Walloon language
Spoken in
- Indo-European languages Italic languages Romance Languages Gallo-Roman languages Oïl languages Walloon
Wa
WL n
WL n
Walloon is an entity belonging to Oïl languages Gallo-Roman group regional language that is in Wallonia ( the French speaking part of Belgium) and spoken in areas in northeastern France near the Belgian border. However, the traditional distribution area of the Walloon comprises only about 70-75 % of the Walloon Region, otherwise other languages are spoken; in the West Picard, Champenois and Lorrain in the South East, the Oïl languages of Champagne and Lorraine, as well as to Arlon Luxembourgish and German in the far east.
Walloon is considered by some as a separate language by some as a French Regiolekt. However, it differs greatly from the standard French and is one of the Gallo-Roman Oïl languages, where most Low Franconian ( Dutch ) language influences have been preserved.
In the Middle Ages the Walloon was also used in writing, but then replaced in this function completely from the French. More recently, a Walloon literature has evolved again, the French is the official language but still only used that all speakers of Wallonia also dominate today.
In 1908, the number of speakers of Walloon was good 2 million people, now it is estimated at about 1.2 million.
Language example
Subsequently, the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the UN in Walloon, French and German language:
Tos lès- omes Vinet -st- å LIBES monde, et so - l'minme PID po çou qu'ènn'èst d' leu dignité et d' leus dreûts. I n'sont nin Fou Rezon ET -z ont -i leu consyince po Zels, çou qu'èlzès German miner a s'kidûre onk ' po l' ote dead come dès Fres.
Tous les êtres humains naissent libres et égaux s dignité et en droits. Ils sont DOUES de raison et de conscience et doivent agir les autres us envers les dans un esprit de fraternité.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
According to the proposed changes to ISO 639 has Walloon since 2002 its own language code: wa or WLn.