“There’s good Banania”; “You’re a bad white guy.” Whether in advertising or in Tintin in the Congowe have all been confronted one day or another with what we call the “French little nigger”. And for my part, I have long been convinced that it was a sort of sabir distorted by Africans trying to speak our language. I was very wrong, as I learned from readinga book that I recommend (1). In reality, this unique language was developed by… the French army.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE THIS NEWSLETTER AUTOMATICALLY? >> Click here
It actually all dates back to the 19th century. At this time, France recruited soldiers in its colonies that it called “Senegalese tirailleurs” (whether or not they came from Senegal, but let’s move on). A question quickly arises: what language to use within these units? Classic French? You don’t think about it! “How could we expect a black man, whose language is of rudimentary simplicity […]quickly assimilates such a refined idiom […] than ours?”, writes administrator and linguist Maurice Delafosse bluntly.
So we decided to create from scratch a simplified French, consistent with the supposed intellectual level of the local soldiery. A newspeak which, it is certain, will allow French-speaking officers to “make themselves understood in a short time by their men, to give their theories a form intelligible to all and thus to intensify the progress of instruction”, as indicated in 1916 a military manual precisely entitled French as our Senegalese riflemen speak it.
Here are some characteristics, corresponding to the recommendations of Maurice Delafosse:
– Replace the present tense with the infinitive > “talk to me”.
– Mark the negation with the single word “not” > “don’t eat him”.
– Multiply the expressions “y a” or “y en a” > “me y a dit”.
– Generalize the use of the verb “win” > “woman there he won belly” (this woman is pregnant).
– Borrow from popular French and maritime terminology: “mirer” instead of “regarder”; “moor” instead of “attach”.
But History can be a joke… In practice, in fact, this “simplified French” will turn out to be much more complex than ordinary French. Judge instead. Instead of saying “The sentry must position himself to see well and let himself be seen”, it is advisable to express it as follows: “Sentinel needs to find a good place. There is no way for the enemy to look at him. There is a way to look at him any sector for him”. Three sentences instead of one! The Great Mute will also end up recognizing her error. On July 7, 1926, the very official Provisional regulations prohibits any use of “little nigger” speech.
And yet… Excluded from the army, this stereotype continued to be used throughout the 20th century in literature, cinema, advertising, comics, postcards… In one of her songs, Edith Piaf puts by example in scene a “poor Negro” expressing himself thus: “I didn’t want to leave the country/I wanted to see the big boat” (2).
Imperial France has always been wary of school
The term “little nigger” is obviously indicative of the racist thinking of the time, but its existence also calls into question France’s general discourse on colonization. Why, in fact, should we have resorted to it if, as we claimed, our country had indeed brought the “lights of civilization” to local populations? Historians have long established the false nature of this story (which Clemenceau had already refuted in his time). With a strong argument: nowhere has there been widespread schooling. And nowhere was it free before the Second World War. The figures bear this out. In 1924, French West Africa had more than 12.5 million people, but less than… 28,000 students, or 1 in 500 inhabitants (there are 1 in 5 in France today).
In reality, the few public schools were reserved for a small minority called upon to assist the colonial administration. “The students of the “schools of the sons of chiefs” were destined, after their studies, to serve as intermediaries between the settlers and the local communities, occupying a very enviable position, which generated prestige and material advantages. […] while being themselves subject to colonial power”, writes the historian Rozenn Milin (3).
In reality, Imperial France was always wary of schools, for fear that mastering French would give dangerous ideas to local populations. “When Jules Ferry wanted to generalize compulsory primary school in the three Algerian departments, he encountered fierce opposition from the French living there,” recalls linguist Jacques Dürrenmatt (4). The fear of fueling independence aspirations will always be the strongest. Paradoxically, it was after independence that the teaching of French really took off, our language being seen as an opening to the world and a gateway to higher education.
When I told you that History could be a joke…
FIND VIDEOS DEDICATED TO FRENCH AND THE LANGUAGES OF FRANCE ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL
(1) French is oursby Maria Candea and Laélia Véron (Editions La Découverte)
(2) The poor Negro’s great journey.
(3) From the hoof to the monkey skull, History, modalities and consequences of the imposition of a dominant language: Brittany, Senegal and other territories, by Rozenn Milin. Doctoral thesis in sociology, Rennes 2 University, directed by Ronan Le Coadic and Ibrahima Thioub.
(4) Bescherelle Chronology. The history of the French language, under the direction of Jean Pruvost, Editions Hatier.
See also
Linguistics and colonialisms. Glottopol n° 20. July 2012, under the direction of Cécile Van den Avenne.
Non-language and literature. The example of little-negro speakingby Ozouf Senamin AmedegnatoIn The linguistic imagination in literary, political and media discourses in Africaunder the direction of Musanji Nglasso-Mwatha. Bordeaux University Press Editions.
Read elsewhere
Martinican justice reaffirms the primacy of French over Creole
The administrative court of Fort-de-France annulled on Thursday October 3, 2024, a deliberation of the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique which, in May 2023, had recognized the Creole language as a co-official language of the island.
Cultural dictionary of the sea and the navy
From A for “aak” (sailing river boats used in the Netherlands) to Z for “zugite” (sailors who, in the ancient fighting galleys of Athens, handled the oars of the middle rank), this extraordinary dictionary offers us on nearly 1,000 pages, a unique adventure in the world of the sea and oceans. With entries devoted to Baudelaire, the Relief Society and sea works, jellyfish, the island of Ouessant and the half-hour hourglass. A sum that is both erudite and accessible.
Cultural dictionary of the sea and the navyby Pascal-Raphaël Ambrogi (Editions Honoré Champion).
“The contradictions of the French monolingual ideal”
This will be the theme of the talk given by linguist Michel Launey on October 22 at 6 p.m. at Paul-Valéry University in Montpellier (room A 105). An intervention which will make it possible to understand the supposed advantages of monolingualism (convenience for the functioning of the State, strengthening of national unity) but also its limits, in particular the relegation of regional or overseas languages and attacks on human rights . Here is the zoom link to the videoconference.
Emmanuel Macron insists on the economic role of French
“If the 330 million people we have today in our space will double in the coming decades, it is because this will make French a profoundly attractive language in terms of commercial and economic power,” declared the head of state on the occasion of the francophonie summit which has just been held in Villers-Cotterêts. The evil spirits noticed that he had not pronounced the expression “s.tart up nation »…
Martinican justice reaffirms the primacy of French over Creole
The administrative court of Fort-de-France annulled on Thursday October 3, 2024, a deliberation of the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique which, in May 2023, had recognized the Creole language as a co-official language of the island.
Follow this conference on regional languages
A conference entitled “Regional, overseas and minority languages: what linguistic emergencies?” will be held at the initiative of linguist Coraline Pradeau on October 9, 10 and 11, on the Mont-Saint-Aignan campus of the University of Rouen Normandy (between the Maison de l’Université and IRHIS). The plenary conferences can be followed live on this link: https://webtv.univ-rouen.fr/lives/en-direct-de-la-maison-de-luniversite/
Immerse yourself in the Picardy ch’festival of ech Bieuvaisis
Music, dances, songs, stories, readings and ballads will highlight the Picardy language and culture in Beauvaisis, from October 11 to 20.
Take part in an immersive Gascon course
For the fourth consecutive year, Ací Gasconha and the CFPÒC are organizing an intensive Gascon course on October 22, 23 and 24 at the Tivoli Cultural Center in Anglet (Pyrénées-Atlantiques). A great way to improve your level.
The Occitan ostal in Narbonne celebrated its 10th anniversary
The Occitan ostal de Narbonne was created in 2014 by the will of Mayor Didier Mouly; his deputies Yves Penet and Jean-Marie Orrit; by Jacky Grau, president of Convergencia narbonesa and Joan-Peire Laval, president of Pais Nostre. It has become a true cultural center around the Occitan language and serves as headquarters for five regionalist associations.
Francophonie of the territories, local roots, international influence
The Francophonie is also being built in local authorities. In this study by the Terram Institute, Benjamin Boutin lists the public and private actors who, on the ground, are involved in this project. And highlights their effects: cultural animation, national cohesion, decentralized cooperation. He also makes proposals to give it more strength.
What if we returned French to the people?
“I got up at 5 o’clock.” So begins the Housekeeper’s Diarywritten by Pierre-Yves Roubert in a style reminiscent of that of the glazier Jacques-Louis Ménétra whom I mentioned in this newsletter on September 3. A way for him to pay tribute to the illiterate people with whom he worked as a public writer and trainer. The opportunity, also, to call for a simplification of the written French language “in order to return it to the people”. You can read the first episode here.
To watch
“But what is the difference between a dialect and a regional language?”
This is the question addressed by this conference organized at the Strasbourg faculty on September 20, at the initiative of Pascale Erhart, director of the department of Alsatian and Moselle dialectology.
What are the summits of the Francophonie for?
This short educational video from RFI allows us to better understand the challenges of these summits which often seem unnecessary. And in which geopolitics plays a major role.
REACT, DEBATE AND FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THE LANGUAGES OF FRANCE ON the Facebook page dedicated to this newsletter.
.