As a Flemish expat (from Antwerp), I decided last year to make a series of short comic videos with a comrade about what can happen to expats in Thailand.
They are videos of about 5 minutes, spoken in Antwerp. It concerns two grumpy characters who whine and complain, but the intention is of course to laugh.
The first episode revolves around immigration and the 90 day notification.
THE EXPATS: Episode 01 “Immigration Grace”
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Delicious! Even if you have to get through the Antwerp language. Keep it up!
Just beautiful.
Very professionally filmed, the dialogues in the really juicy 'Aantweirps' dialect. Two top comic characters. I still want to see that. The Antwerp dialect is by the way one of the most juicy Flemish dialects, together with the 'sung' Flemish Limburgish dialect.
That “peirdenoewg”…. I don't know if they would understand that in the Netherlands? Stands for a 'speigelei', but in Flanders it is generally a horse's eye.
Thank you…. 🙂
We recorded 4 more and if there is a demand for them, I will post them as well.
These are not informative videos, but they are *attempts* to make you laugh.
Hélaba Addie, Westvloams is at the top. But then I fear that the video will have to be subtitled 🙂
Dear Frederick,
I understand that everyone loves their part of the Flemish country and dialect. But I don't think it is right to nominate West Flemish as number 1 of the Flemish dialects. I would rather call it the least understandable dialect for a non-West Flemish person, together with the 'bullshit Walloon'.
In West Flemish it still depends on: the left or the right bank of the IJzer. The left bank, BACHTE DE KUPE” takes the cake. With a use of words whose origin cannot even be traced. The origins of many Flemish dialect words can be traced, often from misshapen French.
An example: a “CABARDOESJ” (a brothel) comes from the French word CABARET DOUZE (12) and dates from the time of Napoleon. Then every public establishment was given a Cabaret number. A brothel was given Cabaret number 12.
Can you tell me where the word: 'PUPPEWALLE' (a West Flemish wheelbarrow) comes from?
I haven't been able to find that yet.
Dear Addie,
The right word is actually pupegaele.
This comes from a very old word: “pipe-gael” – dating back even to the Middle Ages.
– That pipe, that's a fork or a handle to push that thing with
– “Galan” would be Old English for carrying earth.
And the word pupugaele was not only related to West Flanders but was used everywhere in Flanders, even in the Duchy of Brabant!
Dialects contain a wealth of information but are unfortunately dying out.
Dear Willy and Ronny,
thanks for the good explanation.
However, I have never heard it used in East Flanders.
A wheelbarrow to transport earth is more likely to be called a Brewet from the French word Brouwette.
I have not been able to use it in the Mechelen dialect either.
In the Mechelen dialect this is “ne keurewaggel” 😉
But I spent my entire career in Ostend-Bruges-Zeebrugge in the Navy and you also learn something of the local language there. 🙂
“puppetalle”
Dictionary of the Dutch Language:
pipegale: Middle Dutch pipegale: A name for a wheelbarrow that is now well-known, especially in Southern West Flanders, but which was previously also in use elsewhere. The word, in addition to peeegaal, is also pronounced regionally as pupegale (see De Bo (1873) and Loquela (1907))
https://www.vlaamswoordenboek.be/definities/term/puppegalle
The Flemish dictionary
https://www.vlaamswoordenboek.be/
and there are more dictionaries such as:
https://ivdnt.org/woordenboeken/historische-woordenboeken/woordenboek-der-nederlandsche-taal/
It's always wonderful to see those sketches. Glad they pass by here too.
Unfortunately for me as an Amsterdammer it is 95% unintelligible.
Dear Rob,
I can also understand Amsterdam perfectly, I come there at least once a year.
But this video makes me want to go to the bird market again this Sunday morning at some cafe or terrace in Antwerp. You have plenty of conversation material.
Then my answer is completely updated again.
great hahahaha