Norman language


Norman or Norman French is a langue d'oïl spoken in the historical and cultural region of Normandy.
The name "Norman French" is sometimes also used to describe the administrative languages of Anglo-Norman and Law French used in England. For the most part, the written forms of Norman and modern French are mutually intelligible. The thirteenth-century philosopher Roger Bacon was the first to distinguish it along with other dialects such as Picard and Bourguignon.
Today, although it does not enjoy any official status outside of Jersey, some reports of the French Ministry of Culture have recognized it as one of the regional languages of France.

History

When Norse Vikings from modern day Scandinavia arrived in Neustria, in the western part of the Kingdom of the Franks, and settled the land that became known as Normandy, these North-Germanic–speaking people came to live among a local Gallo-Romance–speaking population. In time, the communities converged, so that Normandy continued to form the name of the region while the original Norsemen were largely assimilated by the Gallo-Romance people, adopting their speech but still contributing some elements from Old Norse language and Norse culture. Later, when conquering England, the Norman rulers in England would eventually assimilate, thereby adopting the speech of the local English. In both cases, the elites contributed elements of their own language to the newly enriched languages that developed in the territories.
In Normandy, the Norman language inherited only some 150 words from Old Norse. The influence on phonology is disputed, although it is argued that the retention of aspirated and in Norman is due to Norse influence.

Geographical distribution

Norman is spoken in mainland Normandy in France, where it has no official status, but is classed as a regional language. It is taught in a few colleges near Cherbourg-Octeville.
In the Channel Islands, the Norman language has developed separately, but not in isolation, to form:
The British and Irish governments recognize Jèrriais and Guernésiais as regional languages within the framework of the British–Irish Council. Sercquiais is in fact a descendant of the 16th-century Jèrriais used by the original colonists from Jersey who settled the then uninhabited island.
The last first-language speakers of Auregnais, the dialect of Norman spoken on Alderney, died during the 20th century, although some rememberers are still alive. The dialect of Herm also lapsed at an unknown date; the patois spoken there was likely Guernésiais.
An isogloss termed the "Joret line" separates the northern and southern dialects of the Norman language. Dialectal differences also distinguish western and eastern dialects.
Three different standardized spellings are used: continental Norman, Jèrriais, and Dgèrnésiais. These represent the different developments and particular literary histories of the varieties of Norman. Norman may therefore be described as a pluricentric language.
The Anglo-Norman dialect of Norman served as a language of administration in England following the Norman conquest of England in 1066. This left a legacy of Law French in the language of English courts. In Ireland, Norman remained strongest in the area of south-east Ireland, where the Hiberno-Normans invaded in 1169. Norman remains in use for some very formal legal purposes in the UK, such as when the monarch gives royal assent to an Act of Parliament using the phrase, "Le Roy le veult".
The Norman conquest of southern Italy in the 11th and 12th centuries brought the language to Sicily and the southern part of the Italian Peninsula, where it may have left a few words in the Sicilian language. See: Norman and French influence on Sicilian.
Literature in Norman ranges from early Anglo-Norman literature through the 19th-century Norman literary renaissance to modern writers.
, the Norman language remains strongest in the less accessible areas of the former Duchy of Normandy: the Channel Islands and the Cotentin Peninsula in the west, and the Pays de Caux in the east. Ease of access from Paris and the popularity of the coastal resorts of central Normandy, such as Deauville, in the 19th century led to a significant loss of distinctive Norman culture in the central low-lying areas of Normandy.

Old French influences

Norman French preserves a number of Old French words which have been lost in Modern French. Examples of Norman French words of Old French origin:
Norman FrenchOld FrenchFrenchMeaning
alosieralosierse vanter, se targuerto brag, to pride oneself on
ardreardre, ardeirbrûlerto burn
caeircaeir, caïr«choir», tomberto drop, to fall over
calengiercalungier, chalongier
négocier, débattreto negotiate, to argue
d'otod, otavecwith
de l'hierre
de l'hierru 		de l'ieredu lierrefrom the ivy / some ivy
déhaitdehaitchagrin, malheurgrief, hardship
ébauber, ébaubiresbaubirétonnerto surprise
éclairgiresclargieréclaircirto lighten
écourreescurre, escudresecouerto shake, to mix
essourdreessurdre, exsurdreéleverto raise, to lift
haingre haingremaigrethin, skinny
haingue haengehainehatred
haiset haisebarrière or clôture de jardin faites de branchesgarden fence
herdreerdreadhérer, être adhérant, collerto adhere, to stick
hourderordersouillerto make something dirty
iloc iloc, ilueclàthere
itel / intelitelsemblablesimilar
liementliement, liéementtranquillementquietly, peacefully
maishîmaishui, meshuimaintenant, désormaisnow, from now on
manuyauncemanuianceavoir la jouissance, la possessionto enjoy
marcaundiermarcandierrôdeur, vagabondprowler, stalker
marcauntiermarcantiermouchard, colporteurcanary
marganermarganermoquerto make fun of, to mock
marganiermarganiermoqueur, quelqu'un qui se moquemocking, teasing
méhainmeshaing, mehainmauvaise disposition, malaiseloss of consciousness, feeling of faintness
méhaigniémeshaigniémalade, blessésick, injured
mésellemeselelèpreleprosy
mésiau or méselmesellépreuxleper
moûtrermustrermontrerto show
muchiermuciercacherto conceal / to hide
nartre nastretraîtretraitor
nâtre nastreméchant, cruelmean, nasty
nienterie nienterieniaiserienonsense, insanity
ordeortsaledirty
ordirordirsalirto dirty
paumpe pampeen normand: tige
en anc. fr.: pétale		petal
souleirsoleir«souloir», avoir l'habitude deto have habit of / to get used to
targier or tergiertargiertarderto be late / slow
tîtretistretisserto weave
tolirtolirpriver, enleverto remove, to take away
trétoustrestuztous, absolument tousall of / each and every

Examples of Norman French words with -ei instead of -oi in Standard French words
Norman FrenchStandard FrenchMeaning
la feirela foirefair
la feisla foistime
la peirela poirepear
le deigtle doigtfinger
le dreitle droitright
le peivrele poivrepepper
aveir avoirto have
beireboireto drink
creirecroireto believe
neir noirblack
veir voirto see

Examples of Norman French words with c- / qu- and g- instead of ch- and j in Standard French
Norman FrenchStandard FrenchMeaning
la cauchela chausse, la chaussureshoes
la cosela chosething
la gaumbela jambeleg
la quièvrela chèvregoat
la vaquela vachecow
le catle chatcat
le câtel le châteaucastle
le quienle chiendog
cachierchasserto chase / to hunt
catouillerchatouillerto tickle
caudchaudhot