Walloon

American  

[wo-loon] / wɒˈlun /

noun

1. one of a people inhabiting chiefly the southern and southeastern parts of Belgium and adjacent regions in France.

2. the French dialect spoken by the Walloons.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Walloons or their language.

Walloon British  

/ wɒˈluːn /

noun

1. a member of a French-speaking people living chiefly in S Belgium and adjacent parts of France Compare Fleming 1

2. the French dialect of Belgium

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Walloons or their dialect

Etymology

Origin of Walloon

< French Wallon, equivalent to wall- (≪ Germanic *walh- foreign; see walnut) + -on noun suffix

Example Sentences

The ruling coalition in Belgium's largely French-speaking Walloon region has announced that teachers in the higher tiers of secondary schools will have to work an extra two hours per week.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025

The research results that have just been published were made possible by the Walloon region's high-performance computing infrastructure, in particular the NIC5 supercomputer at the University of Liège.

From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2024

“But, I found that Cajun French reminded me of Walloon, an old language spoken in Belgium.”

From Washington Post • Apr. 3, 2023

"We are going to look at what are the responsibilities and what sanctions should be taken in light of that," Walloon minister for animal welfare Celine Tellier told Bel-RTL radio.

From Reuters • Jan. 30, 2023

He retailed the story then going the rounds about a man who spoke Walloon all right, arm bandaged, sling—all that sort of thing.

From The Messenger by Robins, Elizabeth