Belgian toponymy

Many place names in Belgium have a toponymy translated into many languages related to the animated history of Belgium.

In addition to the French, the Flemish , the Dutch, the Walloon , translations also exists in English, Spanish or in German, even for localities of small size or hamlets even of the localities. Sometimes the translations do not have anything to see between them on the plan of the direction.

Sometimes the “translation” is only one change of C-W communication, volunteer (Hélécine for Heylissem , Opheylissem ) or history ( Crainhem , old Flemish C-W communication corresponding to the form current Dutchwoman: Kraainem ). Sometimes the direction changes: Silly becomes Opzullik (either “Haut-Silly”) and Bassilly becomes Zullik (or “Silly”).

Sometimes the direction remains well the same one, but is not necessarily any more included/understood. Thus Hour-the-Tixhe (toponym which is opposed to Hour-the-Romain, “the novel”) is a Walloon C-W communication where - xh- represents a H aspired. Tixhe thus represents Ti-He is “Thiois”, that Dutch translates into diets .

The translated names of certain villages which do not comprise a station or of stagnation point are seldom used: Perwijs for Perwez, Deurne for Tourinnes-the-Gross or conversely Overyssche for Overijse. Thus, Tronchiennes (for Drongen ) will meet almost exclusivent in the bulletins of radio guidance and the folders of the railroad.

In the same way the translations could be done in the incomprehension of the initial significance of the toponym: the street which leads to Rhode-Saint-Genesis with Uccle calls the street Rouge (in fact “of Rhode”, Rodestraat - in Dutch rood means red), the street of Paris with Leuwen was the perâstroet , preistraat or street of Leeks, located under the market, and Our-Lady-with-Wood does not have anything any more to see with Jezuseik (the oak of Jesus).

Along the linguistic Border current, the toponymic alternatives are legion. In the area bordering on the Payotteland, names evoke well the mobility of this border even in areas currently located in French-speaking territory (Walloon). See for example the case of Marcq.

The use of translations and old C-Ws communication of the names of Flemish communes is very frequent among French-speaking people of Belgium who go on vacation to Coxyde, Blankenberghe , the Breakdown or the Cock (for respectively: Koksijde , Blankenberge, Of Breakdown and De Haan ).

List principal translations of Belgian localities

Whatever the official language of the locality (French, Dutch, German), the French form is given in entry, and the other forms in the second place.

On included in the list certain forms relative to localities close to the Belgian border and participant, or having taken part, with some title that it is, with the life of the localities now Belgian (examples: Fauquemont , Montjoie ).

Certaines of the forms provided here is or was not very used (example: Néau for Eupen ) or left use (examples: Saventhem for Zaventem , Maestricht for Maastricht ).