Picardisch in het Vlaams/Nederlands

Abstract

This paper traces the evolution and integration of Picardian elements into Flemish, showing how many modern Flemish words and family names originate from Picardian forms, not standard French. Picardian influence on Middle Dutch orthography and phonology can be traced in Middle Dutch spellings form Flanders, with examples such as plache (D. plaats, ‘place’) and family names like Franchois from François. Additionally, the article highlights how Picardian preserved the Latin plosive k that evolved into a fricative ch in some other French dialects and later standard French, as seen in canter (Fr. chanter, ‘to sing’) and capiau (Fr. chapeau, ‘hat’). Also, some regional pronunciation variations, such as 'Pierre' evolving to 'Pire', are explained. Overall, the analysis suggests that many words traditionally attributed to French are more accurately derived from Picardian, emphasizing the profound linguistic interconnections between Flemish and Picardian dialects.