Walloon leid

Walloon
Walon
Native tae	Belgium, Fraunce, Unitit States
Region	Europe (Walloon Region (federal region), Ardennes), Unitit States (Wisconsin)
Native speakers	est. 1,120,000 (1998)
Leid faimily	Indo-European Italic Romance Wastren Gallo-Romance Oïl Walloon
Leid codes
ISO 639-1	wa
ISO 639-2	wln
ISO 639-3	wln
Linguasphere	51-AAA-hf

Walloon (Walon) is a Romance leid which wis spoken as a primary leid in lairge portions (70 %) o the Walloon Region o Belgium an some villages o northren Fraunce (near Givet) til the middle o the 20t century. It belangs tae the langue d'oïl language family, whose maist prominent member is the French leid. The historical backgrund o its formation wis the territorial extension since 980 o the Principality o Liège tae the sooth an wast.

Despite its rich leeteratur, beginnin anonymously in the 16t century, an wi weill-kent authors since 1756 (see the paragraph Literature), the uise o Walloon haes decreasit mairkedly since Fraunce's annexation o Wallonie in 1795. This period definitively establishit French as the leid o social promotion, far mair nor it wis afore. Although Belgium gainit its independence in 1830, French haed been established as the primary leid o instruction in muckle o the kintra. Efter Warld War I, public schules providit French-speakin education tae aw bairns, inducin a denigration o Walloon, especially when accompanit bi offeecial orders in 1952 tae punish its uise in schools. Subsequently, sin the middle o the 20t century, generational transmission o the leid haes decreasit, resulting in Walloon's amaist becomin a deid leid. Today it is scarcely spoken amang yunger fowk.

Numerous associations, especially theatre companies, are wirkin tae keep the leid alive. On a government level, Walloon is offeecially recognisit as a langue régionale endogène (regional indigenous leid) (Décret Valmy Féaux, 14 o December 1990). Walloon haes an aa benefitit frae a continued corpus plannin process. The "Feller system" (1900) regularized transcription o the different accents. Since the 1990s, a common orthography wis establishit, which alloued lairge-scale publications, such as the Walloon Wikipedia.

Walloon is mair distinct as a leid than Belgian French, which differs frae the French spoken in Fraunce ae in some minor points o vocabulary an pronunciation.