We can regret it, but it is thus: even in the small world of regional languages, there is a hierarchy. Generally, spontaneous respect is essential in front of the speaker of the Basque, Breton, Occitan and Corsica, a fortiori when the latter sports a hood and a machine gun (I joke!). Nothing like it, on the other hand, for the unfortunate Picardizer. Nine times out of ten, the unfortunate will be entitled (at best) to a very condescending “he is funny, your dialect”, accompanied by an exasperating smile of commiseration. And yet … This language has experienced an extraordinarily prestigious past, that it is probably not useless to recall:
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– The first literary text written in one of the languages of Oïl (1) was in Picard, not in “Parisian”. This is the Sequence of Saint Eulalie, work in verse Probably composed in 880 or in 881. intended to be read to the people in order to encourage them to venerate this Christian martyrdom, this Cantilena was sung in the abbey of Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, located in the current department of the North.
– In the 12th and 13th centuries, linguistic Picardy (2) has many writers, such as Adam de la Halle, Conon de Béthune or Jean Bodel. A situation which contrasts with that of Paris and Ile-de-France, where “there is not yet a comparable literary activity”, as the linguist Gilles Siouffi underlines his work Paris-Babelwhich retraces the linguistic history of our current capital.
– The same goes for the administrative level. In Paris, the King’s entourage has long hung on in Latin, the only language that scholars considered worthy of writing. Result: known as “Chièvres law”, the very first charter (written intended to record rights) written in one of the languages of Oïl is also Picardy and dates from 1194. Which makes Joëlle Ducos and Olivier Soutet say in their What do I know? Consecrated to the old and means of French: “Employed in literature, law, economics and diplomacy, Picard is not a simple geographic and regional variation, but one of the forms of fundamental French in written public acts.”
– The Picard is in no way a “deformation” of French, as some sometimes believe. Of course, the two varieties are close (they are both Oïl languages), but they correspond to two different developments in Latin, in the same way as Italian and Spanish.
– a number of Picard’s words have ended up influencing standard French: Caillou has supplanted French chaillou ; survivor the old recuperate. The dancers of French Cancan no doubt ignore it, but even their “legs” which charts so much tourists correspond to the Picardy form of “Juste”!
It was not until the 14th century that the variety of French people spoken in Paris will assert itself, a city strong from its 200,000 inhabitants and several prestigious institutions, from the court to the Sorbonne via high jurisdictions and the King’s Chancellery. “His way of writing is exported to Champagne, Normandy, Orleans,” said Gilles Siouffi. Picardy will be, north of the Loire, the last to resist. A literary tradition will however continue to maintain itself, by gradually specializing in the comic, satirical and even erotic genres in order to be able to express what was not possible to be in French.
Contrary to what we sometimes believe, the Picard is nevertheless always alive, and alive. The first album of Adventures ofAsterix in Picardy has exceeded 100,000 copies. A Dictionary of the Fundamental Picard was published in 2020. Assimil methods are successful. “There are many theater, tales and songs in Picard and songs, adds Olivier Engelaere, director of theRegional Picardy Language Agencywhich actively supports all these artists. And these are not only covers of works from the past: there are currently some 400 writers, who find their audience, including in literature. “
So many indicators that make it possible to think that this language, practiced in the old Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais regions (CHT’i is Picard!) Also has several hundred, thousands of speakers, even if no one can advance reliable figures. The state, anxious to hide its inaction in the matter, has not diligent a investigation into the subject since … 1999.
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(1) Latin languages spoken north of the Loire, including French, Picard, Burgundian, Normand or Gallo.
(2) This is much larger than the old administrative region Picardy and includes a large part of the old Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, notably Artois, Hainaut and the Romanesque part of Flanders.
On the side of the French language
How to strengthen the attractiveness of the French language?
Deemed “beautiful” and “romantic”, our language benefits from a “good image” with 85 % of the inhabitants of 12 countries questioned by Ipsos on the occasion of International Francophonie Day. However, it is only deemed “useful” by 53 % of respondents. An essential improvement axis to strengthen its attractiveness.
And if you participated in this Concour de nouvèles in an exploratory ortografe ?
Do you write in style without necessarily mastering spelling? You want to explore a Nouvèle Grafie ? This competition organized by the Collective of Linguists Applies is for you. To do this, write before the end of June a text of 10,000 characters on the “summer” theme. The news held will be published by Libertalia editions and the first three will receive a financial award.
63 % of French people wish to strengthen the Toubon law
“The challenges of digital and artificial intelligence have become preponderant today. Without regulation, these technologies are likely to standardize our methods of thinking and marginalize our language,” alerts Paul de Sinety. On the occasion of the delivery of his report to Parliament, the general delegate for the French language and the languages of France describes here the first actions undertaken to avoid this danger. And details its other priorities: the fight against illiteracy, the training of young people in speaking and the strengthening of the Toubon law aimed at protecting the French language, desired by 63 % of French people.
On the side of France’s languages
How French almost made regional languages disappear overseas
On the occasion of International Francophonie Day, Overseas the first returns to “violent linguistic policy” set up in order to make the ultramarian languages disappear.
The Rector of Corsica favorable to immersive education in public schools
“At least 30 new immersive classes” from here at the start of the next school year in the whole of Corsica. This is the very proactive commitment that the Rector of Corsica has just taken on RCFM radio. “The public service must carry this linguistic fight and carry it in the strongest, the most assertive way, in particular by developing the immersive,” said Rémi-François Paolini, paying tribute to the work already done while wishing “to go further”. Words all the more positive as, traditionally, the public school is satisfied in the best of cases of bilingual education (time parity).
Catalan language schools saved… for the moment
Immersive schools in Catalan of Bressola owe their survival only to financial support for public authorities. A rescue obtained justly which offers them only a stay.
Take part in EuròcVision in Gascohna
Encourage the creation of songs, poems and tales in Gascon. This is the ambition of a new project EuròcVision in Gasconha (Eurovision in Gascogne) which will give rise to a recording, the broadcast of a CD, a tour and concerts.
What recognitions for the Menor (IS) tongues?
As part of a conference organized by the Reclam collective on this theme in Bordeaux from November 17 to 19, a call for communication is launched in the following seven languages: French, Portuguese, Spanish, Occitan Gascon, Basque, Guarani and English. The proposals must be sent before April 13 to the address [email protected]
Listen
When words circulate from one language to another
According to trade, wars, migration and colonizations, words regularly pass from one language to another. The Frenchman offers a perfect illustration, as the linguist Bernard Cerquiglini recalls in this France Culture program.
To look
Elise Desbordes and Perynn Bleunven write songs in Breton on pop, hip-hop, r’n’b or jazz rhythms. The proof with this concert that they gave during the Priziou, the Annual ceremony in favor of the Breton language. Among the winners (which we will find here the complete prize list): Gweltaz Duval-Guennoc, which uses Breton in computer science and artificial intelligence; Nerzh Glas, a sweeping company that has a site and a communication in Breton or Ronan Hirrien, director of a fifty-two documentary.
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