Bourbonnais dialects
The Bourbonnais dialects are spoken in the historic region of Bourbonnais, located in central France and including the department of Allier the area surrounding Saint-Amand-Montrond, in southeastern Cher. This linguistic zone is located between those home to the languages of Oïl, Occitan, and Franco-Provençal.
Bourbonnais, an ambiguous term
There are two indigenous languages in Bourbonnais:- An Oïl language is spoken in two thirds of Allier, north of the line Montluçon – Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule – Lapalisse, and in the Bourbonnais part of Cher. The dialect has its origins in the Moulins, Allier area, Bourbon-l'Archambault, and Souvigny.
- Occitan languages are spoken south of Montluçon and near Gannat and Vichy. These are dialects of the Occitan langage of the Croissant in southern Bourbonnais and northern Limousin. They are on their way to be integrated into the French language. The scientific term for these idioms is Arverno-Bourbonnais, as they belong to the Auvergnat dialect linguistic zone, with a transition to the Oïl language.
- In the South-East, in the area of the Montagne Bourbonnaise, the local Occitan dialect is influenced by Franco-Provençal.
Present state
Bourbonnais dialects were submitted to a Parisian top-down approach, like all other regional languages in France. Besides, the presence of Oïl idioms in the North, which are close to Standard French or Francien, makes it easier to have linguistic assimilation towards the South.As the majority of dialects, Bourbonnais idioms are mostly spoken, and literary works are rare. However, there are some: one example is that of writer Louis Péroux Beaulaton, who was passionate about his Occitan Auvergnat dialect from the Montluçon suburbs. Nowadays only enthusiasts, as well as the older generation, can speak fluent Oïl and Occitan Bourbonnais dialects. Nevertheless, they haven't totally disappeared: they have been integrated into the French language, adding numerous phrases, expressions and vocabulary. Inhabitants of this region thus unconsciously speak French, but shaded with Bourbonnais forms: this can be noticed by tourists.
Bourbonnais as an Oïl language
Pronunciation
Examples of pronunciation :- O pronounced as : example Tonner= /
- Oi is pronounced as or : example Noir= / ; Droit= /
- er is pronounced as : example Merci= /
- re is pronounced as er: example Bredin would be pronounced as Berdin
- au is pronounced as : example Couteau= /
- -lier is pronounced as : example Palier= /
- is rolled as local speakers do in Champagne
- -eur is pronounced as : example Meneur= /
- ch is pronounced as : example Cheval /
Grammar
There is, in Bourbonnais, a form for neutral gender: the pronoun "al" can be used for masculine gender, as well as for feminine gender, for inanimate objects as for animated ones. Thus, both male and female dogs can be designated by "al", just as a member of a family or a neighbour. For example, the phrase "al a tout mange" can be said about a dog but also about a neighbour.
Vocabulary
Some lexical examples
Expressions used in common French
| Bourbonnais | French equivalent | English Translation |
| Aga don | Regarde | Look |
| Arpion | Orteil | Toe |
| Beugner | Cogner | Knock |
| Beugne | Coup | Knock |
| Boucan | Du Bruit | Noise |
| Bouchure | Haie qui pique | Prickly Hedge |
| Bousiller | Abîmer | Damage |
| Chabrot | Mettre du vin dans sa soupe | Add some wine to the soup |
| Сh'ti/ch'titte | Petit/Petite | Little |
| Crognon | Extremité du pain | Crust of bread |
| Dépanaillé | Avoir les vêtements en deésordre | Have one's clothes in a mess |
| Jargeot | Quelqu'un qui parle souvent et est un peu simple d'esprit. | Chatterer |
| Soulot | Ivrogne | Drunk |
Bourbonnais, Arverno-Bourbonnais, [Occitan language] (Croissant zone">Croissant (linguistic)">Croissant zone)
In this part we will look at the Occitan variant of Bourbonnais, spoken in the community of Busset canton Cusset. The words are given in united Auvergnat writing; transcription using the phonetic alphabet used for French is given between brackets.Vocabulary
| Arverno-bourbonnais | French equivalent | English Translation |
| abonde | grande quantité | big quantity |
| arcandier | vaurien, filou, sans parole | idler |
| bachat o bachàs | auge | manger |
| bergeir, bergeira | berger, bergère | shepherd |
| bisbilha | dispute | dispute |
| cacoela | récipient | recipient |
| chamina | cheminée | chimney |
| cusina | cuisine | kitchen |
| degobilhar | vomir | vomit |
| doçament | doucement | gently |
| endreit | endroit | place |
| fromatge | fromage | cheese |
| goèra | tarte | pie |
| gota | eau de vie | spirits |
| jorna | journée | day |
| meidia | midi | noon |
| moment | moment | moment |
| auseau | oiseau | bird |
| quauque uns , quauque unas | quelques-uns, quelques-unes | some people |
| singlhar | sanglier | boar |
Texts
The first article of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
L'Oïasse de Gayette
Vé le bourg de Montoudre, su un teurau qu'y a des boés d'un coûta et des pra de Faute, forts-tarrains et fôrt-tarrines, veïez-vous l'hôpital de Gayette ? Ou é bin-n-aisant a vère dret-là : Ion que l'é, a semble un villadze. Ou é unhne retirance pre les vieux strôpiâs. Mais faudrun pas crère qu'ai é étâ bâti à l'esqueprê pre deveni unhne boéte à varmine. San unhne oïasse, a serun pas é pouvres. Ou essô un beau tsâquiau qu'unhne dame bin ritse habitô. Dans les vaissiyés, les sarvantes pouziant tous les dzours des pitsiés, des fourtsettes et des quilles en ardzent; la dame avô tzôzi les filles les pu hounêtes dou pays, et dzamais presoune les ère acorpées de voul. Unhne de ieux z'aute enlevô unhne oïasse qu'un cheti gâavô dégniâ dans les brantses dou tsâgne. Ion qu'où embredzô les maufesans. "Têh ! li avô dit cou gâ bin fûtâ, ou te pourterâ bounheûr." Et le li douni. La sarvante enleva que l'oïasse; li apprenô à causer. Le lendemain d'un apport, la dame avisa ce que l'avô d'ardzentriun; li manquô un quille. Le tretzi la gâte qu'avô randzâ les vaissiyés : ou essô mêmement la sarvante à l'oïasse. Le la fait empougner et le la questioune : Ta beau dire qu'où é pas se, le la condanhne et l'embredze au tsâgne des maufesans. Le disi, en mourant, la paure sarvante : "Vêla ce que m'a coûta mon oïasse que devô me pourter bounheûr !" Un an après, en réparant la couvârture dou tsâquiau, sou unhne tuile, le couvreû trouve le quille predu. A cou moument, Toïasse empourtô au même endrêt unhne pièce de mounaie que le venô de prendre. Le couvreû y dit à la dame qui agour se tsagrine : "Paure sarvante qu'i ai fait meuri !", que le disi. Deux anhnées pu tard, aile douni son tsâquiau et ses appartenances é pouvres de Varennes, de Montoudre, de Boucé, de Montaigu, de Rondzères, de Landzy, de Saint-Dzerand, de Crétsy, de Sanssat et des alentours. Velà ce que me disi Dzôzé, le vieu ancien meneû de loups qu'é mort y a mais de soixante ans, et que le monde cause inquère.L'Agrôle et le Rena
En 1850, le bétchio parlève inquère; v'la c'quo disève :Un jou d'hivia, quou ne fasève pas trop biau,
L'agrôle ère juchade au bout d'un baliviau
L'ère su daut moutade,
Pa fère son dinâ que l'aye prépara.
Embéi un groua fromage vainhiu de Chambéra
Le rena dépeu treis jous que n'aye pas de pain,
Aussitôt s'appeurché en fasant le câlin.
Eh, bonjou note dame, coumant vous pourtez-vous ?
Hela ! qué sé contint de vous véire chia n'zote !
Et vous trouve si gente embé quo nail mantiau !
Présoune dé le boux n'en pourte un aussi biau !
Votés souliés sont faits d'iune piau qué tant fine,
Et creyes que le ré n'en a pas de parés pindus à sa souline.
Ar sé é vous écouti dire iune chansou
Et cregus, oui ma foué, quou ére le rossignou
Si zère chabretère, par avi voté jeu
E' doniau, é n'en jure, la méta de ma queue.
L'agrôle qu'ère enchantade de se veire vantade
Pa li douna l'aubade se meté à couana,
Son froumage dévalé dé la gueule do renâ,
Alle resté su-daut le bé bada.
Ma l'autre, li dissé, en migeant son fricot,
Ne si'a don pas si buse un autre co.
The Crow and the Fox
Master Crow sat on a tree,Holding a cheese in his beak
Master Fox was attracted him thus:
"Mister Crow, good day to you.
You are a handsome and good looking bird!
In truth, if your song is as beautiful as your feathers,
You are the Phoenix of this forest."
Hearing these words the Crow felt great joy,
And to demonstrate his beautiful voice,
He opened his mouth wide and let drop his prey,
The Fox seized it and said: "My good Sir,
Know that every flatterer,
Lives at the expense of those who take him seriously:
This is a lesson that is worth a cheese, no doubt."
The crow, embarrassed and confused,
Swore, though somewhat late, that he would never be
Tricked thus again.