There has long been confusion over the Limburgish language, for it is a notoriously difficult tongue to grasp. On one hand, everyone speaking Dutch with a Limburgish accent is considered to speak Limburgish, but there is also a Limburgish language which is not mutually intelligible with Dutch. Furthermore, Limburgish has been influenced by its neighbouring languages, leading to some Limburgish dialects to be closer to German while others are closer to French, and in the south-eastern part of Limburg the dialect is so close to German that it is often not considered a Limburgish dialect at all. In short, Limburgish is an odd mishmash language that does not lend itself well to easy categorization, but if you’ll let me, I will explain my weird language as best as I can.

What defines Limburgish?

Limburgish is a regional language spoken in Belgian and Dutch Limburg, as well as some border regions in Germany. With a minimum of 700.000 speakers it is one of the most spoken languages in the Netherlands. This statistic can be deceiving however, for one of the main traits of Limburgish, is that it is not a unified language. Colloquially it is said that each hamlet has its own unique dialect. This is of course an exaggeration, but there is truth to the saying, and oftentimes it is difficult for Limburgers in one part of the province to communicate in Limburgish with people from another part.

Limburgish can be divided into a number of sub-groups called isoglosses, along which the pronunciation and vocabulary can differ significantly. It would take a dictionary to explain all the differences, so instead I provide you with one example which can be found below. It is standard in Limburgish to pronounce many words with a variation of ‘sj’ at the beginning of the word. The word ‘dear’ for example is ‘sjat’ in Limburgish, but exactly which variation of ‘sj’ is used as a preface differs by region along a division called the Panninger line, which is drawn below.

Limburgish also has the distinguishing factor of being a tonal language, something that can’t be found in the rest of western Europe. What this means, is that similar to Chinese, there are many ways to pronounce vowels and the way that a word is pronounced can at times shape the meaning of the word. This can be found for example in the word “veut” (foot) or “sjaop” (sheep). The singular and the plural is written the same way, but the pronunciation of the vowels gains an upward twang in its plural form. This tonal system is not as extensive as that of Chinese or Yoruba, because most words don’t change in meaning when pronounced differently. Instead, words are pronounced differently to suit the context of the words around them. ‘Sjön sjoon’ and ‘sjoon sjön’ for example both translate to ‘nice shoes’.

Status

Limburgish has struggled to be fully recognized, partly because of its internal division of the language and the difficulty of categorizing it, but also partly due to political reasons. Whether a language is considered a dialect or a language, often depends on the political and social factors surrounding it. Afrikaans is as intelligible with Dutch as many local dialects and is closer related to Standard Dutch than the Limburgish ‘dialects’. In the map below, the dialects of Dutch are mapped. The higher the number, the further away the dialect is from standard Dutch, also known as ABN (algemeen beschaafd nederlands). Based on the distance of Limburgish from standard Dutch, there shouldn’t be any discussion about the status of Limburgish being a language.

Limburgish has received some recognition in the form of the ‘European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages’, which was created to protect the regional and minority languages of Europe, and to promote their usage in private and public life. The charter recognizes Limburgish as a regional minority language since 1997, ratified by the Netherlands under part II of the charter, as opposed to part III. The Charter allows countries to treat different languages in different ways. A language ratified under part III must be actively promoted by the relevant country in daily undertakings. Frisian for example, is given an official status in the Frisian education. Limburgish on the other hand, ratified under part II, must be protected and preserved by the Dutch government, but under the current regulations, it does not need to be given any official role in the functioning of government, and so far it has not.

Aside from the ECRML, the Dutch government has taken some steps towards recognition of the Limburgish language, and has accepted it as a regional language. As a result, the language has gained some recognition in daily life, in the form of Limburgish translations of place names on Dutch place name signs, but few to no steps have been taken to include Limburgish in the Dutch social landscape as an official language with its own administrative and educational rights.

Limburgish can currently be classified as a stage 5 language on the Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale. It is spoken by a significant portion of the Limburgish population both at home and in public, it has literature written in the language and the language is very much present in public, in the names of local restaurants and places. It is especially noticeable on place name signs, where the Limburgish names of places are written below their Dutch counterparts. The language has yet to become accepted in education and governance however, and as a regional language it is not granted the same status within the Netherlands as Dutch and Frisian.

Opinion

I hope to see Limburgish continue to grow in prominence and recognition. To accomplish this, Limburgish will need to be centralized, either as a whole or in separate regional varieties. It is difficult for Limburgers to fully understand Limburgers from the other end of the provinces, which makes the goal of an internationally recognized language that can stand on its own and withstand the forces of external languages a difficult goal to realize. Once Limburgish has constructed itself in a format that can be understood by the outside world, I believe it will prove easier for it to gain the same high status as Frisian has in the Netherlands.

On the other hand, it is important to maintain the diversity of language that we have. Such a thick concentration of diverse dialects is rather unique in Europe, and if language does shape the way Sapir-Whorf states, would culling the diversity of Limburgish not defeat the purpose of recognizing it?

• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://taal.phileon.nl/eng/limburgish.php
• Claessens, G. (2016, September 12). Limburgse taal: De verwarring blijft. Retrieved from https://www.limburger.nl/cnt/dmf20160912_00024426/limburgse-taal-de-verwarring-blijft
• Council of Europe. (1992). European charter for regional or minority languages: Strasbourg, 5. XI. 1992. Strasbourg: Council of europe.
• Language & Usage. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.limburgs.org/en/limburgish/history/new-limburgish/language-and-usage
• Limburgish. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ethnologue.com/language/lim