Walloon Language in the Belgian Socio-Cultural Environment – History and Modern State

Introduction. The purpose of the article is to analyze the socio-cultural significance of the Walloon language and the degree of its presence and use in everyday and online communication in Belgium, as well as to describe the formation of its literary tradition. The scientific novelty of the work results from the original approaches to determining the stages of development and formation of literary genres in the Walloon language, as well as to identifying various strategies aimed at supporting it through socio-cultural initiatives of both ordinary citizens and several associations and organizations. Since the peculiarities of the linguistic situation in Belgium - a state uniting Romance and Germanic languages, invariably attract linguists, the stated topic seems very relevant, and the appeal to sociolinguistics, literary studies, language policy and history give the study an interdisciplinary character. Methodology and sources. The study is based on various linguistic and historical sources, together with literary works and media resources written in the Walloon language on the territories of the modern Kingdom of Belgium. The methods used in this study are descriptive, comparative and classification methods. Results and discussion . Walloon region is the birthplace of many famous and talented writers. Literary genres in the Walloon language are diverse, and the areas of its use vary from theaters and Internet sites to everyday communication and language speaking clubs. However, modern Walloon still faces the problem of language norm: the difference in dialects is noticeable not only in original works, but also in translated literature. Conclusion . The Walloon language is endangered owing to the small number of speakers among young people, but it should be noted that the Belgian authorities and philological activists support the country's minor languages. Unfortunately, the adherents of the Walloon language have the official opportunity to preserve and spread it only as a regional language.