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| (photo via Somewhere in the Middle) |
Belgium is a country with a pretty complex identity. Crammed in between a handful of other countries that have been in and out of fights since the beginning of history, Belgium is geographically predisposed to being a melting-pot of cultures. It's no surprise then that the country is home to lots of languages and dialects.
Did you know that Belgium:
Doesn't use one language. The three most commonly used languages are French, Dutch, and a bit of German.
Is a word that originated from a combination of English, Dutch, and Celtic root words, which combined loosely mean "the people who swell with anger/battle fury."
Is divided into Northern and Southern regions called Flanders and Wallonia.
Has many, many municipalities that speak a variety of languages including Flemish, Walloon, Picard, Champenois, Lorrain, Low Dietsch, Luxembourgish, Yiddish, and English.
Was once occupied by the Belgae, a Celtic tribe who hypothetically spoke Ancient Belgian ... probably in something like this sweet ancient castle.
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| (photo via ACM Photography) |
Bonus: Here's how you can say cheers in Belgium ... depending on where you are.
Dutch: Op uw gezondheid
French: A votre santé
German: Prost
Sources: linked
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