France is a fascinating country, with many different dialects and languages. It is not unusual for an individual to speak several of these languages fluently. The most common are French and English, but there are also regional varieties such as Picard, Norman, Walloon, Lorrain, Alsacien-Lorraine and Breton. Some of these are recognised by the French government as regional languages, giving them protection under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Breton and Occitan are two examples which have this status. You’ll see that people in Brittany speak a form of Celtic dialect called Breton, whereas those from Provence speak Occitan – both languages with Germanic origins despite their Romance language roots.
In addition to other cultures’ influences on the region such as English and Latin, one thing is clear: France’s linguistic diversity has been shaped by its geography over time! Take a look at some more great content on our blog now 🙂
- Is not usually for an individual to speak several of these languages fluently
- Regions are not the same: some regions in France don’t speak any of these languages
- One thing is clear: france’s linguistic diversity has been shaped by its geography over time! take a look at more great content on our blog now
This blog post is about the languages spoken in France. It begins by noting that there are three major linguistic groups: Romance, Celtic and Germanic; though most French people identify as monoglot speakers of French. The article notes how many regions have their own language or dialects, such as Breton (Celtic) and Occitan (Germanic). This diversity has come about through centuries of invasions from other cultures – one example being Latin – each adding to this rich culture’s mix. It concludes with a list of content for readers to explore on the blog if they’re interested in more information on France’s diverse languages! These include posts discussing British English influence on certain words used in America and what it means to be “Francophone” vs. being a speaker of French.
The blog post begins by noting that there are three major linguistic groups: Romance, Celtic and Germanic; though most French people identify as monoglot speakers of French. The article notes how many regions have their own language or dialects, such as Breton (Celtic) and Occitan (Germanic). This diversity has come about through centuries of invasions from other cultures – one example being Latin – each adding to this rich culture’s mix.It concludes with a list of content for readers to explore on the blog if they’re interested in more information on France’s diverse languages! These include posts discussing British English influence on certain words used in America and what it’s like to learn a language’s regional dialect.
Visit our other blog post for more information on France’s diversity of languages:
French place names are often unpronounceable or difficult to understand because they have different origins and use similar letters, such as Ouwegem being pronounced “Owiegem.” Breton is the Celtic language that originated in Brittany. It has two main variants: Gwenedeg and Kerneveg (or just “brittanyt). The former was influenced by Cornish and Welsh, while the latter was influenced by Norman. There are also some borrowings from Latin into this language which were introduced through Christianization efforts with missionaries during the Middle Ages! Learn more about Breton here
Norman is a dialect of the Oïl language group that was brought to England by French settlers. It shares many ties with Picard, Walloon, and Angevin (another regional dialect). Not only does it borrow words from these languages, but also has its own unique vocabulary – such as “spider” being translated as “araignée.” Learn more about this language’s roots in Normandy here Welsh is a Celtic language that descends from the languages spoken by tribes in Britain before Roman occupation. The Romans, however, brought their own dialect of Latin to this region and had an enormous influence on what would become one of Europe’s oldest living languages.
Learn more about the history of Welsh here
Cornish is only marginally similar to Breton or other regional dialects of France (Gallo) which are classified as Oïl languages because it was influenced heavily by Brythonic rather than Gallic – but they do share some similarities! You can learn more about it here:
The Welsh language is part of the Celtic family and descends from the languages spoken by tribes in Britain before Roman occupation. The Romans, however, brought their own dialect of Latin to this region and had an enormous influence on what would become one of Europe’s oldest living languages. Cornish is only marginally similar to Breton or other regional dialects of France (Gallo) which are classified as Oïl languages because it was influenced heavily by Brythonic rather than Gallic – but they do share some similarities! You can learn more about it here: Brittanyt has its roots in Brittanic culture coming from England during the Dark Ages when Jutes invaded Britany
The modern Welsh language stems from the Brythonic branch of Celtic languages which are related to both Cornish and Breton. More about roots here:
What are the French saying?
The French speak a variety of dialects, one being Oïl or Continental Romance Languages. This is not because they are in Europe; it’s just that this group of languages is very large and includes many other European countries as well! Their linguistic influences stem largely from Latin speakers such as Gaul (modern France) who invaded them during Roman rule.
French has been heavily influenced by several different invaders over its long history including Vikings, Franks, Normans, Germans, Anglo-Saxons and Italians – but their influence was quite
