Walon
Walloon
Romance (Gallo-Romance, Oïl)
Walloon is one of the langues d'oïl, sister to French. It has been written since the 16th century and preserves several Latin features lost in French, particularly in vowel quality. Liège (Lîdje in Walloon) is a key cultural center. Recognized regionally by Belgium since 1990 but no longer regularly transmitted to children. About 600,000 speakers.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Walloon
Water
aiwe
/ˈajwə/
Fire
feu
/fø/
Sun
solea
/soˈlea/
Moon
lune
/ˈlyn/
Star
stoele
/stwɛl/
Mother
mame
/mam/
Father
pére
/peːʁ/
I
dji
/dʒi/
You
ti
/ti/
Name
no
/no/
Eye
ouy
/uj/
Hand
min
/mɛ̃/
Heart
cour
/kuːr/
Love
amour
/aˈmuːr/
Tree
åbe
/ˈɔːb/
House
måjhon
/mɔːˈʒõ/
Dog
tchin
/tʃɛ̃/
Cat
tchèt
/tʃɛ/
Eat
magnî
/maˈɲi/
Drink
boere
/bweːr/
One
onk
/õk/
Two
deus
/dø/
Hello
bondjoû
/bõˈdʒu/
Thank you
mèrci
/mɛrˈsi/
Good
bon
/bõ/
Cuckoo
coucou
/kuˈku/
Computer
ordinateur
/ɔʁdinaˈtøʁ/
Sushi
sushi
/ˈsuʃi/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Romance (Gallo-Romance, Oïl) languages
| Meaning | Walloon | Old French | Jèrriais | Guernésiais | French (Ivorian) | Norman | French (Québec) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aiwe /ˈajwə/ | eve /ˈɛːvə/ | ieau /jo/ | ieau /jo/ | eau /o/ | ieau /jo/ | eau /o/ |
| Fire | feu /fø/ | feu /fø/ | feu /fø/ | fû /fy/ | feu /fø/ | feu /fø/ | feu /fø/ |
| Sun | solea /soˈlea/ | soleil /soˈleʎ/ | solé /sɔˈle/ | solé /sɔˈle/ | soleil /sɔlɛj/ | solé /sɔle/ | soleil /sɔlɛj/ |
| Moon | lune /ˈlyn/ | lune /ˈlynə/ | leune /løːn/ | leune /løːn/ | lune /lyn/ | leune /løn/ | lune /lʏn/ |
| Star | stoele /stwɛl/ | estoile /esˈtoilə/ | êtaile /etɛl/ | êtaile /etɛl/ | étoile /etwal/ | êtaile /etɛl/ | étoile /etwɑl/ |
| Mother | mame /mam/ | mere /ˈmɛrə/ | mère /mɛːr/ | mère /mɛːr/ | mère /mɛʁ/ | mère /mɛːʁ/ | mère /mɛːʁ/ |
| Father | pére /peːʁ/ | pere /ˈpɛrə/ | péthe /peːð/ | pére /peːr/ | père /pɛʁ/ | père /pɛːʁ/ | père /pɛːʁ/ |
| I | dji /dʒi/ | je /dʒə/ | jé /ʒe/ | jé /ʒe/ | je /ʒe/ | jé /ʒe/ | je /ʒə/ |
| You | ti /ti/ | tu /ty/ | tu /ty/ | tu /ty/ | tu /ty/ | tu /ty/ | tu /tsy/ |
| Name | no /no/ | nom /nõ/ | nom /nɔ̃/ | nom /nɔ̃/ | nom /nɔ̃/ | nom /nɔ̃/ | nom /nɔ̃/ |
| Eye | ouy /uj/ | oeil /œʎ/ | yi /ji/ | yeu /jø/ | œil /œj/ | yi /ji/ | œil /œj/ |
| Hand | min /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃j/ | main /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃/ | main /mɛ̃/ |
| Heart | cour /kuːr/ | cuer /kwɛr/ | tchoeu /tʃœ/ | tcheur /tʃœr/ | cœur /kœʁ/ | tcheu /tʃø/ | cœur /kœːʁ/ |
| Love | amour /aˈmuːr/ | amor /aˈmor/ | amour /aˈmuːr/ | amour /aˈmuːr/ | amour /amuʁ/ | amour /amuʁ/ | amour /amuːʁ/ |
| Tree | åbe /ˈɔːb/ | arbre /ˈarbrə/ | bouais /bwɛ/ | bouais /bwɛ/ | arbre /aʁbʁ/ | arbre /aʁbʁ/ | arbre /aːʁbʁ/ |
| House | måjhon /mɔːˈʒõ/ | maison /maiˈzõn/ | maîson /mɛˈzɔ̃/ | maison /mɛˈzɔ̃/ | maison /mɛzɔ̃/ | maîson /mɛːzɔ̃/ | maison /mɛzɔ̃/ |
| Dog | tchin /tʃɛ̃/ | chien /tʃjɛn/ | tchian /tʃjɑ̃/ | tchian /tʃjɑ̃/ | chien /ʃjɛ̃/ | tchian /tʃɑ̃/ | chien /ʃjɛ̃/ |
| Cat | tchèt /tʃɛ/ | chat /tʃat/ | cat /kat/ | cat /kat/ | chat /ʃa/ | cat /ka/ | chat /ʃa/ |
| Eat | magnî /maˈɲi/ | mangier /manˈdʒjer/ | mangi /mɑ̃ˈʒi/ | mangier /mɑ̃ˈʒje/ | manger /mɑ̃ʒe/ | mangi /mɑ̃ʒi/ | manger /mɑ̃ʒe/ |
| Drink | boere /bweːr/ | boivre /ˈbojvrə/ | baithe /baɪð/ | baire /bɛːr/ | boire /bwaʁ/ | baithe /baɪð/ | boire /bwɑːʁ/ |
| One | onk /õk/ | un /yn/ | ieune /jøːn/ | yun /jœ̃/ | un /œ̃/ | ieune /jøn/ | un /œ̃/ |
| Two | deus /dø/ | deus /døs/ | deux /dø/ | deux /dø/ | deux /dø/ | deux /dø/ | deux /dø/ |
| Hello | bondjoû /bõˈdʒu/ | salut /saˈlyt/ | bouônjour /bwɔ̃ˈʒuːr/ | bouônjour /bwɔ̃ˈʒuːr/ | bonjour /bɔ̃ʒuʁ/ | bouônjour /bwɔ̃ʒuʁ/ | allô /alo/ |
| Thank you | mèrci /mɛrˈsi/ | merci /mɛrˈsi/ | mèrcie /mɛrˈsi/ | mercie bian /mɛrˈsi bjɑ̃/ | merci /mɛʁsi/ | mèsi /mɛsi/ | merci /mɛʁsi/ |
| Good | bon /bõ/ | bon /bõn/ | bouôn /bwɔ̃/ | boan /bwɑ̃/ | bon /bɔ̃/ | boun /bun/ | bon /bɔ̃/ |
| Cuckoo | coucou /kuˈku/ | cucu /kuˈky/ | coucou /kuˈku/ | coucou /kuˈku/ | coucou /kuku/ | coucou /kuˈku/ | coucou /kuku/ |
| Computer | ordinateur /ɔʁdinaˈtøʁ/ | — | — | — | ordinateur /ɔʁdinatœʁ/ | — | ordinateur /ɔʁdzinatœʁ/ |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | harenc sor /aˈrɛŋk ˈsɔr/ | — | — | sushi /suʃi/ | — | sushi /suʃi/ |
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