 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2023) |
| Belgian French | |
|---|---|
| French of Belgium | |
| français de Belgique (French) | |
| Native to | Belgium |
| Ethnicity | Walloons |
Early forms | |
| Dialects |
|
| Latin (French alphabet) French Braille | |
| Official status | |
Official language in |  Belgium Burundi DR Congo Rwanda |
| Regulated by | Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Linguasphere | 51-AAA-i |
| IETF | fr-BE |
Belgian French (French: français de Belgique) is the variety of French spoken mainly among the French Community of Belgium, alongside related Oïl languages of the region such as Walloon, Picard, Champenois, and Lorrain (Gaumais). The French language spoken in Belgium differs very little from that of France or Switzerland. It is characterized by the use of some terms that are considered archaic in France, as well as loanwords from languages such as Walloon, Picard, and Belgian Dutch.[1]
French is one of the three official languages of Belgium, along with Dutch and German. It is spoken natively by around 40% of the population, primarily in the regions of Wallonia and Brussels. The French spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi is largely based on Belgian French, as all three countries are former colonies of Belgium.
- ^ Georges Lebouc, Dictionnaire de belgicismes, Lannoo Uitgeverij, 2006