▁pron oun . ▁▁ ▁> ▁▁ ▁Early ▁di ph th ong ization ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁. ▁ ▁T ended ▁towards ▁Rh in eland ic ▁and / or ▁Lim burg ish ▁in ▁the ▁eastern most ▁areas , ▁with ▁um la ut ▁of ▁long ▁v ow els ▁and ▁di ph th ongs . ▁This ▁in ▁turn ▁led ▁to ▁stronger ▁use ▁of ▁um la ut ▁as ▁a ▁gram mat ical ▁feature , ▁in ▁for ▁example ▁dimin ut ives . ▁ ▁L ack ▁of ▁um la ut ▁ ▁> ▁ ▁before ▁, ▁in ▁western ▁vari eties . ▁ ▁F lem ish ▁ ▁F lem ish , ▁consisting ▁today ▁of ▁West ▁and ▁East ▁F lem ish ▁and ▁Zealand ic , ▁was ▁spoken ▁in ▁the ▁County ▁of ▁Fland ers . ▁Though ▁due ▁to ▁their ▁inter medi ary ▁position ▁between ▁West ▁F lem ish ▁and ▁B rab ant ian , ▁the ▁East ▁F lem ish ▁dialect s ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁grouped ▁with ▁the ▁latter . ▁F lem ish ▁had ▁been ▁influ ential ▁during ▁the ▁earlier ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁( the ▁" F lem ish ▁expansion ") ▁but ▁lost ▁prest ige ▁to ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁B rab ant ian ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁Its ▁characteristics ▁are : ▁▁ ▁Front ed ▁real isation ▁ ▁for ▁â . ▁ ▁Un r ounding ▁of ▁rounded ▁front ▁v ow els . ▁ ▁L oss ▁of ▁, ▁with ▁the ▁occas ional ▁hyper cor re ction ▁found ▁in ▁texts . ▁ ▁Open ing ▁di ph th ong ▁art ic ulation ▁of ▁ ê