Editing West Flemish

{{Short description|Germanic language}}
{{cleanup reorganize|date=August 2017}}
{{expand Dutch|topic=cult|otherarticle=West-Vlaams|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = West Flemish
| altname          = 
| nativename       = ''West-Vlaams''
| states           = Belgium, Netherlands, France
| region           = [[West Flanders]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|1.424|2}} million
| date             = 1998
| ref              = e18
| familycolor      = Indo-European
| fam2             = [[Germanic languages|Germanic]]
| fam3             = [[West Germanic languages|West Germanic]]
| fam4             = [[Weser–Rhine Germanic]]
| fam5             = [[Low Franconian languages|Low Franconian]]
| fam6             = [[Dutch language|Dutch]]
| dia1             = [[Zeelandic]]
| dia2             = [[French Flemish]]
| lc1              = vls
| ld1              = (West) Vlaams
| lc2              = zea
| ld2              = [[Zeelandic]] (Zeeuws)
| lingua           = 52-ACB-ag
| glotto           = sout3292
| glottoname       = Southwestern Dutch
| glotto2          = vlaa1240
| glottoname2      = Western Flemish
| map2             = Lang Status 80-VU.svg
| mapcaption2      = {{center|{{small|West Flemish is classified as Vulnerable by the [[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''}}}}
}}

'''West Flemish''' (''West-Vlams'' or ''West-Vloams'' or ''Vlaemsch'' (in [[French Flanders]]), {{langx|nl|West-Vlaams}}, {{langx|fr|link=no|flamand occidental}}) is a collection of [[Low Franconian]] varieties spoken in western Belgium and the neighbouring areas of France and the Netherlands.

West Flemish is spoken by about a million people in the Belgian province of [[West Flanders]], and a further 50,000 in the neighbouring Dutch coastal district of [[Zeelandic Flanders]] (200,000 if including the closely related dialects of [[Zeelandic]]) and 10-20,000 in the northern part of the French department of [[Nord (French department)|Nord]].<ref name="e18" /> Some of the main cities where West Flemish is widely spoken are [[Bruges]], [[Dunkirk]], [[Kortrijk]], [[Ostend]], [[Roeselare]] and [[Ypres]].

West Flemish is listed as a "vulnerable" language in [[UNESCO]]'s online [[Red Book of Endangered Languages]].<ref>{{Cite web
| title = UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101030021439/http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00206
| archive-date= 30 October 2010
| url-status= dead 
|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/home|access-date=2023-02-07
| publisher= United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization }}</ref>
{{Dutch dialects}}
[[File:Map of Dutch dialects according to Heeringa.png|right|350px|thumb|Position of West Flemish (colour: ''light blue'') among the other minority languages, regional languages and dialects in Belgium, the Netherlands and French department Nord]]
[[File:FlemishinDunkirkdistrict.PNG|thumb|right|Flemish (green) and French (red/brown) as spoken in the [[arrondissement of Dunkirk]] in France, in 1874 and 1972]]
{{clear left}}

[[File:Bachten-de Kupe route.JPG|thumb|right|{{Interlanguage link|Bachten de Kupe|nl|Bachten de Kupe|vls|Bachtn de Kupe}} scenic road sign.]]

==Phonology==
West Flemish has a phonology that differs significantly from that of Standard Dutch, being similar to [[Afrikaans]] in the case of long E, O and A. Also where Standard Dutch has ''sch'', in some parts of West Flanders, West-Flemish, like Afrikaans, has ''sk''. However, the best known traits are the replacement of Standard Dutch (pre-)velar fricatives ''g'' and ''ch'' in Dutch ({{IPA|/x, ɣ/}}) with glottal  ''h'' {{IPA|[h, ɦ]}},. The following differences are listed by their Dutch spelling, as some different letters have merged their sounds in Standard Dutch but remained separate sounds in West Flemish. Pronunciations can also differ slightly from region to region.

* ''sch'' - {{IPA|/sx/}} is realised as {{IPA|[ʃh]}}, {{IPA|[sh]}} or {{IPA|[skʰ]}} (''sh'' or ''sk'').
* ''ei'' - {{IPA|/ɛi/}} is realised as {{IPA|[ɛː]}} or {{IPA|[jɛ]}} (''è'' or ''jè'').
* ''ij '' - {{IPA|/ɛi/}} is realised as {{IPA|[i]}} (short ''ie'', also written as ''y'') and in some words as {{IPA|[y]}}.
* ''ui '' - {{IPA|/œy/}} is realised as {{IPA|[y]}} (short ''u'') and in some words as {{IPA|[i]}}.
* ''au'' - {{IPA|/ʌu/}} is realised as {{IPA|[ɔu]}} (''ow'')
* ''ou'' - {{IPA|/ʌu/}} is realised as {{IPA|[ʊ]}} (short ''oe''), it is very similar to the long "oe" that is also used in Standard Dutch ({{IPA|[u]}}), which can cause confusion
* ''e'' - {{IPA|/ɛ/}} is realised as {{IPA|[æ]}} or {{IPA|[a]}}.
* ''i'' - {{IPA|/ɪ/}} is realised as {{IPA|[ɛ]}}.
* ''ie'' - {{IPA|/i/}} is longer {{IPA|[iː]}}
* ''aa'' - {{IPA|/aː/}} is realised as {{IPA|[ɒː]}}.

The absence of {{IPA|/x/}} and {{IPA|/ɣ/}} in West Flemish makes pronouncing them very difficult for native speakers. That often causes [[hypercorrection]] of the {{IPA|/h/}} sounds to a {{IPA|/x/}} or {{IPA|/ɣ/}}.

Standard Dutch also has many words with an ''-en'' ({{IPA|/ən/}}) suffix (mostly plural forms of verbs and nouns). While Standard Dutch and most dialects do not pronounce the final ''n'', West Flemish typically drops the ''e'' and pronounces the ''n'' inside the base word. For base words already ending with ''n'', the final ''n'' sound is often lengthened to clarify the suffix. That makes many words become similar to those of English: ''beaten'', ''listen'' etc.

The short ''o''  ({{IPA|[ɔ]}}) can also be pronounced as a short ''u'' ({{IPA|[ɐ]}}), a phenomenon also occurring in [[Russian phonology|Russian]] and some other [[Slavic languages]], called [[akanye]]. That happens spontaneously to some words, but other words keep their original short ''o'' sounds. Similarly, the short ''a'' ({{IPA|[ɑ]}}) can turn into a short ''o'' ({{IPA|[ɔ]}}) in some words spontaneously.

The diphthong ''ui'' ({{IPA|/œy/}}) does not exist in West Flemish and is replaced by a long ''u'' ({{IPA|[y]}}) or a long ''ie'' ({{IPA|[i]}}). Like for the ''ui'', the long ''o'' ({{IPA|[o]}}) can be replaced by an {{IPA|[ø]}} (''eu'') for some words but a {{IPA|[uo]}} for others. That often causes similarities to ranchers English. {{clarification needed|reason=what is “ranchers English”?|date=January 2022}}

Here are some examples showing the sound shifts that are part of the vocabulary:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Dutch !! West Flemish !! English
|-
| vol (short ''o'') || vul {{IPA|[vɐl]}}|| full
|-
| zon (short ''o'') || zunne {{IPA|[ˈzɐnːə]}}|| sun
|-
| boter (long ''o'') || beuter {{IPA|[ˈbøtər]}}|| butter
|-
| boot (long ''o'') || boot {{IPA|[buot]}} || boat
|-
| kuiken || kiek'n {{IPA|[ˈkiːʔŋ̍]}} || chick
|-
| bruin || brun {{IPA|[bryn]}} || brown
|}

== Grammar ==
=== Plural form ===
Plural forms in Standard Dutch most often add ''-en'', but West Flemish usually uses ''-s'', like the Low Saxon dialects and even more prominently in English in which ''-en'' has become very rare. Under the influence of Standard Dutch, ''-s'' is being used by fewer people, and younger speakers tend to use ''-en''.

=== Verb conjugation ===
The verbs ''zijn'' ("to be") and ''hebben'' ("to have") are also conjugated differently.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Dutch !! West Flemish !! English !! Dutch !! West Flemish !! English
|-
| zijn || zyn || to be || hebben || èn || to have
|-
| ik ben || 'k zyn || I am || ik heb || 'k è || I have
|-
| jij bent || gy zyt || you are || jij hebt || gy èt || you have
|-
| hij is || ie is || he is || hij heeft || ie èt || he has
|-
| wij zijn || wydder zyn || we are || wij hebben || wydder èn || we have
|-
| jullie zijn || gydder zyt || you are || jullie hebben || gydder èt || you have
|-
| zij zijn || zydder zyn || they are || zij hebben || zydder èn || they have
|}

=== Double subject ===
West Flemish often has a double subject.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Dutch !! West Flemish !! English
|-
| {{lang|nl|Jij hebt dat gedaan.}} || {{lang|vls|'''G{{'}}''' èt '''gy''' da gedoan.}} || You have done that.
|-
| {{lang|nl|Ik heb dat niet gedaan.}} || {{lang|vls|'''{{'}}K''' èn '''ekik''' da nie gedoan.}}  || I didn't do that.
|}

=== Articles ===
Standard Dutch has an indefinite article that does not depend on gender, unlike in West Flemish. However, a gender-independent article is increasingly used. Like in English, ''n'' is pronounced only if the next word begins with a vowel sound.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Dutch !! West Flemish !! English
|-
| een stier (m) || ne stier || a bull
|-
| een koe (f) || e koeje  || a cow
|-
| een kalf (o) || e kolf || a calf
|-
| een aap (m) || nen oap || an ape
|-
| een huis (o) || en 'us || a house
|}

=== Conjugation of ''yes'' and ''no'' ===
Another feature of West Flemish is the conjugation of ''ja'' and ''nee'' ("yes" and "no") to the subject of the sentence. That is somewhat related to the double subject, but even when the rest of the sentence is not pronounced, ''ja'' and ''nee'' are generally used with the first part of the double subject.

This conjugation can be negated with the extra word, ''toet'' ({{IPA|[tut]}}), or strengthened by adding mo- or ba- (or both). 

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Dutch !! West Flemish !! English
|-
| Heb jij dat gedaan? - Ja / Nee || Èj gy da gedoan? - Joak / Nink|| Did you do that? - Yes / No [I (did/didn't)]
|-
| Je hebt dat niet gedaan, hé? - Maar jawel || G'èt da nie gedoan, é? - Bajoak (ja'k en doe 't) || You didn't do that, eh? - On the contrary (But yes I did).
|-
| Heeft hij dat gedaan? - Ja / Nee || Èt ie (ne) da gedoan? -  Joaj/Nij (Joan / Nin)|| Did he do that? - Yes / No [he (did/didn't)]
|-
| Heeft zij dat gedaan? - Ja / Nee || È ze (zy) da gedoan? -  Joas/Nins || Did she do that? - Yes / No [she (did/didn't)]
|-
| Gaan we verder? - Ja / Nee || Zyn me? - Joam / Nim || Can we go? - Yes / No [we (can/cannot)]
|}

== See also ==
* [[Flemish dialects]]
* [[Dutch dialects]]
* [[Flemish people]] (''Flemings'' or ''Vlamingen'')
* [[French Flemish]]
* [[Hebban olla vogala]]
* [[Westhoek (region)|Westhoek]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{citation
|last=Debrabandere
|first=Frans
|chapter=Kortrijk
|editor-last1=Kruijsen
|editor-first1=Joep
|editor-last2=van der Sijs
|editor-first2=Nicoline
|title=Honderd Jaar Stadstaal
|publisher=Uitgeverij Contact
|date=1999
|pages=289–299
|chapter-url=http://dbnl.org/arch/sijs002hond01_01/pag/sijs002hond01_01.pdf
}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|West Flemish language}}
* [http://www.uoc.edu/euromosaic/web/document/neerlandes/an/i1/i1.html Euromosaic report on West Flemish (thus Dutch) in France]

{{InterWiki|code=vls}}
{{Languages of Belgium}}
{{Languages of the Benelux}}
{{Germanic languages}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dutch dialects]]
[[Category:Languages of France]]
[[Category:Languages of Belgium]]
[[Category:Languages of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Flanders]]
[[Category:Culture of Zeeland]]
[[Category:Sluis]]
[[Category:Zeelandic Flanders]]
[[Category:Vulnerable languages]]