Alternate Names: Wallon
Dialects: Central Walloon, Eastern Walloon, Southern Walloon, Western Walloon. Developed between the 8th and 12th centuries from remnants of Latin brought to the region by Roman soldiers, merchants, and settlers. Eastern subdialect considered the most difficult to understand.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 600,000 (Salminen 2007), decreasing. Active speakers may only be 300,000 (Salminen 2007). Few monolinguals.
Language Use: Many native authors. Used in theaters. An indigenous language recognized in Belgium since 1990. Usage began decreasing in the 20th century, but Walloon is increasingly recognized as valuable for informal purposes. More rural use than urban. Not used in schools. Many children learn the language but many are likely to shift entirely to French [fra] (Salminen 2007).
Language Development: Magazines. Newspapers. Radio programs. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 1934.
Writing System: Latin
Nation of Origin: Belgium