a round, speak English quite well, and know all about the "Royal
and Ancient Game."
CHAPTER XIII
WHAT THE BELGIANS SPEAK
Three different languages are spoken in Belgium. These are Flemish,
Walloon, and French. Flemish is spoken in Flanders, in the provinces
of Antwerp and Limbourg, and in a part of Brabant. Walloon is the
language of Liege and the Valley of the Meuse, Luxembourg, and the
western districts. French is spoken all over the country. Some
Belgians speak nothing but Flemish, some nothing but Walloon, and some
nothing but French. A great many speak both Flemish and French, and
there are some who speak all three languages.
Though Flemish is the language of the majority of Belgians, most of
the books, newspapers, and magazines are published in French, which is
the "official" language--that is to say, it is the language of the
Court and the Government--and all well-educated Belgians can speak,
read, and write it. In Brussels almost everyone speaks French.
Though many Belgians know French thoroughly, they speak it with an
accent of their own, which is unlike anything you hear in France, just
as English people speak French or German with an English accent.
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