French Flanders: Difference between revisions
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'''French Flanders''' ({{lang-fr|La Flandre française}}; {{lang-nl|Frans-Vlaanderen}}) is a part of the historical, originally Dutch-speaking region [[Flanders]] in present-day [[France]]. The region today lies in the modern-day [[Regions of France|région]] of [[Nord-Pas de Calais]], the [[Departments of France|Departement]] of [[Nord (department)|Nord]], and roughly corresponds to the [[Arrondissements of France|''arrondissements'']] of [[Arrondissement of Lille|Lille]], [[Arrondissement of Douai|Douai]], and [[Arrondissement of Dunkirk|Dunkirk]] on the [[Belgium|Belgian]] border. |
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[[Image:Flandre francaise.png|thumb|right|200px|Map showing the location of '''French Flanders''' bisected by the Lys River. To the north of the river is the [[French Westhoek]] and to the south is [[Lille]] Flanders.]] |
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==Geography== |
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French Flanders consists of two regions: |
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#[[French Westhoek]] to the northwest, lying between the [[Lys River]] and the [[North Sea]], roughly the same area as the Arrondissement of Dunkirk |
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#[[Lille]] Flanders (French: ''La Flandre Lilloise''; Dutch: ''Rijsels-Vlaanderen''), the French parts of [[Romance Flanders]] (historically also [[Walloon Flanders]]) to the southeast, south of the Lys and now the arrondissements of Lille of Douai |
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==History== |
==History== |
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[[Image:Tratado Pirineos 1659.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Territorial changes due to the Treaty of the Pyrenees, including French Flanders.]] |
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The region was originally part of the feudal [[County of Flanders]], then part of the [[Spanish Netherlands]], in present-day |
The region was originally part of the feudal [[County of Flanders]], then part of the [[Spanish Netherlands]], in present-day Belgium. It was separated from the county in 1659 due to the [[Peace of the Pyrenees]], which ended the French-Spanish conflict in the [[Thirty Years War]], and other parts of the region were added in successive treaties in 1668 and 1678. The region was ceded to the [[Early Modern France|Kingdom of France]], and became part of the province of [[Provinces of France|Flanders and Hainaut]]. The bulk became part of French the modern administrative Department of Nord, although some western parts of the region which separated in 1237 and became [[County of Artois]] before the cession to the French are now part of [[Pas-de-Calais]]. |
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==Language== |
==Language== |
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[[Image:Dutcharea.png|thumb|right|200px|The Dutch-language [[Sprachraum]], including French Flanders.]] |
[[Image:Dutcharea.png|thumb|right|200px|The Dutch-language [[Sprachraum]], including northern French Flanders.]] |
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The traditional language of northern French Flanders (Westhoek) is a dialect of the [[Dutch language]] known as [[West Flemish]], the French subdialect of which is known as [[French Flemish]] but there are few speakers today. The traditional language of southern French Flanders (Romance Flanders) is [[Picard language|Picard]] (or ''Ch'ti'') and it is likewise seldom spoken. Standard [[French language|French]] has largely replaced these regional languages. |
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The traditional language of the French Flanders region is a dialect of the [[Dutch language]] known as [[West Flemish]], the French subdialect of which is known as [[French Flemish]]. It was once the dominant language of the region, but a long-time policy of [[Francization]], starting with the introduction of French as the language of education in [[1853]], has led to the replacement of Dutch with French in the region. There are now between 10,000 and 20,000 daily speakers of West Flemish in French Flanders, many of whom live in the [[arrondissement]] and city of [[Dunkirk]], and twice as many who occasionally use the dialect. Today, West Flemish is classified as a [[Languages of France|Language of France]]. |
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Though there are few speakers today, the Dutch dialect has had some influence on local [[toponym]]s. For example, the French towns of [[Roubaix]] and [[Dunkerque]] are derrived from their Flemish names of ''Robeke'' and ''Duinkerken''. |
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[[Image:Flemish in the arrondissement of Dunkirk.png|thumb|right|400px|Changes in language in the arrondissement of Dunkirk between [[1874]] and [[1972]]. Maroon indicates a monolingually French-speaking area, dark green a monolingually Flemish-speaking area, orange a bilingual area with a French-speaking majority, and light green a bilingual area with a Flemish-speaking majority. The Flemish-speaking population has declined considerably since 1972.]] |
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==Sources and references== |
==Sources and references== |
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==External Links== |
==External Links== |
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*[http://home.scarlet.be/~tpm09245/lang/lg/fra/oe1.htm The Extent of Flemish in France in 1970, contains |
*[http://home.scarlet.be/~tpm09245/lang/lg/fra/oe1.htm The Extent of Flemish in France in 1970, contains language maps] |
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[[Category:County of Flanders]] |
[[Category:County of Flanders]] |
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Revision as of 07:29, 25 July 2007
French Flanders (French: La Flandre française; Dutch: Frans-Vlaanderen) is a part of the historical, originally Dutch-speaking region Flanders in present-day France. The region today lies in the modern-day région of Nord-Pas de Calais, the Departement of Nord, and roughly corresponds to the arrondissements of Lille, Douai, and Dunkirk on the Belgian border.
Geography
French Flanders consists of two regions:
- French Westhoek to the northwest, lying between the Lys River and the North Sea, roughly the same area as the Arrondissement of Dunkirk
- Lille Flanders (French: La Flandre Lilloise; Dutch: Rijsels-Vlaanderen), the French parts of Romance Flanders (historically also Walloon Flanders) to the southeast, south of the Lys and now the arrondissements of Lille of Douai
History
The region was originally part of the feudal County of Flanders, then part of the Spanish Netherlands, in present-day Belgium. It was separated from the county in 1659 due to the Peace of the Pyrenees, which ended the French-Spanish conflict in the Thirty Years War, and other parts of the region were added in successive treaties in 1668 and 1678. The region was ceded to the Kingdom of France, and became part of the province of Flanders and Hainaut. The bulk became part of French the modern administrative Department of Nord, although some western parts of the region which separated in 1237 and became County of Artois before the cession to the French are now part of Pas-de-Calais.
Language
The traditional language of northern French Flanders (Westhoek) is a dialect of the Dutch language known as West Flemish, the French subdialect of which is known as French Flemish but there are few speakers today. The traditional language of southern French Flanders (Romance Flanders) is Picard (or Ch'ti) and it is likewise seldom spoken. Standard French has largely replaced these regional languages.
Sources and references
- Nouveau Petit Larousse Illustré, 1952.
- French Flanders
- Ethnologue Report for West Flemish
- Flemish in France