The Politics of Limburgish: Provincial Debate and Bottom-Up Practices of Belonging

This paper investigates if the institutional promotion of Limburgish contributes to the construction of regional identity in the Dutch province of Limburg, and if/how it influences processes of social inclusion and exclusion. It combines theoretical concepts of regional identity, performativity, othering, and belonging with a discourse analysis of a Provincial Council debate, and some survey findings. The findings show that Limburgish is symbolically framed as a marker of pride, authenticity, and cultural intimacy. While many L1 or 2L1 speakers experience it as reinforcing regional belonging, those lacking proficiency report structural exclusion, particularly in informal spaces. The paper concludes that language policy in Limburg does more than support heritage; it actively shapes who is included as a Limburger and who is not. We recommend inclusive strategies that acknowledge both the symbolic value and social effects of dialect use in regional identity-making.