The various Belgian provinces have great variations in the form of Flemish they speak.
It is not only on Dutch programmes shown on Belgian T.V that subtitles are necessary,someone from Oost Vlanderen will have difficulty understanding someone from West Vlanderen.That is between Gent and Ypres.
As I said, Flemish was "trapped " in a time warp,having been a forbidden language for many years when technical terms were entering the language.
To go for so long without any printed material had a very limiting effect on what had been a living language.
It is over forty years since we lived in East Flanders near Gent and the influence of Dutch language programmes on the television has most probably had a very modernising effect on Flemish.
I do however find it a pity that everyday words which echo Old English
should be lost.
A Fleming will always try to help and will speak French if necessary whilst as Walloon will refuse to admit they can speak Flemish despite it being taught in schools.
Flemings talk to one another in their local dialect but will use ABN,the formal form of. Dutch for business etc. They also have good English.
Dutch altered and progressed but Flemish stood still,due to no fault of Flemish speakers.
Imagine being forbidden to speak your mother tongue.
T he same thing happened to Scots and Irish Gaelic .England forbade them.
But that is another matter.
Viktoria.