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Franco-Provençal (Francoprovençal) or Arpitan (in vernacular: patouès) (in Italian: francoprovenzale, provenzale alpina, arpitano, patois; French: francoprovençal, arpitan, patois) is a Romance language with several dialects in a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue d'Oïl and Langue d'Oc. The name Franco-Provençal was given to the dialect group in the 19th century because it shared features of French and Provençal without belonging to either. Although the name of the language is well established, there is some dissatisfaction with it. The modern name Arpitan has achieved some currency for the language in recent years.

Today, the largest number of Franco-Provençal speakers reside in the Aosta Valley Autonomous Region of Italy. The language also is spoken in alpine valleys in the Province of Turin, two isolated towns in the Province of Foggia, and rural areas of the Suisse-Romande region of Switzerland. It is classified as a regional language of France and constitutes one of the three great Romance languages of France although its use is low.

The number of speakers has been declining significantly. According to UNESCO (1995), Franco-Provençal is a "potentially endangered language" in Italy and an "endangered language" in Switzerland and France.

  • Words of Franco-Provençal origin that are found in English include:
avalanche, chalet, glacier, moraine, and névê.

Description

Franco-Provençal is an independent Romance language, neither French nor Provençal (Occitan), with several distinctive dialects. The linguistic boundaries, and even the validity of the language group, were debated for decades after it was recognized in the 19th century, but general consensus about its status is now solidly established. Although contemporary use of the language has declined measurably in Italy, Switzerland, and especially in France, Franco-Provençal has maintained several lexical forms since its early origins.

Classification

An alternate classification for Franco-Provençal to the one produced by SIL International (Gordon, 2005) appears below. It was published by the highly respected Language Universals Project of Stanford University, Department of Linguistics (Ruhlen, 1987):

Indo-Hittite > Indo-European > Italic > Latino-Faliscan > Romance > Continental > Western > Gallo-Iberian-Romance > Gallo-Romance > North > Franco-Provençal.

History

Franco-Provençal emerged from a Gallo-Roman variety of neo-Latin. The linguistic region covers three-quarters of the territories controlled by the Allobroges, an ancient pre-Roman people. This area includes east-central France, the Suisse-Romande, and the Aosta Valley and adjacent alpine valleys in the Piedmont of Italy.

Early manuscripts reveal that Franco-Provençal has existed at least since the 12th century, possibly diverging from Langue d'Oïl as early as the 8th or 9th centuries (Bec, 1971). One writer has detected the influence of Basque by analyzing "fossil words" ("mots fossiles") from toponyms and the dialect language in the Aosta Valley (Krutwig, 1973, in: Henriet, 1997, p. 30). However, Franco-Provençal adhered conservatively to Latin linguistic conventions as it developed, primarily remaining a spoken language. The modern patois of its speakers continues to reflect medieval terms for many nouns and verbs, including: pâta for "rag", bayâ for "to give", moussâ for "to lie down", etc. Désormaux, writing on this subject in the foreword of his excellent Savoyard dictionary states:

"The antiquated character of the Savoyard patois is striking. One can note it not only in phonetics and morphology, but also in the vocabulary, where one finds numerous words and directions that clearly disappeared from French." (Constantin & Désormaux, 1982).

Franco-Provençal never achieved the greatness of its three larger neighbors; French, Occitan, and Italian. Communities where speakers lived were generally mountainous and isolated from one another. The internal boundaries of the entire linguistic domain were shattered by wars and religious conflicts. France, Switzerland, the Franche-Comté (protected by Spain), and the duchy - later kingdom - ruled by the House of Savoy divided the region politically. The strongest possibility for any dialect of Franco-Provençal to establish itself as a major language died when an edict, dated 6 January 1539, was confirmed in the parlement of the Duchy of Savoy on 4 March 1540. The edict explicitly replaced Latin (and by implication, any other language) with French as the language of civil law and the judiciary (Grillet, 1807, p. 65).

Franco-Provençal dialects were widely spoken in their domain until the 20th century. As French political power expanded, and communication and transportation improved, speakers abandoned their patois, which had numerous spoken variations and no standard orthography, in favor of the "educated" French.

Several events have combined to stabilize the language in the Aosta Valley Automous Region (Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta) of Italy during the last half-century. The economy of grew modestly from 1951 to 1991 enabling the population to increase. The language is protected by a 1979 statute that allowed decisions to made locally. It also has been incorporated into the school curriculum. Several cultural groups, libraries, and theater companies actively using the Valdôtain dialect have fostered a sense of ethnic pride (EUROPA, 2005). On the other hand, the alpine valleys of the Piedmont region have been losing speakers due to lack of jobs and migation.

Franco-Provençal has had a precipitous decline in France. The official language of the French Republic is French (article 2 of the Constitution of France). The French government officially acknowledges Franco-Provençal as one of the "Languages of France" (External link: DGLF ) but it is constitutionally barred from ratifying the 1992 European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ECRML) that would guarantee it certain rights. Thus, Franco-Provençal has almost no political support. It also carries a generally low social status. This is the same situation that affects most regional languages that comprise the linguistic wealth of the nation. Speakers of regional dialects are aging and mostly rural.

Since 2004, Aliance culturèla arpitana (Arpitan Cultural Alliance), an organization founded in Lausanne, Switzerland, has worked to increase the visibilty of Arpitan, promote unified orthographic standards, and publish works in the language.

Origin of the Language Name

The language region was first identified during advances in linguistics research during the 19th century. Graziadio Isaia Ascoli (1829-1907), a pioneering linguist in dialect studies, researched the unique phonetic and structural characteristics of numerous spoken dialects. In an article written about 1873 and published later, he offered a solution to existing disagreements about dialect frontiers and proposed a new linguistic region. He placed it between the Langue d'Oïl group of languages, whence came the appellation Franco, and the Langue d'Oc group, whence came the appellation Provençal, and gave Franco-Provençal its name.

Ascoli (1878, p. 61) described the language in these terms in his defining essay on the subject:

« Chiamo franco-provenzale un tipo idiomatico, il quale insieme riunisce, con alcuni caratteri specifici, più altri caratteri, che parte son comuni al francese, parte lo sono al provenzale, e non proviene già da une confluenza di elementi diversi, ma bensì attesta sua propria indipendenza istorica, non guari dissimile da quella per cui fra di lora si distinguono gli altri principali tipi neo-latini. »

"I call Franco-Provençal a type of language which brings together, along with some characteristics which are its own, characteristics partly in common with French, and partly in common with Provencal, and which are not due to a late confluence of diverse elements, but on the contrary, attests to its own historical independence, little different from those by which the principal neo-Latin * languages distinguish themselves from one another."

Although the name "Franco-Provençal" is misleading, it continues to be used in most journals for the sake of continuity. Some contemporary speakers and writers prefer the name Arpitan because it underscores the independence of the language and does not imply a union to any other established linguistic group. Arpitan is derived from an indigenous word meaning "alpine." It was originally popularized by Mouvement Harpitanya, a political group in the Aosta Valley.

The language is called "patouès" (patois) or "nosta moda" by native speakers. Some Savoyard speakers also call their language "sarde." This is a colloquial term, used because their ancestors were subjects of the Kingdom of Sardinia ruled by the House of Savoy. (Savoie and Haute-Savoie were annexed by France in 1860.)

Number of Speakers

The Franco-Provençal dialect with the greatest population of active daily speakers is Valdôtain (Valdoten). Approximately 68,000 speak the language in the Valle d'Aosta region of Italy according to reports conducted after the 1981 census. The alpine valleys of the adjacent province of Turin have an estimated 22,000 speakers. The Faetar dialect is spoken by just 1,400 speakers who live in an isolated pocket of the province of Foggia in the southern Italian Apulia region (Figures for Italy: EUROPA, 2005.)

Various dialects are used by about 7,000 speakers in rural areas of the cantons of Geneva, Valais, Vaud, Neuchâtel, and Fribourg in Switzerland. However, they are primarily used as a second language. (Figures for Switzerland: Gordon, 2005.)

Until the mid-19th century, Franco-Provençal dialects were the most widely spoken language in their domain in France. Today, regional vernaculars are limited to a small number of speakers in secluded towns. A 2002 report by the INED (Institut national d’études démographiques) states that the language loss by generation, that is, “the proportion of fathers who did not usually speak to their 5-year-old children in the language that their own father usually spoke in to them at the same age” was 90%. This was a greater loss than any language in France; a loss called "critical." The report estimated that fewer than 15,000 speakers in France were handing down some knowledge of Franco-Provençal to their children. (Figures for France: Héran, Filhon, & Deprez, 2002; figure 1, 1-C, p. 2.)

Franco-Provençal Domain

The historical linguistic territory of Franco-Provençal includes the following areas (also see: Jochnowitz, 1973):

France

Switzerland

Italy
  • the Aosta Valley (place name in Franco-Provençal: Val d'Outa; in Italian: Valle d'Aosta; in French: Val d'Aoste), with the exception the Walser valley in Gressoney.
  • the alpine heights of the Province of Turin in the Piedmont basin which includes the following communities: Ala di Stura, Alpette, Balme, Cantoira, Carema (Carème), Castagnole Piemonte, Ceres, Ceresole Reale (Cérisoles), Chialamberto (Chalambert), Chianocco (Chanoux), Coassolo, Coazze, Corio, Frassinetto, Germagnano (St-Germain), Giaglione (Jaillons), Giaveno, Gravere (Gravière), Groscavallo, Ingria, Lanzo Torinese (Lans), Lemie, Mattie, Meana di Susa, Mezzenile, Monastero di Lanzo, Noasca, Novalesa (Novalaise), Pessinetto, Pont Canavese, Ronco Canavese, Rubiana, Sparone, Susa (Suse), Traves, Usseglio (Ussel), Valgioie (Valjoie), Valprato Soana (Valpré), Vénaus, Viù (Vieu).

Note: The southernmost valleys of Piedmont speak Occitan.

  • two enclaves in the Province of Foggia, Apulia (Puglia) region: the villages of Faeto and Celle di San Vito (where Faetar dialect is spoken).

Grammar

Note: The grammar, syntax, morphology, and orthography in this section follow Stich (2003) and Martin (2005).

Overview

Franco-Provençal has grammar similar to that of other Romance languages.

  • Unlike French and English which are predominantly analytic languages, Franco-Provençal is a basically synthetic language. (Occitan and Italian are moderately synthetic languages.) The verb has different endings for person, number, and tenses making the use of the pronoun unnecessary, however the third person singular form usually requires an appropriate pronoun for distinction.

  • Articles have three forms: definite, indefinite, and partitive. The partitive article is similar to the indefinite article, but is used for mass nouns, as in French. Articles and determiners agree in gender with the noun they reference.

  • Nouns are inflected by gender (masculine or feminine). Inflection by number (singular and plural) is clearly distinguished in feminine nouns, but not masculine nouns, where pronunciation is generally identical for those words ending with a vowel.
Note: To assist comprehension of written words, modern orthographers of the language have added an “s” to most plural nouns that is not reflected in speech. For example:
codo (masculine singular): ,
codos (masculine plural): ,
pôrta (feminine singular): ,
pôrtas (feminine plural): .

  • Pronouns agree in person, number, gender, and case. Although the subject pronoun is usually retained in speech, Franco-Provençal - unlike French or English - is a partially pro-drop language (null subject language), especially in first-person singular. Masculine and feminine third-person singular pronouns are notable for the extremely wide variation in pronunciation from region to region. Impersonal verbs for weather and time take the neuter pronouns "o", or "el" (a regional variant used before a word beginning with a vowel), which is analogous to "it" in English.

  • Adjectives agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.

  • Adverbs are invariable; that is, they are not inflected, unlike nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

Phonetic Characteristics

  • The placement of stressed syllables in the spoken language is a primary characteristic of Franco-Provençal that distinguishes it from French and Occitan. Franco-Provençal words take stress on the last syllable, as in French, or on the penultimate syllable, unlike French.

  • Franco-Provençal also preserves certain final vowel sounds, in particular "a" in feminine forms and "o" in masculine forms (where it is pronounced "ou" in some regions.) The word portar is pronounced or , with accent on the final "a" or "o", but rousa is pronounced , with accent on the "ou".

  • Vowels followed by nasal consonants "m" and "n" are normally nasalized in a similar manner to those in French, for example, chantar and vin in Franco-Provençal, and "chanter" and "vin" in French. However, in the largest part of the Franco-Provençal domain, nasalized vowels retain a timbre that more closely approaches the un-nazalized vowel sound than in French, for example, pan and vent in Franco-Provençal, compared to "pain" and "vent" in French.

Orthography

Franco-Provençal does not have a standard orthography. Most proposals follow French, which uses the Latin alphabet, plus five diacritics: the acute accent, grave accent, circumflex, diaeresis (trema), and cedilla; however, the ligature "œ" found in French is omitted.

Aimé Chenal and Raymond Vatherin wrote the first complete grammar and dictionary for any variety of Franco-Provençal based on the Valdôtain (Valdoten) dialect. It was published by Musumeci in 1984.

A recent standard entitled Orthographe de référence B (ORB) was proposed by linguist Dominique Stich with her dictionary by Editions Le Carré (2003). This is an emendation of her previous work published by Editions l'Harmattan (1998). The standard strays from close representation of Franco-Provençal phonology in favor of following French orthographic conventions, with silent letters and clear vestiges of Latin roots. However, it attempts to unify several written forms.

Word Comparisons

The chart below compares words in Franco-Provençal to those in selected Romance languages, with English for reference.

Between vowels, the Latinate "p" became "v", "c" and "g" became "y", and "t" and "d" disappeared. Franco-Provençal also softened the hard palatized "c" and "g" before "a". This lead Franco-Provençal to evolve down a different path from Occitan and Gallo-Iberian languages, closer to the evolutionary direction taken by French.

- bgcolor="#f9f9f9" 		Latin Franco-Provençal French Occitan Italian English
clavisclâclef / cléclauchiave key
cantarechantarchantercantarcantareto sing
capracabra / chiévrachèvrecabracapragoat
lingualengalanguelenga / lengualingualanguage
nox, noctisnuetnuitnuèit / nuèchnottenight
sapissavonsavonsabonsaponesoap
sudorsuarsuersusarsudoresweat
vitaviavievidavitalife
pacarepayerpayerpagarpagareto pay
plateaplaceplaceplaçapiazzaplaza
ecclesiaégléséégliseglèisachiesachurch
caseus (formaticum)tôma / fromâjofromageformatgeformaggiocheese

Numerals

Franco-Provençal uses a decimal counting system, like Occitan, Italian, and English. However, western dialects use a vigesimal (base-20) form for the word "eighty," that is, quatro-vingt , due to the influence of French.

The standard words for the numbers "sixty," "seventy," "eighty," "ninety" are: souessanta , sèptanta , huitanta , nonanta ; and for "sixteen" is: sèze .

Franco-Provençal Dialect List

Classification of Franco-Provençal dialect divisions is challenging despite regional similarities. Each canton and valley uses its own vernacular without standardization. Difficult intelligibility among dialects was noted as early as 1807 by Grillet.

  • Charolais (Franco-Provençal → Langue d'Oïl)
  • Mâconnais (Franco-Provençal → Langue d'Oïl)
France Switzerland Italy Transitional Dialects (France)

Dialect Examples

Several modern orthographic variations exist for all dialects of Franco-Provençal. The spellings listed below appear in Martin (2005), as do the IPA equivalents (from French) for the Savoyard and Bressan dialects that are listed in the last two columns.

- bgcolor="#f9f9f9" 		English Franco-Provençal Savoyard dialect Bressan dialect
Hello! Bonjor !
Good night! Bôna nuet !
Goodbye! A revêr !
Yes Ouè
No Nan
Maybe T-èpêr / Pôt-étre
Please S'el vos plét
Thank you! Grant marci !
A man On homo
A woman Na fena
The clock Lo relojo
The clocks Los relojos
The rose La rousa
The roses Les rouses
He is eating. Il menge.
She is singing. Le chante.
It is raining. O pluvinye.
It is raining. O brolyasse.
What time is it? Quint' hora est ?
What time is it? Quâl' hora qu'el est ?
It is 6:30. El est siéx hores et demi.
It is 6:30. El est siéx hores demi.
What is your name? Tè que vos éds niom ?
What is your name? Coment que vos vos apelâds ?
I am happy to see you. Je su bonéso de vos vér.
I am happy to see you. Je su content de vos vére.
Do you speak Patois? Prègiéds-vos patouès ?
Do you speak Patois? Côsâds-vos patouès ?

External links:

Atlas linguistique parlant d'une région alpine: entre francoprovençal et occitan - A multimedia website from Université Stendhal-Grenoble 3 with audio-clips of over 700 words and expressions by native speakers grouped in 15 themes by village. The linguistic atlas demonstrates the transition from Franco-Provençal phonology in the north to Occitan phonology in the south.

L'Atlas linguistique audiovisuel du Valais romand (ALAVAL) - A multimedia website from Université de Neuchâtel with audio and video clips of Franco-Provençal speakers from the Valais region of Switzerland.

Toponyms

The Franco-Provençal legacy survives primarily in place names. Many are immediately recognizable, ending in -az, -oz (-otz), -uz, -ax, -ex, -ux, -oux, and -ieux (-ieu). These suffixes indicate the stress syllables (based on a historical orthographic system considered obsolete by modern scholars). The terminal letter is rarely pronounced. For multi-syllabic names, “z” indicates stress on the second-to-the-last syllable, and “x” indicates stress on the last syllable, for example, Chanaz: ( shana ); Chênex: ( shèné ). Examples:

France
  • Ain: Outriaz, Lompnaz, Seillonnaz, Ordonnaz, Contrevoz, Culoz, Marboz, Niévroz, Oyonnax, Sonthonnax-la-Montagne, Gex, Echenevex, Perrex, Chevroux, Lescheroux, Jujurieux, Civrieux, Miserieux, Toussieux, Ceyzerieu, Lagnieu, Lompnieu, Pugieu.
  • Doubs: Saraz, Éternoz, Bolandoz, La Cluse-et-Mijoux, Montmahoux.
  • Jura: Saffloz, Vertamboz, Morez, Lajoux, Le Vaudioux.
  • Savoie: Chanaz, Sonnaz, Motz, Lovettaz, Séez, La Motte-Servolex, Ontex, Verthemex, Avrieux, Champagneux, Chindrieux, Ruffieux.
  • Haute-Savoie: La Clusaz, Viuz-en-Sallaz, Marcellaz, Aviernoz, Chevenoz, Charvonnex, Chênex, Seytroux, Combloux.
  • Rhône: Jarnioux, Ouroux, Rillieux-la-Pape, Grézieu-la-Varenne, Vénissieux, Meyzieu.
  • Loire: La Tour-en-Jarez, Razoux, Chénieux, Ecullieux, Aveizieux.
  • Isère: Vernioz, Proveysieux, Ornacieux, Brussieu, Courzieu, Monsteroux-Milieu.

Switzerland
  • Geneva: Athénaz, Bernex, Choulex, Onex, Laconnex, Saconnex, Troinex, Certoux.
  • Fribourg: La Brillaz, La Sonnaz, Chesopelloz, Neyruz, Pont-en-Ogoz.
  • Neuchâtel: Val-de-Ruz, Brot-Plamboz, Le Prevoux, Mutrux.
  • Valais: Arbaz, Dorenaz, Nendaz, Verossaz, Mazembroz, Vetroz, Nax, Bex, Mex, Vex, Massongex.
  • Vaud: Saubraz, Cerniaz, Penthaz, Tolochenaz, Cheserex, Trelex, Paudex.

Italy
  • Aosta Valley: Bionaz, Runaz, Lillaz, Cherolinaz, Dzovennoz, Echevennoz, Morgex, Planpincieux.

Literature

A long tradition of Franco-Provençal literature exists although a prevailing form of written language did not materialize and the number of works remain few throughout time. An early 12th century fragment of 105 lines from a poem about Alexander the Great may be the earliest known work. A mid-12th century epic of 10,002 lines, "Girart de Roussillon", has been asserted to be Franco-Provençal, and certainly contains Franco-Provençal features, although the editor of an authoritative edition claims the language is a mixture of French and Occitan forms (Price, 1998).

Also among the first historical texts are official acts of civil law notaries and witnesses that appeared in the 13th century as Latin was being abandonned as a common language. Two long sacred texts composed in Lyonnais dialect by Marguerite d'Oingt (ca. 1240–1310), a Carthusian prioress, are especially noteworthy. An excerpt from "The Life of the Virgin Saint Beatrix of Ornacieux" in her vernacular follows:

§ 112 : « Quant vit co li diz vicayros que ay o coventavet fayre, ce alyet cela part et en ot mout de dongiers et de travayl, ancis que cil qui gardont lo lua d'Emuet li volissant layssyer co que il demandavet et que li evesques de Valenci o volit commandar. Totes veys yses com Deus o aveyt ordonat oy se fit. »

Religious conflicts in Geneva between Calvinist Reformers and staunch Catholics, supported by the Duchy of Savoy, brought forth many texts in Franco-Provençal during the early 17th century. One of the best known was "Cé qu'é lainô" ("The One Above"), which was composed by an unknown writer in 1603. The long narrative poem describes a raid by the Savoyard army that generated patriotic sentiments. It became the unofficial national anthem of the Republic of Geneva. The first three verses follow (in Genevois dialect) with a translation:

Cé qu'è lainô, le Maitre dé bataille,
Que se moqué et se ri dé canaille;
A bin fai vi, pè on desande nai,
Qu'il étivé patron dé Genevoi.

The One above, the Master of the battles,
Who is mocked and laughed at by the rabble,
Made them see well, on a Saturday night,
That He was protector of the Genevese people.

I son vegnu le doze de dessanbro
Pè onna nai asse naire que d'ancro;
Y étivé l'an mil si san et dou,
Qu'i veniron parla ou pou troi tou.

They came on the twelfth of December,
On a night as black as ink;
It was the year sixteen-hundred-and-two,
That they speak of, at the earliest (hour).

Pè onna nai qu'étive la pe naire
I veniron; y n'étai pas pè bairè;
Y étivé pè pilli nou maison,
Et no tüa sans aucuna raison.

On the blackest night
They came - it was not for drinking -
To plunder our houses,
And to kill us without any reason.

Several writers created satirical, moralistic, poetic,comic, and theatrical texts during the years that followed, which indicates the vitality of the language at that time. These include: Bernardin Uchard (1575–1624), author and playwright from Bresse; Henri Perrin, comic playwright from Lyon; Jean Millet (1600?–1675), author of pastorals, poems, and comedies from Grenoble; Jacques Brossard de Montaney (1638–1702), composer of carols and comedies from Bresse; Jean Chapelon (1647–1694), a writer who produced of over 1,500 carols, songs, epistles, and essays from Saint-Étienne; and François Blanc dit la Goutte (1690–1742), writer of prose poems, including "Grenoblo maléirou" about the great flood in Grenoble in 1733.

Jean-Baptiste Cerlogne (1826–1910), abbot, is credited with reestablishing the cultural identity of the Valle d'Aosta with his poetry (including "L'infan predeggo", 1855) and early scholarly studies. (The Concours Cerlogne - an annual event named in his honor - has focused thousands of Italian students on preserving the region's language, literature, and heritage since 1963.)

Amélie Gex (1835, La Chapelle-Blanche, (Savoie)–1883, Chambéry), the great Savoyard poet wrote in her native patois, as well as French. She was a passionate advocate for her language. Her literary efforts encompassed lyrical themes, work, love, tragic loss, nature, the passing of time, religion, and politics, and are considered by many to be the most significant contributions to the literature. Her works include: "Reclans de Savoie" (Les Echos de Savoie, 1879), "Lo Cent Ditons de Pierre d’Emo" (Les Cent dictons de Pierre du bon sens, 1879), "Fables" (1898), and "Contio de la Bova" (Les Contes de l’Etable, -date?-). Some of her writings, in French, are still in print.

At the end of the 19th century, many people realized that regional dialects of Franco-Provençal were disappearing due to the expansion of the French language into all walks of life, and the emigration of rural people to urban centers. Cultural and regional savant societies began to collect folk tales, proverbs, and legends from native speakers in an effort that continues to today. Numerous works have been published. An excerpt from "Le renâ à Dâvid Ronnet" ("David Ronnet's Fox") from “Le Patois Neuchâtelois” (Favre, 1894, p. 196) appears below (in Neuchâtelois dialect):

« Aë-vo jamai ohyi contâ l'istoire du renâ que Dâvid Ronnet a tioua dé s'n otau, à Bouidry ? Vo peuté la craëre, è l'é la pura veurtâ.

''Dâvid Ronnet êtaë én' écofi, on pou couédet, qu'anmâve grô lé dzeneuillè; el é d-avaë mé d'èna dozân-na, avoué on poui que tsantâve dé viadze à la miné, mâ adé à la lévaye du solet. Quaë subiet de la métsance! mé z-ami ! E réveillive to l'otau, to lo vesenau; nion ne povaë restâ u llie quan le poui à Dâvid se boétàve à rélâ. Ç'tu poui étaë s'n orgoû.

Le gran mataë, devan de s'assetâ su sa sulta por tapa son coëur & teri le l'nieu, l'écofi lévâve la tsatire du dzeneuilli por bouèta feur sé dzeneuillé & lé vaër cor dè le néveau. E tsampâve à sé bêté dé gran-nè, de la queurtse, du pan goma dè du lassé, dé cartofiè coûtè, & s'amouésâve à lé vaër medzi, se roba lé pieu bé bocon, s'énoussa por pieu vite s'épyi le dzaifre. (...) »

"Have you ever heard (anyone) tell the story of the fox that David Ronnet killed at his house in Boudry? You can believe it; it’s the absolute truth.

David Ronnet was a cobbler, a bit hardworking, who liked chickens a lot; he had more than a dozen, with a rooster that crowed sometimes to midnight, but always at sunrise. What a racket, my friends! It woke the whole house, the whole neighborhood; no one could stay in bed when David’s rooster began screeching. This rooster was his pride.

Early in the morning, before sitting at his stool to beat his leather & draw out the wooden soles, the cobbler raised the door flap of the henhouse to put his chickens outside & to see them run on the porch. He threw his fowl some seeds, bran, bread soaked in milk, cooked potatoes, & enjoyed watching them eat, taking the biggest mouthfuls, enthusiastically (and) quickly fill their stomachs. (...)"

Prosper Convert (1852–1934), the bard of Bresse; Louis Mercier (1870–1951), folksinger and author of more than twelve volumes of prose from Coutouvre near Roanne; and Joseph Yerly (1896–1961) of Gruyères whose complete works were published in "Kan la téra tsantè" ("When the earth sang"), are known for their lively use of patois in the 20th century.

Those with an interest in seeing a familiar work in this rare language, may want to seek out "Lo Petsou Prince", an authorized edition of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's classic work "Le Petit Prince" ("The Little Prince") by Raymond Vatherin (translator), (Gressan, Aosta: Wesak Editions, 2000), ISBN 88-87719-00-4. The opening lines of part 2 of the tale follow (in Valdôtain dialect):

« L’y est chouë s-an, dz’ëro restà arrëto pe lo déser ci Sahara. Quaque tsousa se s’ëre rontu dedin lo moteur de mon avion. Et di moman que dz’ayò avouë mè mecanichen, ni passadzë, dze m’apprestavo de tenté, solet, euna reparachon defecila. L’ëre pe mè euna questson de via o de mor. Dz’ayò dzeusto praou d’éve aprë p’euna vouètèina de dzor.

La premiëre nët dze me si donque indrumi dessu la sabla a pi de meulle vouet cent et cinquante dou kilométre d’un bocon de terra abitàye. Dz’ëro bien pi isolà d’un nofragà dessu euna plata-fourma i menten de l’ocean. Donque imaginade mina surprèisa, a la pouinte di dzò, quan euna drola de petsouda voéce m’at revèillà. I dijet:

-- Pe plèisi...féi-mè lo dessin d’un maouton tseque ! »

The first comic book in Franco-Provençal (Savoyard dialect), "Le rebloshon que tyouè !" ("The cheese that kills!"), in the Fanfoué des Pnottas series, by Félix Meynet, illustrator, with Pascal Roman, text, was published in 2000 by Editions des Pnottas, ISBN 2-940171-14-9. Two comic books from The Adventures of Tintin have been translated into Franco-Provençal: "Lé Pèguelyon de la Castafiore" ("The Castafiore Emerald") in Bressan dialect, ISBN 2-203009-30-6, and "L'Afére Pecârd" ("The Calculus Affair") in Franco-Provençal ORB. Both books, originally written and illustrated by Hergé (Georges Remi), were published in 2006 by Casterman Editions.

Bibliography

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See also

External links

Language: (EN) English, (FP) Franco-Provençal, (FR) French, (IT) Italian.

Arpitan & ethnic sites

Dictionaries

Literature & analysis

Other sites

Franco-Provençal language

Frankoprovensaals | Arpitan | Francoprovençal | Franko-Provenzalische Sprache | Idioma franco-provenzal | Francoprovençal | Lingua francoprovenzale | アルピタン語 | Arpitanek | Francoprovençaals | Język franko-prowansalski | Franco-provençal | Франкопровансальский язык | Francopruvenzali | Frankoprovensalska | Francoprovinçå

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Franco-Provençal language".

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