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Archiver > Huguenot > 1999-04 > 0923162672


From: "Florence L. Parman" <>
Subject: Re: [Huguenot-L] Re Walloons
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 1999 12:04:32 -0600


Thanks to all on my Walloon question. I now am confident I know pretty much
what Walloon refers to and I appreciate the folks who were kind enough to
answer.

Florence Parman
TN

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Roth <>
To: <>
Date: Friday, April 02, 1999 7:44 AM
Subject: [Huguenot-L] Re Walloons

Excerpted from my report-in-progress "The Organization and Development of
New Paltz 1677-1824"

Generally, Walloons refer to the French-speaking Protestants from the area
that is now Belgium. According to Redgy van Hove, “Wallon originally meant
‘French-speaking Fleming,’ an inhabitant of the country of Flanders; later
‘Walloon’ got the meaning of ‘French-speaking inhabitant of the Southern
Netherlands,’ to finish as ‘French speaking inhabitant of Belgium.” Van
Hove also mentions that the French-speaking towns in Flanders included
Comines, Tournai, Lille, Cambrai, Valencias and Boulogne; and later Calais,
St. Omer, and Dunkirk.

This definition is slightly misleading, however. According to a very
informative website on the subject, the term Walloon also refers to a
distinct Flemish romance language possibly derived from the Celtic and
Gaelic languages, although also incorporating linguistic principles from
Latin, French, German and English as well
(http://www.wallonie.com/wallang/index.htm). Although this Walloon
language is very similar to French, it is a separate language entirely and
not just a northern dialect of the French language. In fact, this language
was spoken in parts of Belgium right up until the mid-twentieth century,
when it was finally superseded by the more ubiquitous French language.

Eric Roth, Archivist/Librarian
Huguenot Historical Society
Library and Archives
88 Huguenot Street
New Paltz, NY 12561


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> Subject: Huguenot-D Digest V99 #111
> Date: Friday, April 02, 1999 4:17 AM
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