511, Jean Lemaire de Belges made the connection between Rommand to Vualon : Et ceux cy [les habitants de Nivelles] parlent le vieil langage Gallique que nous appellons Vualon ou Rommand (...). Et de ladite ancienne langue Vualonne, ou Rommande, nous usons en nostre Gaule Belgique: Cestadire en Haynau, Cambresis, Artois, Namur, Liège, Lorraine, Ardenne et le Rommanbrabant, et est beaucoup differente du François, lequel est plus moderne, et plus gaillart. And those people [the inhabitants of Nivelles] speak
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#17330862789833068-474: The source. Jacques Ancion also wanted to develop a regular adult audience. "From the 19th century he included the Walloon play Tati l'Pèriquî by E. Remouchamps and the avant-garde Ubu roi by A. Jarry ." The scholar Jean-Marie Klinkenberg writes, "[T]he dialectal culture is no more a sign of attachment to the past but a way to participate to a new synthesis". Walloon is also being used in popular song. The best-known singer in Walloon in present-day Wallonia
3127-405: The team of Jean-Joseph Dehin (1847, 1851–1852) and François Bailleux (1851–1866), who covered books I-VI. Adaptations into other dialects were made by Charles Letellier (Mons, 1842) and Charles Wérotte (Namur, 1844). Decades later, Léon Bernus published some hundred imitations of La Fontaine in the dialect of Charleroi (1872); he was followed during the 1880s by Joseph Dufrane , writing in
3186-561: The textile trade derive from the Walloon-Picard complex. Legally, Walloon has been recognized since 1990 by the French Community of Belgium , the cultural authority of Wallonia, as an "indigenous regional language" which must be studied in schools and encouraged. The Walloon cultural movement includes the Union Culturelle Wallonne , an organization of over 200 amateur theatre circles, writers' groups, and school councils. About
3245-406: The varieties related to French have been recognized by the French Community as separate languages ( langues régionales endogènes , lit. ‘regional native languages’) since 1990. But there have been no significant measures to support usage of those varieties. Walloon is the historical language of southern Belgium, and most of the areas where French is now spoken were Walloon-speaking. It
3304-457: The vernacular of these people became more clearly distinct from central French and other neighbouring langues d'oïl , prompting the abandonment of the vague term "Roman" as a linguistic, ethnic, and political designator for "Walloon". Also at this time, following the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts in 1539, the French language replaced Latin for all administrative purposes in France. Established as
3363-407: The writer Raymond Queneau set the publication of a Walloon Poets' anthology for Editions Gallimard . Ubu roi was translated into Walloon by André Blavier , an important 'pataphysician of Verviers , and friend of Queneau, for the new and important Puppet theater of Liège of Jacques Ancion. The Al Botroûle theater operated "as the umbilical cord" in Walloon, indicating a desire to return to
3422-502: Was one of the most significant moments in the so-called Royal Question of 1950, which grew out of resentment towards King Leopold III and his actions in World War II . In June 1995 it was from Grâce-Hollogne that Julie Lejeune and Mélissa Russo were infamously abducted to become victims of the notorious serial killer and child molester Marc Dutroux . One of the municipality's schools is now named École Julie et Melissa in honour of
3481-506: Was recognized in 1990. It is mainly spoken in Gaume , a part of Belgian Lorraine . Flanders too has a number of dialects, but linguists regard these as varieties of Dutch rather than a separate Flemish language , with the exception of Limburgish and West Flemish . The main Dutch dialects in Belgium are Brabantian and East Flemish . Standard Dutch, as spoken in Belgium, is mostly influenced by Brabantian. There are literary traditions in both
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