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East Flemish is a group of dialects of the Dutch language
Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic languages spoken by over 22 million people as a first language, and about 5 million people as a second language."1% of the EU population claims to speak Dutch well enough in order to have a conversation." Outside the European Union the number of second language speakers of Dutch is very small. Most native...
, which is a Low Franconian language
Low Franconian languages

Low Franconian, or Low Frankish, is a group of several West Germanic language languages spoken in the Netherlands, northern Belgium , in the northern department of France, in western Germany , as well as in Suriname, South Africa and Namibia that originally descended from Old Frankish....
. It is spoken in the province of East Flanders
East Flanders

East Flanders is a Provinces of regions in Belgium of Flemish Region, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp , Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders ....
 in Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
, but also spoken in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen
Zeeuws-Vlaanderen

Zeelandic Flanders is the southernmost region of the Provinces of the Netherlands of Zeeland in southwestern Netherlands. It lies south of the Western Scheldt that separates the region from the remainder of Zeeland to the north....
 in the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
.

French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
, Austria
Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....
ns and Spaniards
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
 have had influence on the vocabulary of East Flemish. Being a group of dialects rather than a clearly recognisable dialect with regional varieties such as West Flemish
West Flemish

West Flemish is a group of Dutch dialects spoken in parts of the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.West Flemish is spoken by around 1.05 million people in West Flanders , 90,000 in the neighbouring Netherlands coastal district of Zeelandic Flanders, and approximately 20,000 in the northern part of the France d?partement in France of Nor...
, the dialects spoken in the municipalities bordering West Flanders
West Flanders

West Flanders is the westernmost Provinces of regions in Belgium of Flemish Region, in Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands, the Flemish Region province of East Flanders and the Wallonia province of Hainaut in Belgium, on France, and the North Sea....
 differ greatly from those spoken in the municipalities bordering the province of Antwerp
Antwerp (province)

Antwerp is the northernmost provinces of regions in Belgium both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders, and of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and the Belgian provinces of Limburg , Flemish Brabant and East Flanders....
, which often leads to speakers of these dialects believing the other person to be from that neighbouring province.






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East Flemish is a group of dialects of the Dutch language
Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic languages spoken by over 22 million people as a first language, and about 5 million people as a second language."1% of the EU population claims to speak Dutch well enough in order to have a conversation." Outside the European Union the number of second language speakers of Dutch is very small. Most native...
, which is a Low Franconian language
Low Franconian languages

Low Franconian, or Low Frankish, is a group of several West Germanic language languages spoken in the Netherlands, northern Belgium , in the northern department of France, in western Germany , as well as in Suriname, South Africa and Namibia that originally descended from Old Frankish....
. It is spoken in the province of East Flanders
East Flanders

East Flanders is a Provinces of regions in Belgium of Flemish Region, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp , Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders ....
 in Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
, but also spoken in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen
Zeeuws-Vlaanderen

Zeelandic Flanders is the southernmost region of the Provinces of the Netherlands of Zeeland in southwestern Netherlands. It lies south of the Western Scheldt that separates the region from the remainder of Zeeland to the north....
 in the Netherlands
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
.

Brabantic Expansion

The French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
, Austria
Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....
ns and Spaniards
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
 have had influence on the vocabulary of East Flemish. Being a group of dialects rather than a clearly recognisable dialect with regional varieties such as West Flemish
West Flemish

West Flemish is a group of Dutch dialects spoken in parts of the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.West Flemish is spoken by around 1.05 million people in West Flanders , 90,000 in the neighbouring Netherlands coastal district of Zeelandic Flanders, and approximately 20,000 in the northern part of the France d?partement in France of Nor...
, the dialects spoken in the municipalities bordering West Flanders
West Flanders

West Flanders is the westernmost Provinces of regions in Belgium of Flemish Region, in Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands, the Flemish Region province of East Flanders and the Wallonia province of Hainaut in Belgium, on France, and the North Sea....
 differ greatly from those spoken in the municipalities bordering the province of Antwerp
Antwerp (province)

Antwerp is the northernmost provinces of regions in Belgium both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders, and of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and the Belgian provinces of Limburg , Flemish Brabant and East Flanders....
, which often leads to speakers of these dialects believing the other person to be from that neighbouring province. This great variation is caused by the so-called 'Brabantic Expansion', the ever-increasing influence of Brabantic diphthongs, vocabulary and pronunciation that has been steadily changing the dialects of Flanders
Flanders

Flanders is a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Over the course of history, the geographical territory that was called "Flanders" has varied....
 both east- and westward, and made the dialects of East Flanders different from those in West Flanders. It is believed that before this expansion, East and West Flanders roughly shared the same dialect.

Ghent
Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region, Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys River and became in the Middle Ages one of the largest and richest cities of northern Europe....
's dialect

The dialect of the province's capital, Ghent
Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region, Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys River and became in the Middle Ages one of the largest and richest cities of northern Europe....
, is also different from the language of the surrounding region. Popular myth has the people from Ghent purposely altered their way of speaking because they believed themselves to be superior to the surrounding rural areas. In reality, the difference occurred due to the rapid industrialisation
Industrialisation

Industrialization is the process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a pre-industrial society into an industry one....
 in the 19th century. Most of Ghent
Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region, Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys River and became in the Middle Ages one of the largest and richest cities of northern Europe....
's residents started working in these new factories, where the loud noise produced by various machinery forced the labourers to shout at each other when they wanted to communicate. This led to altered pronunciation, especially elongating vowels and emphasising the rolling uvular r. Ghent
Ghent

Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region, Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys River and became in the Middle Ages one of the largest and richest cities of northern Europe....
's dialect is especially known by these traits. Its dialect is often misrepresented as being typical for East Flemish dialects, while it is actually quite atypical.