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DUTCH


It is a common misunderstanding to confuse these Dialect s with the official language of Flanders which is the Dutch standard language ( Algemeen Nederlands ).

The Dutch language as spoken in Flanders is not a separate language from Dutch, but there are some distinct differences in Vocabulary and Pronunciation , similar to that between British and American English (or perhaps between English In England and English In Scotland ). On the other hand, the Flemish speaking people use exactly the same Grammar and Orthography as the Dutch. The term ''Flemish'' is thus usually used to distinguish the Dutch spoken in Flanders from that of the Netherlands .

The difference between Dutch and the Flemish ''dialects'' is much more significant.


RELATION BETWEEN THE FLEMISH DIALECTS AND DUTCH


The Germanic dialects spoken in Belgium do not originally form a unified dialect group distinct from those spoken in The Netherlands.

They are divided in West Flemish , East Flemish , Brabantic and Limburgian . All of these groups are also spoken in the adjoining areas in The Netherlands. There are over four million people living in these areas. On the level of dialects, the national border between Belgium and The Netherlands is thus not a language boundary.

Of the six million people in Belgium who speak Dutch, only a minority uses Flemish dialects. The largest group consists of Brabantic dialect speakers, a second reason why the use of the generic "Flemish" could be seen as inaccurate, except when referring to the standard Dutch spoken in Flanders, which still differs slightly in vocabulary, idiom and especially intonation from that of The Netherlands. Also, while not official, the totality of the Flemish dialects are often referred to as "Flemish" ("Vlaams") by the populace.

The Dutch standard language originated in these areas of Belgium. As it is mainly Brabantic in origin and reflects the dialects spoken by a majority of the Belgian speakers of Dutch, the distinction is primarily made by Flemings as a means of elevating national pride or for political reasons, or as an unofficial generalisation referring to their spoken language by the populace. There remains, however, a difference between the Dutch spoken by Flemish television news readers, and that of their Dutch colleagues. The differences between Flanders and the Netherlands in cultural aspects, however, are more substantial.