By Sarah-Claire Jordan
For most people, French is the language of France, and that’s the end of the discussion. However, just like Spain and many other western European countries, France was once a land made up of different tribes of people who spoke different languages. This still rings true today, as France has 27 different “régions”, which can be more or less equated to states or provinces. Many régions have their own histories that go beyond being a part of France, and have managed to retain their own identity in the form of culture and sometimes language.
That being said, you can probably guess by now that there are more languages spoken in France than just French. There are many different dialects of French, but beyond that, there are languages that many only share a language family with French and have no other connection with it. Here are four different languages spoken in France that are very different from French:
1. Corsican
Corsican is an interesting language because it is native to an island that belongs to France, but enjoys more autonomy than other parts of the country. It was ruled by the Republic of Genoa until France annexed it in 1769. Since it is so close to Italy, Corsica retains a lot of the Italian culture, which is also present in the language spoken on the island, Corsican. It probably developed from the Tuscan dialect of Italian, which soon developed into Italian. Corsican is also spoken on the Italian island of Sardinia.
2. Gallo
Gallo is one of the “langues d’oïl”, or oïl languages, of France. They form a dialect continuum, which includes standard French, but Gallo is still considered a separate regional language of France. It is spoken mostly in the areas of Brittany, Normandy, and Maine, and was originally the language of those areas before Standard French was imposed in the educational system. Gallo is still spoken today, with some signs even using both French and Gallo in certain areas. It isn’t as visible as Breton, however.
3. Breton
Breton is actually an Insular Celtic language, meaning a Celtic language that can trace its origins to the British Isles. Along with Gallo, it is a regional language of the Brittany region of France. Up until the 19th century, there weren’t many regulations regarding the use of languages such as Breton. However, the governments of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth republics wanted to get rid of minority languages, including Breton. It hasn’t quite recovered, and is considered an endangered language.
4. Alsatian
Alsatian is another regional language recognized in France, and is spoken in the Alsace region of the country. It is a West Germanic language that belongs to the Alemannic German branch. The Alsace region of France changed hands between France and Germany over the years, so it makes sense that the native language of the area would be related to German. Alsatian is related to Swiss German and other Alemannic German languages.
If you encounter any of these languages when dealing with a French client, you know you can count on Alpha Omega Translation to have a team of translators and interpreters who can help you manage your business dealings.