Walloon
Walloon is spoken primarily in the southern part of Belgium, Wallonia. This area is known for its natural beauty, with regions like the Ardennes offering a mix of forests, hills, and small villages. Wallonia’s culture is shaped by its history, with French being the dominant language. Walloon, however, remains an important part of the region’s heritage, spoken traditionally in rural areas, though its use has decreased over time.
The Walloon Language
Walloon is a Romance language from the Gallo-Romance branch, which evolved from Vulgar Latin. It shares similarities with French but has distinct phonetic and grammatical differences. While the language was once spoken by a majority of the population in Wallonia, French is now the dominant language in public life, and Walloon is considered endangered, with only a small number of speakers remaining, mostly among older generations. Efforts to preserve and promote Walloon continue through cultural programs and initiatives, although the language’s use in daily life is limited.
Walloon vs. French
Walloon and French both evolved from Vulgar Latin, the spoken form of Latin used by ordinary people throughout the Roman Empire. While they share a common root, Walloon is part of the Gallo-Romance group of languages, which includes French but also incorporates influences from regional dialects and local Celtic languages in the area that became Belgium and northern France. As a result, Walloon retains many older linguistic features that French has lost over time. For example, Walloon has distinct pronunciation differences, such as different vowel sounds and a more guttural or rolled r. In addition, Walloon features unique vocabulary and expressions, often derived from local usage, and grammar that differs from standard French, such as verb conjugations and sentence structures. While both languages stem from the same Latin origin, Walloon developed separately from French and retains many archaic traits that distinguish it from modern French.
Differences
Here are a few examples of vocabulary differences between Walloon and French:
- Numbers:
- French uses a base-20 system for counting, which is not the case in Walloon. For example:
- 80 in French is quatre-vingts (literally “four twenties”), while in Walloon, it is huitante.
- 90 in French is quatre-vingt-dix (literally “four twenties and ten”), but in Walloon, it is novante (similar to the Belgian and Swiss French nonante).
- French uses a base-20 system for counting, which is not the case in Walloon. For example:
- Common Objects:
- Walloon uses different words for everyday items. For example:
- “House” is maison in French, but in Walloon, it is mezon.
- “Chair” is chaise in French, while in Walloon, it is sièje.
- Walloon uses different words for everyday items. For example:
- People:
- Walloon has its own terms for family members and people. For instance:
- “Boy” or “child” in Walloon is pitchoû, whereas in French, it’s garçon.
- “Grandfather” in Walloon is pèpè, compared to grand-père in French.
- Walloon has its own terms for family members and people. For instance:
- Verbs:
- Walloon has unique verbs that differ from their French equivalents. For example:
- Walloon uses djonke for “to eat,” while in French, the verb is manger.
- The Walloon verb râler means “to complain,” which is similar to the French râler, but it can also take on regional meanings in Walloon that differ from French.
- Walloon has unique verbs that differ from their French equivalents. For example:
Asterix visits Belgium
The only Asterix album translated into Walloon is Asterix chez les Belges (Asterix in Belgium). This edition was published by Éditions Marabout. The translation was released as part of a series of regional adaptations of Asterix, and it remains the sole Walloon-language publication of the series.