Norman language


Norman or Norman French is, depending on classification, either a French dialect or a Romance language which can be classified as one of the Oïl languages along with French, Picard and Walloon. The name "Norman French" is sometimes used to describe not only the Norman language, but also 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. This intelligibility was largely caused by the Norman language's planned adaptation to French orthography.

History

When Norse Vikings from modern day Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland arrived in the then-province of Neustria and settled the land that became known as Normandy, these Germanic-speaking people came to live among a local Romance-speaking population. In time, the communities converged, so that Normandy continued to form the name of the region while the original Normans became assimilated by the Gallo-Romance people, adopting their speech. Later, when conquering England, the Norman rulers in England would eventually assimilate, thereby adopting the speech of the local English. However, in both cases, the élites 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 /h/ and /k/ 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, "La Reyne 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, de 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 lierreof 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 sth. dirty
iloc iloc, ilueclàthere
itel / intelitelsemblablesimilar
liementliement, liéementtranquillementquietly, peacefully
maishîmaishui, meshuimaintenant, désormaisnow, from now on
manuyauncemanuianceavoir la jouissance, la possessionto have enjoyment
marcaundiermarcandierrôdeur, vagabondprowler, walker
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 get sth. 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 deprive sb. with sth.
trétoustrestuztous, absolument tousall, absolutely 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

Norse influences

Examples of Norman words of Norse origin:
EnglishNorman FrenchOld NorseScandinavian reflexesFrench
baitbaite, bète, abètebeitabeita, beite, bete appât; boëtte
beach grass, dune grassmilgreu, melgreu*melgrös, pl. of *melgrasmelgrös, pl. of melgras oyat
currantgade, gadelle, gradelle, gradillegaddʀcassis, groseille
damp, humidmucremykr myk humide
down dun, dum, dumet, deumetdúnndúnn, dun duvet
dune, sandy landmielle, mièlemelʀmelur, mile, mjele, mjälla dune, terrain sableux
earthnut, groundnut, pignut, peanutgénotte, gernotte, jarnotte*jarðhnotjarðhneta, jordnød, jordnöt, jordnøtt terre-noix
islethommet/houmethólmʀhólmur, holm, holme îlot, rocher en mer
mound houguehaugʀhaugur, haug, hög, høj monticule
ness neznesnes, næs, näs cap, pointe de côte
seagullmauve, mave, maôvemávaʀ mávar , måge, måke/måse, mås mouette, goëland
slide, slipgriller, égriller, écriller*skriðlaoverskride, skrilla, skriða, skride glisser
wicket viquet, víkvík, vig, vik guichet

In some cases, Norse words adopted in Norman have been borrowed into French – and more recently some of the English words used in French can be traced back to Norman origins.

English influences

Following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the Norman and other languages and dialects spoken by the new rulers of England were used during several hundred years, developing into the unique insular dialect now known as Anglo-Norman French, and leaving traces of specifically Norman words that can be distinguished from the equivalent lexical items in French:
EnglishNorman FrenchFrench
cabbage< caboche= chou
castle< castel = château-fort, castelet
catch< cachier = chasser
cater< acater= acheter
cauldron< caudron= chaudron
causeway< caucie = chaussée
cherry < cherise = cerise
fashion< faichon= façon
mug< mogue/moque= mug, boc
poor< paur= pauvre
wait< waitier = gaitier
war< werre = guerre
warrior< werreur = guerrier
wicket< viquet= guichet

Other borrowings, such as canvas, captain, cattle and kennel, exemplify how Norman retained Latin /k/ that was not retained in French.
In the United Kingdom, Acts of Parliament are confirmed with the words "La Reyne le veult", or "Le Roy le veult and other Norman phrases are used on formal occasions as legislation progresses.

Norman immigration

Norman immigrants to North America also introduced some "Normanisms" to Quebec French and the French language in Canada generally. Joual, a working class sociolect of Quebec, in particular exhibits a Norman influence.