Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One of a people of Celtic ancestry inhabiting southern and southeast Belgium and adjacent regions of France.
  • noun The Romance language traditionally spoken by the Walloons, descended from the Langue d'oïl and closely related to French. The use of Walloon has declined in modern times, and many Walloons now speak French in daily life.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun [lowercase] A disease of the tobacco-plant in which the leaves assume an abnormal erect position, regarded as due to an excess of moisture followed by drought.
  • noun A member of a people found chiefly in southern and southeastern Belgium, also in the neighboring parts of France, and in a few places in Rhenish Prussia near Malmedy. They are descended from the ancient Belgæ, mixed with Germanic and Roman elements.
  • noun In America, especially colonial New York, one of the Huguenot settlers from Artois, in northern France, etc.
  • noun A French dialect, spoken by the Walloons of Belgium, France, etc.
  • Of or pertaining to the Walloons: as, the Walloon language.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun The Romance language commonly spoken until the middle of the 20th century in parts of southern Belgium and northern France (around Givet).
  • noun An inhabitant of Wallonia, of Belgian nationality, nowadays generally French-speaking, but also possibly German-speaking.
  • noun An inhabitant of the region of southern Belgium and northern France (around Givet), usually of Belgian nationality.
  • adjective Referring to the French-speaking people of southern Belgium and parts of northern France.
  • adjective Referring to the Romance language spoken by this people.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a dialect of French spoken in Belgium and adjacent parts of France
  • noun a member of the French-speaking people living in Belgium

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French Wallon, from Old French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German walah, speaker of a Romance language and Old English wealh, foreigner, Celt.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French wallon, from Old High German ᚹᚨᛚᚺᚨ (walha, "foreigner, stranger, speaker of Celtic or Latin"), from Proto-Germanic *walhaz.

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Examples

  • The term Walloon 'was also used in the late 18th and the 19th century to refer to French-speakers who migrated to the

    Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium - Recent changes [en] 2008

  • There is currently an effort to revive Walloon dialects: some schools offer language courses in Walloon, which is also spoken in some radio programmes, but this effort remains very limited.

    Citizendium, the Citizens' Compendium - Recent changes [en] 2008

  • Although this is home to Walloon, that is by no means the only language spoken there;

    Interesting Thing of the Day 2008

  • But we don't speak now of "Walloon" as a distinctive language, and "Flemish" has shared the same fate.

    How Flemish Is It? Tritter, Daniel F. 2001

  • "Mrs. Morel was an extreme example of someone who was very popular, very well-known at least, in the Flemish side of the country, but totally unknown — really totally unknown — in the Walloon region, and even for journalists she was totally unknown," Mr. Leterme said, adding that he doesn't think she was an extremist.

    Belgium's Leterme Pushes Back Against Germany Matthew Dalton 2011

  • From the start of the story, Simenon emphasizes the contrast between Roger's father's French-speaking Walloon family and his mother's Flemish relations.

    The Mastery of Georges Simenon 2010

  • Having diversified their production, Walloon companies rank among the world leaders in their respective fields.

    The Truth About Modern Wallonia 2011

  • Roger's parents, the houses the family inhabited in the working-class district of Outremeuse, the schools Roger attends, the aunts and uncles and cousins of his extended Flemish-Walloon family, the Russian and Jewish lodgers his mother takes in, are all just like those in Simenon's life.

    The Mastery of Georges Simenon 2010

  • Although he is up on the latest gadgets and methods, he often invokes his Walloon grandmother.

    A chef's Bon-Bon voyage J. S. Marcus 2011

  • "I have been a favorite before," said Evans, the road race world champion who also won the Walloon Arrow cycling classic last month.

    Cadel Evans favorite to win Giro d'Italia 2010

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