Flemish language

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Flemish language

Flemish language member of the West Germanic group of the Germanic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Germanic languages ). Generally regarded as the Belgian variant of Dutch (see Dutch language ) rather than as a separate tongue, Flemish is spoken by approximately 5.5 million people in Belgium, where it is one of the official languages, and by a few thousand persons in France. So closely are Flemish and Dutch related that the difference between them has been compared to the difference between American and British English; however, some scholars hold that they have diverged sufficiently since the 16th cent. to be described as separate languages.

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Flemish

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | © The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2009, originally published by Oxford University Press 2009. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Flem·ish / ˈflemish/ • adj. of or relating to Flanders, its people, or their language. • n. 1. the Dutch language as spoken in Flanders, one of the two official languages of Belgium. 2. (the Flemish) [as pl. n.] the people of Flanders.

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Flemish

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Â© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Flemish One of two official languages of Belgium (the other being French). It is spoken, mainly in the n half of the country, by c.50% of the population. It is virtually the same language as Dutch.

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Belgium's extreme-right Flemish Interest loses big News Wire article from: AP Worldstream; 6/7/2009
	Xiox Announces Agreement with Flanders Language Valley. Business Wire; 9/29/1997
	Lernout & Hauspie Reports Strong Revenues, Earnings and Cash Flow for Second Quarter; Company Achieves Revenues of $76 million and EPS of $0.17; Reduced DSO's. Business Wire; 7/28/1999

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