We are in the 16th century. In the highest spheres of society, nothing is more chic, concerning the figure three, than to say “hole” and no [troa]like today. Yes! It is that, at all times, the “good” pronunciation has been a matter of conventions. As proof, the great work Paris-Babel (1), that linguist Gilles Siouffi, professor at the Sorbonne, devoted to the history of languages spoken in the capital. I drew most of the illustrations that follow:
Do you want to automatically receive this newsletter? >> Click here
– From the 12th to the 17th century, a passionate quarrel opposed two camps about the good way to articulate certain words. Should we say a doleur or pain, doumage or sham, Thoumas or Thomas, Torner or Turn? The argument ignites “ouistes” and “non-open”, before we end up deciding, most often at the little bounheur luck …
– In the 16th century, among the aristocrats of the capital, the “A” tended to transform into “e”. We can thus hear “My Meri is in Péris” instead of “My husband is in Paris” while some “R” are back. “My mother” gives way to “my mothers”.
– While, at the end of the Middle Ages, “that” was always pronounced [k] (as in “four”), certain grammarians of the 16th century decide to modify the rule by imposing [kw]as in “Quartet”. But beware, only in front of the vowels “A” and “O” (otherwise, it would be too simple). Hence the current distinction between “distaff” and “aquatic”, and frequent hesitations in front of “almost” and “forty -year -old”.
– In the 18th century, the nobility and the bourgeoisie rise in power. By reaction, the high nobility chooses language conservatism. The city says “this man-cy” and “this year-like”? The court prefers to them “this man-web” and “this year-old”. For what ? Because !
– Most often, the wealthy classes make fun of the way of talking about the people. This is particularly the case with a parodic academy founded in the 18th century entitled The “Société du Bout du Banc”. This creates works where “bad” uses abound. “I’m going to write to you at the end of that a song, it is you who give me capable in mind”.
– In the 1790s, a certain golden youth simply decided to… delete the letter “R”. Those who call themselves the “Incayables” and the “Meveilleuses” say “Supeme”, “Hoible”, “Paso”. An extreme way of standing out from the ordinary, which tended to clearly pronounce this consonant.
– But, curiously, it happened that the nobility chooses to imitate the language of the people, especially in the second half of the 18th century. It was then for her to mark her difference vis-à-vis the bourgeois, whose influence was growing before the Revolution. In his Paris table (1781), the poet and journalist Louis-Sébastien Mercier is sorry: “Women today allow them [les “mots proscrits”]and swear like men, especially at the court “. The example, it is true, had come from above since Louis XV himself was loved to have big words.
-At the beginning of the 19th century, some textbooks deemed the respect of the connection in “the day before yesterday”. “Say: The day before yesterday, without pronouncing the-t!”, Thus enacted Jean Claude Poison Desgranges in The small dictionary of the people for the use of the four fifths of France.
– In the 20th century, in aristocratic families, it is fashionable to lengthen certain vowels: “We go to Tâââtable?”
-After the Second World War, perhaps under the influence of existentialists, the “O” are transformed into “EU”: “Les Eureilles”, “Le Beaujelais”, “La Meunnaie”. We also press the double consonants: “a summit”, “an addition” and even “the llettres”!
– At the same time, in popular Parisian circles, on the contrary, we tend to crush certain vowels (“B’soir m’sieus lady”) and to transform certain “a” o “or into” e “(” la gor montpernesse “)
Do not believe that these practices are reserved for the past. Even today, such conventions are used and sometimes turn to discrimination. In 2018, an editorial manager of France Television thus justified his refusal to initiate a journalist who would have a strong accent of Perpignan (I respect his diction): “Well, no, I am not going to take it, because we do not understand what it is said”. The “faulty” joints of a Catalan? Inadmissible. Those of a Parisian? No problem…
Finally, be aware that the progress of reading has also changed uses. Under the influence of writing, we have collectively started to pronounce “silent” letters which had been added in an etymological approach, but which we did not hear. This is how orally, “Psalm” replaced “Saum”, “When”, “Lorque” and “Baril”, “Bari”.
Incayable, but vai!
Find videos devoted to French and the languages of France on My YouTube channel
(1) Paris-Babel, linguistic history of a world cityby Gilles Siouffi. South acts.
On the side of the French language
The formula “I don’t know that is who” will she become widespread?
Not necessarily, according to linguist Mathieu Goux. Overall, he underlines, the formulations taught in school tend to maintain itself in writing and in sustained conversations while the released turns take place in other circumstances, as observed for “car” and “car”. The important thing is to know when to use each other.
Have you ever encountered the word “compersion”?
This term designates the feeling experienced when we are delighted with the happiness of others. In other words, it would be the opposite of jealousy. A neologism that does not convince our colleagues from Figaro.
“The stuttering allowed me to become who I am”
In the film The plume From Jennifer Devoldère, recently released, Joachim Arseguel embodies a worker who takes confidence in him thanks to a teacher who entrusts him with the role of Cyrano de Bergerac. In life, Joachim Bégaie too and has long been harassed at school.
On the side of minority languages
Basque, Catalan, Creole, Occitan … What if you have a license in the regional language?
Less known than licenses in foreign languages, licenses in regional languages, however, offer many outlets, as recalled by this article of The Student.
Next opening of the first college in the Breton language of Ille-et-Vilaine
La Bouëxière, near Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), will welcome the very first Diwan college in the department in September. Ille-et-Vilaine was the last Breton department not to shelter an establishment of this type.
A parliamentary mission to assess the MOLAC law
A senatorial information mission is looking at the implementation of the MOLAC law on regional languages - the only one ever voted on this subject since the creation of the Fifth Republic. Its rapporteurs is Karine Daniel, PS senator from Loire-Atlantique, and Max Brisson, Senator LR of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
Notice to Donald Trump: the language of Greenland is the Greenlander
Donald Trump, who has just made English the only official language in the United States, intends to get their hands on Greenland. An island which benefits within Denmark from an autonomous territory status and the only official language of which is Greenlanders.
Let’s find ourselves in Villefranche-de-Rouergue on April 1
“Why and how to save regional languages?” It is this question that I will try to answer on Tuesday April 1 at 6.30 p.m. at the Azur/Vox Blue Cinema, Boulevard de Gaulle.
Listen
“It does not exist, the accents ‘not pretty'”
This is what the linguist Médéric Gasquet-Cyrus recalls in this program of the network here. “It’s a social judgment […] This is terrible what certain people have undergone in the different regions of France: it is discrimination because in a professional environment, it happens that one tells someone: ‘But no, you will not be able to do the media spoken because you have an accent’. “
To look
In this short video, Laurent Labadie explains how, under the influence of troubadours, the term “aur” has given way to his “love” cousin, from the language of OC.
React, debate and find more info on the languages of France on The Facebook page dedicated to this newsletter
.