Flemish

Flemish refers to the Dutch language as spoken in Flanders, the northern, Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, and to the people of that region. In the Belgian context, Flemish commonly denotes the Dutch language used by the Flemish Community; linguists generally treat Flemish as a set of regional dialects within Dutch rather than a separate language.

Flemish belongs to the Dutch language continuum and includes several regional dialects, such as West Flemish, East Flemish, Brabantian, and Limburgish varieties. While a standard form of Dutch is used in education, media, and formal writing in Flanders, everyday speech features distinctive pronunciation and vocabulary that reflect local speech. Mutual intelligibility with Dutch from the Netherlands remains high.

In Belgium, Dutch is an official language. The Flemish Community and Flemish Region govern language policy, culture, education, and public life in Flanders. The Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual (Dutch and French) and hosts Dutch institutions for the Flemish Community. The term Flemish also denotes the people who live in Flanders.

Etymology: the name derives from Flanders, a medieval county. Over the centuries, Flemish identity has developed around language, culture, and regional pride, while the underlying language remains Dutch.