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OCCITAN All about the Occitan language and culture

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EDITORIAL

You are holding the new edition of «l’occitan… qu’es aquò?» (What is Occitan?), an information brochure to introduce you to the richness of Occitan culture, its players and its foothold in our society in a few pages.

By transporting you through the centuries alongside its great past and contemporary characters and by introducing you to the actions of the associative movement to highlight, teach and transmit the Occitan language, we hope, above all, to satisfy your curiosity.

We’d also like to make people want to learn, pass on this ancient language or simply engage with us, with your skills and interests.

That is the whole purpose of this information sheet that we’re encouraging you to share in its paper format or by downloading it (http://couic.fr/bzr).

Bona lectura !

INDEX Occitan in daily life • Song p 04 • Occitan and patois p 05 • Traditional sports and games p 06 • Occitan in place names p 07 • Which media for Occitan ? p 08 • An Occitan economy p 09 • IT in the Occitan language p 10

http://couic.fr/bzr

An ancient culture • Brief Occitan history • The great Occitan figures • Map of Occitania • Folktales • Occitan literature today • Artistic creation

La version française de cette brochure peut être lue et téléchargée en scannant ce flashcode (en versions texte et pdf).

Vous pouvez également directement vous connecter à notre webpage : http://couic.fr/3ftm

institut d'estudis occitans

p 11 p 12 p 14 p 17 p 18 p 20

Learning the language and passing it on • The Occitan language • Passing on the language to keep it alive • the B-A BA of Occitan pronunciation • A few sentences from everyday life • For learning Occitan

p 21 p 22 p 23 p 24 p 26

Sie können die deutsche Version dieses Infoblattes herunterladen, indem Sie den QR-Code scannen (um auf die Text - sowie die PDV - Version zuzugreifen.

Sie können auch direkt auf unsere Webseite gehen: http://coui.fr/bzq

Free booklet of the Institute for Occitans Studies (Institut d’Estudis Occitans) with the financial support of :

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? Free booklet of the IEO

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OCCITAN IN DAILY LIFE SONG An iconic song throughout the Occitan regions with about fifteen variants, the Se canta has established itself as a unifying song celebrating the fin’Amor, love from afar sung about by troubadours.

SE CANTA

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Dejós ma fenèstra I a un aucelon Tota la nuèch canta Canta sa cançon.

Repic Se canta que cante Canta pas per ieu Canta per ma mia Qu’es al luènh de ieu.

Aquelas montanhas Que tan nautas son M’empachan de veire Mas amors ont son.

Repic Baissatz vos montanhas Planas, levatz vos Per que pòsque veire Mas amors ont son.

Under my window There is a little bird He sings all night Sings this song.

Chorus If he sings, let him sing He only sings for me He sings for my sweetheart Who is far from me.

These mountains That are so high Stop me from seeing Where my love is.

Chorus Drop down, mountains Plains, rise up So that I can see Where my love is.

Repic Aquelas montanhas Lèu s’abaissaràn E mas amoretas Se raprocharàn.

Chorus These mountains Will soon drop And my love Will approach.

Attributed to Gaston Fébus, XIVth century

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? www.ieo-oc.org

OCCITAN OR PATOIS, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE ?

Occitan is often referred to as «patois». It is actually a pejorative term. Indeed, some dictionaries define this term which is commonly used to talk about Occitan as a «poor, rustic or even vulgar language».

Yet this language is now taught up to university level and was sung by troubadours throughout Europe. Occitan is spoken and officially recognized in Val d’Aran in Spain and in Piedmont in Italy (Valadas Occitanas).

These French expressions are of Occitan origin. You’ll see that already know a few Occitan words! The Occitan form is in «italics».

Bidasse • Vidassa: bad life dog’s life (vida + augmentative suffix and pejorative).

The word appeared around 1914. To get round censorship, the soldiers wrote that all was well and that Bidasse never left them.

Bouffe • Bofar, bufar: blowing in, guzzling due to the swelling of the cheeks experienced by gluttons.

Cramer • Cremar / cramar: burning. The introduction of this word in French language dictionaries is relatively recent.

Ensuqué • Ensucar: hitting someone on the top of the head: the sap. Knock out, by extension: stupefy.

Fada • Fadat: Fou/mad. Literally charmed: possessed by the fadas, or fairies. It is above all an idiot, and this almost sacred title. The term contains a certain amount of sympathy.

Mèfi ! • Watch out! A French word made Provençal in Marseille, that has become international.

Panade • Poverty: Derivative: panadeux. From panada a soup with bread and eggs, a poor man’s dish.

Pétanque • Petanca: Comes from the Occitan a pè tancat, with feet together.

Que dalle• Que d’ala: Nothing. Literally: that of the wing. By a bold shortcut: indeed, there is not much to eat on the chicken wing = nothing.

Racaille • Racalha: from racar, vomiting.

Raquer • Pay: from racar, vomiting.

Extract from the book by Florian Vernet entitled «Que dalle!

Quand l’argot parle occitan», IEO Edicions, 2007 L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? Free booklet of the IEO

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OCCITAN IN DAILY LIFE TRADITIONAL SPORTS AND GAMES Sports practices are vectors of Occitan culture as much as music or literature.

In Toulouse, Marseille, Bordeaux and Nice, some football supporters clubs assert their Occitan identity in the stands, through their mottos and songs. Rugby, both league and union, is a sport that gives pride of place to the richness of the Occitan vocabulary.

Furthermore, traditional Occitan sports and games continue to be popular. You surely already know water jousting, the Languedoc tambourine and the Camargue and Landes races. Skittles is also played in almost all Occitan villages, whether this be 6, 8 or 9 skittles. From the school yard to board games, many popular Occitan games have been passed down through the generations. They are the result of exchanges between cultures, the diversity of which is testament to the wealth.

© joutes.com

© Vee Vallet

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L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? www.ieo-oc.org

OCCITAN IN PLACE NAMES As strong links between a language and their territory, place names make it possible to discover and understand the historical reality of a region. Over the centuries, almost all of the original Occitan names have been Frenchified.

Here are a few of them. The Occitan form is in «italics» and followed by its meaning.

Bagnères-de-Bigorre • Banhèras de Bigòrra, Bigorre baths Baigts-Chalosse • Vaths de Shalòssa, valleys [of the country] of Chalosse Castagnède • Castanhèda, chestnut grove Lacaune • La Cauna, the cavity, the cave Mazamet • Mas Asamet, Asamet’s farm (diminutive of Adam) Le Ségur / Montségur • Lo Segur / Montsegur, the safe place / the safe mountain Bourganeuf • Borgon Nuòu, the new town Oradour • Orador, oratory Lavaudieu • La Vau Diu, the valley of God Les Baux • Lei Bauç, burning Rioupéroux • Riu Perós, the cliffs The Institute of Occitan Studies offers its services to communities wishing to set up bilingual Occitan signs and carry out a place names study. It is also developing a database of Occitan place names (www.bdtopoc.org).

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? Free booklet of the IEO

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OCCITAN IN DAILY LIFE WHICH MEDIA FOR OCCITAN ?

The presence of a language in the media is a key factor for its transmission, especially among younger people.

How is the Occitan language doing?

Written press Since the XIXth century, publications written entirely in Occitan have developed such as the Oc and Reclams literary reviews, or the weekly newspaper La Setmana. However, Occitan has a place that is confined to a minor register in the major media groups. We must allow Occitan to become a language of communication and information in its own right to see its presence in the press grow.

Radio Faced with the breakdown of family transmission, radio is the local service that enables the language to reintroduced into homes. Community radio stations such as Ràdio País, Ràdio Occitània or Ràdio Lengadòc build their editorial grid around Occitan on both the airwaves and the internet.

The importance given to Occitan on public service radio in France is smaller (Toulouse, Dordogne, etc.). However the pooling of antennas and broadcasts in certain regions should increase the time that Occitan spends on the airwaves.

Keep an eye on this!

Television In Midi-Pyrénées, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence and Aquitaine, France 3 offers shows of between 6 and 26 minutes per week. Most of the minority languages in Europe benefit from substantial programs when it is not one or more channels. This situation reflects an inequality in French cultural diversity.

Internet Mainstream media via internet requires few resources and enables a wider communication of Occitan. Digital journals, web-tv, websites, blogs (Jornalet) and forums around this culture abound on the web.

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L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? www.ieo-oc.org

AN OCCITAN ECONOMY Gradually, since the 80s, jobs related to the Occitan language have started to thrive.

Speaking Occitan is a sought-after skill today, especially if it is combined with other expertise.

Most of the positions for which this knowledge is desirable are related to education, but also the media, cultural activities, tourism, artistic creation or literary trades.

There are even more jobs created in these areas that there are outgoing graduates from university courses related to the Occitan language. Promoting the language in the economy is one of the best vehicles for its socialization. Various initiatives promote Occitan in public life, such as the Òc per l’occitan seal of approval, which encourages the use of this language in professional and economic activity, as well as in public policies.

Emplec.com is the employment agency linked to the Occitan language, which is not recognised today as a specific criterion in institutional agencies, but rather seen as professional skill.

From communities to companies, local cultures and identities locales are now highlighted in terms of tourism and the economy.

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? Free booklet of the IEO

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IT IN THE OCCITAN LANGUAGE Sites, blogs, forums and social networks… Exchanges written in Occitan have never been so numerous since the development of the internet.

While Occitan is not always showcased in the public arena, more and more associations, festivals, online businesses and institutions are taking advantage of the web to communicate entirely in Occitan or bilingually.

Services have been set up for and around Occitan.

• Lo Servici de l’emplec (emplec.com) centralises job requests and offers rewarding the mastery of Occitan.

• La Porta d’òc (laportadoc.eu) is a portal that lists Occitan websites, news and events.

• Las Paginas occitanas (paginas-occitanas.com) is the directory of Occitan artists and cultural players.

And several free and participatory projects such as Wikipedia have their Occitan version (oc.wikipedia.org).

A lot of open source software with interfaces in Occitan can be downloaded for free on the Internet. The free operating system Ubuntu, has been translated into Occitan

by Tot en òc. This system offers a variety of software which can also be installed and used in Windows or Apple. It is therefore possible to enjoy Occitan versions of Firefox, Thunderbird, OpenOffice, VLC and many more…

Cédric Valmary, totenoc.org

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L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? www.ieo-oc.org

AN ANCIENT CULTURE BRIEF OCCITAN HISTORY XIth - XIIIth century> Heyday of the troubadours.

1209> Crusade against the Albigeois.

1539> The edict of Villers-Cotterets makes the use of French exclusive in administrative documents.

XVIIIth-XIXth century> The worker poets: Victor Gélu.

XVIth-XVIIth century> Baroque Occitan literature: Goudouli, Larade.

1791-1794> French Revolution, the first real linguistic policy designed to impose French throughout the French State.

1794> Grégoire report on the need to wipe out patois.

1802> Speaking «patois» is banned in schools.

1854> Félibrige, a literary movement to promote the language òc, is founded.

1881-1884> Primary education in French becomes free and compulsory.

1907> Revolt of the Midi winegrowers.

1945> Foundation of the Institute of Occitan Studies, a movement that works to promote the Occitan language and culture.

1951> The Deixonne law allows the teaching of regional languages in schools.

Around 1968> Occitan political and cultural demands become more prominent.

1990> Occitan becomes official in Val d’Aran, Spain.

1991> Start of an Occitan CAPES (teacher training course).

1992> In Article 2 of the French Constitution of the Fifth Republic, the language of the Republic is French. Other language of France are not recognised.

1992> The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, since ratified by 24 countries.

1999> France signs the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages but has still not ratified it.

1999> In Italy, Occitan is recognised as a national language that must be protected.

2008> Adoption of Article 75-1 in the French Constitution: «Regional languages are part of France’s heritage».

2010> Occitan is recognised as an official language in Catalonia.

2012> The «Per lenga occitana» movement brings together 30 000 people in the streets of Tolosa/Toulouse.

2015> Fifth demonstration in Montpelhièr/Montpellier.

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? Free booklet of the IEO

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THE TROUBADOURS The troubadours If the spread of Occitan literature of the XI-XIIIth centuries was so significant, this was because the troubadours, who were Occitan poets, were known and imitated across Europe. Their poetry spoke mostly about love, but was also strong enough to denounce the violence of war. They can be regarded as the fathers of modern literature. The most famous are Guilhèm de Peitieus, Marcabrun, Jaufre Rudèl, Pèire Vidal, Bernat de Ventadorn, Arnaut Danièl…

La nostr’amor vai enaissi com la brancha de l’albespi qu’esta sobre l’arbre en treman la noit a la ploia ez al gel tro l’endeman que-l sols s’espan per las folhas vertz el ramel.

There goes our love like a hawthorn branch that shakes on the bush with rain and frost until the sun spreads the next day in the green leaves on the twig.

Extract from the song Ab la dolçor del temps novel (Through the sweetness of new weather), by Guilhèm de Peitieus.

Frédéric Mistral, 1830–1914 Through his work, Mistral rehabilitated the Provençal by carrying it to greater heights of epic poetry. He founded Félibrige with the poet Roumanille. Mistral was the author of Tresor dóu Felibrige, or the Provençal-French dictionary embracing the different dialects of modern langue d’oc (1878-1886), which remains the richest bilingual dictionary for the Occitan language to this day.

But his major work was Mirèio (1859), which earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1904.

Jean Jaurès, 1859-1914 As a Socialist MP, Jaurès was noted for his support of workers’ strikes and Dreyfus. He founded the newspaper L’Humanité and participated in the creation of the SFIO, unifying the various socialist parties in France. He was assassinated in 1914 after his commitment to pacifism and opposition to the outbreak of the First World War. Jaurès frequently used Occitan in his election campaigns. He even advocated its teaching in state schools, which was exceptionally rare for a politician at that time.

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L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? www.ieo-oc.org

The Occitan job market portal It is the possibility for job seekers to: - Put his Curricum vitae online - Consult the latest offers and Professional Training - Consult fact sheets made available It is the possibility for employers to: - Make an offer on a site highlighting the use of Occitan in the professional life - Easily find qualified people

MAP OF OCCITANIA

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L’occitan… Qu’es Aquò ? www.ieo-oc.org

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L’occitan… qu’es aquò ? Free brochure of the IEO

11, carrièra Malcosinat 31000 Tolosa/Toulouse +33 (0)5 34 44 97 11 www.ieo-oc.org

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Lo site dedicat al bilinguĂŻsme aboriu occitan/francĂŠs

www.bilinguisme-occitan.org

Only one entry for two contents: Information on French /Occitan Bilingualism to : - Parents - Family - Friends Bilingualism is a chance for your children, give it to him.

Resources for your child (tales, stories to read and listen to listssurnames, gestural communication, ...), to the richness of the language.

FOLKTALES The Occitan imagination is full of tales and myths. It includes great figures from folklore which are universal despite their variants, such as Joan lo piòt also known as lo Nèci, lo Bèstia, Jean the Fool or even Nasr Edin Hodja.

Joan de l’Ors «Once upon a time, in the mountains, there was a pretty girl aged twenty who had gone to collect firewood in the forest. But, the Bear had been hiding behind a bush for while and was spying on her. All of a sudden, he jumped on her and carried the terrified girl off into the depths of the forest.

And there, locked up in his den, the poor girl was forced to become the Bear’s wife…

After a year a boy was born. He had a very hairy body, but the face and voice of a man.

And his mother called him Joan. Well fed, he became very strong and very clever...»

This tale is known in Europe, West Asia, India, China, North Africa, and in North and South America.

Lo Drac Drac, sometimes called Drap or Drat, is known across Europe. Although he takes different forms depending on the tales and regions, he is always associated with the Devil. He may be presented as a dragon, a genie living in the waters of the river bottom, a werewolf or a goblin, when he does not take the appearance of animals to deceive the world without being recognised.

Lo Leberon Werewolf tales such as the Limousin Leberon recur throughout the Occitan territory and far beyond. It is usually a man who, by night, takes on the appearance of a stray dog or a wolf that attacks animals and people.

It is said that a man who was attacked by a wolf defended fought it off with a club, seriously injuring the beast. The next day, one of the neighbours, who was wearing a large bandage, came to thank his attacker, who had just freed him from the curse that had been transforming him into a werewolf every night for years.

E cric e crac, mon conte es acabat.

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? Free booklet of the IEO

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AN ANCIENT CULTURE CONTEMPORARY OCCITAN LITERATURE In both poetry and prose, not forgetting theatre and genre literature, written production in Occitan has always existed from the time of the troubadours until now. Here is an overview of four of the greatest Occitan writers of the XXth century.

La Gacha a la cisterna Dins l’òrt terrenc qu’orla la vau celèsta l’òme seguís la traça manifèsta d’una espelida ai plasers e ai jòcs e’ntend que se descluca en crits d’enfança lo sens marcat de l’annada e dei luòcs.

In the earthly garden that the sky skirts from his valley, the man follows the readable trail a birth with joys and games.

And he hears it reveal itself through cries of childhood the meaning secured to the year and places.

Extract from La Gacha a la cistèrna, (p.137), published by Jorn, 1998.

© Georges Souche

Robert Lafont - 1923 / 2009 A linguistic and sociolinguist academic, novelist and poet from Nimes, Robert Lafont has written over a hundred books in French and Occitan.

He is known for writing the novels La Vida de Joan Larsinhac and La Festa. As a voluntary and political activist for minorities in Europe, he has theorised about internal colonialism.

Lo Chant de la terra I say to you, perfume, I will pass like a shadow.

Faster than a mist I will pass by the stream.

The rainbow in the sky will last longer than I will.

And I do not have as much time as gold roses.

I say to you, deep sea that is deaf to my words, I tell you, I’m leaving - just if I can.

Extract from Paraulas per questa terra (words from this earth), published by dau Chamin de Sent-Jaume,1997.

© Enric Molina

Marcelle Delpastre - 1925 / 1998 A farmer, poet and diarist from the Limousine region, Marcelle Delpastre also devoted herself to collecting traditional tales, such as the ethnological study of Limousine customs, beliefs and oral traditions.

Today, contemporary literature still lives on through authors who are already established and young people who are embarking on their careers. Without pretending to be exhaustive, we can list Florian Vernet, Joan-Claudi Forêt, Joan-Ives Casanovà, Pèire Bec, Sèrgi Javaloyes, Aurelia Lassaca, Danièla Julien, Joan-Maria Petit, Michèu Chapduèlh, Joan-Claudi Sèrras, Jan Dau Melhau, Felix Daval, Ives Roqueta, Joan-Frederic Brun, Josi Guillot, Romieg Jumèu, Sèrgi Gairal, Magalí Bizot-Dargent, Alem Surre Garcia... So let’s get writing !

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L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? www.ieo-oc.org

CONTEMPORARY OCCITAN LITERATURE Vanilha Vanilha qu’ès mon pòrt de mar perhum de lunh mon umba lhiva de pòrt a jaç de jaç a clar dessús aqueth hum l’auba driva sofla qu’ardonas tu Vanilha prunhon lis o persec d’arrós dotz d’auba mès d’esperlits trilha se n’es.hruitan perligais blós te passèjas e casau qu’ès de nueit Vanilha aulor mainada mès t’eslaishís : nat casau mès doman e d’auba pas mès nada

Vanilla you are my sea port my shoulder raises this perfume from far away from port to den and then to clarity dawn comes from this perfume you are rounded supple Vanilla smooth nectarine and pinkish peach these sources of dawn but arbour of sparks crumble into pure partridges walking you, you are a night garden - Vanilla - child scent but you wither: farewell garden no day after, no more dawn

Bernard Manciet - 1923 / 2005 After a short diplomatic career, he devoted himself to writing. A Gascon poet, called the «monster of originality», he is particularly famous for L’Enterrament a Sabres, but also for Le Triangle des Landes and Le Golfe de Gascogne.

Tant m’an laguiat

Tant m’an laguiat las paraulas de vent lo parladís de gralhas sul teulat dau mond ambé son bruch de ferramenta qu’a d’oras ai enveja de pas dire mas paraulas qu’a las combas desèrtas als arnavèsses, a la felze, a la bruga, a la ròca en son pes [que de mil ans somiaira sap la virtut e l’espés dau silenci. Segur que siái qu’emai m’ausigan pas quauqu’un darrièr fai d’eles sas aurelhas.

© P. Fellonneau

Extract from Véniels / Escasenças, éd. L’Escampette, 1996.

The words of the wind the chatter of crows on the roof of the world with its junk noise have made me so weary that I only want to speak my words to deserted valleys, to clams, to ferns, to the heather, to the rock, with its weight, thoughtful for a thousand years who knows strength and thickness through silence.

It is certain that if they do not listen to me someone will make them into his ears.

Max Rouquette - 1908 / 2005 A prolific author in prose, poetry and theatre, Max Rouquette has now been translated into French and in many languages. Verd Paradís, a collection of short stories about his Hérault scrubland, is regarded as his masterpiece.

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? Free booklet of the IEO

© Georges Souche

Exctract from D’aicí mil ans de lutz, published by Jorn, 1995.

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© Nicolas Faure

© Moussu T Jules Dromigny

© Malaterra rodatge

AN ANCIENT CULTURE ARTISTIC CREATION

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Occitan music Music is a broadcasting engine of the Occitan language and culture. Traditional tunes are often the starting point for contemporary artists. The 1970-80s saw the emergence of singers who were committed to the Occitan cause, such as Claude Marti.

A «new traditional music» is developing today with Dupain, Du Bartàs, Lo Còr de la Plana and Artús.

Others are moving towards ska, rock, dub and electro. The most famous representatives are Massilia Sound System, Mauresca, Goulamas’K, Nadau, Lou Dalfin, Moussu T and La Talvera.

Dance Occitan dance is as varied as the Occitan landscape. Bearn leaps, congas, Landes roundels, bourrees, twirls, routines, rigadoons or more contemporary choreographies are all features that add to international folk dance.

Theatre Theatre is a highly efficient means of transmitting and learning the language. Practiced by professional troupes and many amateur troupes, theatre plays an important role in Occitan creation.

Audiovisual The absence of a television broadcaster in most of the Occitan area makes it the financing of documentaries and feature fiction films difficult. However, broadcasting slots are available in Val d’Aran and Catalonia. Discover some of the places that showcase Occitan artists: the Estivada in Rodez, Hestiv’òc in Pau, the Estive in Foix, the Docks in Cahors, La Mounède in Toulouse, and Correns in the Var… Festivals Discover some of the places that showcase Occitan artists: the Estivada in Rodez, Hestiv’òc in Pau, the Estive in Foix, the Docks in Cahors, the Occitania Festival in Toulouse, or Correns in the Var, the Rapatonadas in Aurillac…

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? www.ieo-oc.org

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE AND PASSING IT ON OCCITAN LANGUAGE

• Occitan is the Latin language spoken in eight regions of southern France (nearly a third of metropolitan France), twelve alpine valleys in Italy and Val d’Aran in Spain.

A village in southern Italy, La Guardia Piemontese, also maintains its daily Occitan speaking.

• If for its speakers, the Occitan language community is obvious, the language still has a wide variety. Modern linguistics defines six major dialectal varieties: Languedoc, Provençal (including Nice), Gascon, Limousine, Auvergne and Vivaro-Alpine.

• The terms «Occitan» «Occitan language» and «Occitania» appeared in the thirteenth century. On of its first credentials was found in Dante’s work who, in De Vulgari eloquentia, categorises Romance languages, including the Lingua d’oco. The administrative texts of the XIVth century generalised the use of its words. Although they become scarcer with the imposition of French in Occitan territories by the Edict of Villers-Cotterets (1539), scholars maintained their use through the ages. They were repopularized by the Occitan movement, which worked to give the language its dignity and graphic unit back from the nineteenth century.

• In the twentieth century, the Occitan language found a unified orthography and classic spelling inspired by the troubadours. This unified the written language while respecting the originality of dialectal variations. In Provence, a different spelling, known as Mistralian, remains commonplace beside the classical spelling.

• However, the centralist political will drove the language out of the public space and imposed French as the language of communication, thus interrupting family transmission.

© Maria Tzvetkova

• As a counterpoint, the action of cultural and literary movements for the promotion of Occitan is developing. Their action aims to develop the use of language in the media field, institutions, educational organisations and in daily life.

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? Free booklet of the IEO

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PASSING ON THE LANGUAGE TO KEEP IT ALIVE Passing on the language means speaking it with your children. It is a simple but essential step for the survival of a language which, in the case of Occitan, is now scarcely passed on to children in families.

Passing it on in the family Family transmission is the most effective way to save a language. If you speak Occitan, it is either because it was spoken to you when you were a child yourself or because you learnt it. Speaking two languages in the family home may mean the following for your children: • The opportunity to become bilingual, with all the cognitive advantages of bilingualism.

• The assurance of a better start in their schooling: a bilingual child has an increased awareness of what a language is, which allows them to better understand things in school.

• More opportunities of finding work later, either with Occitan or with a language that is similar to Occitan.

• The opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds, to open up better to other people.

• The opportunity to discover two worlds with different imaginations filled with stories and songs, to be able to have fun in two languages.

Speak Occitan to your children or your grandchildren when they are still very young. It is an ideal way for you to establish a special relationship!

• If you are not familiar with Occitan, you can also pass on a desire or love of language through songs and stories. CDs and books can help you in this regard.

Your children will eventually learn the language at school and they will already have a head start.

© Maria Tzetkova

James Costa, Institut National de Recherche Pédagogique

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L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? www.ieo-oc.org

THE B-A BA OF OCCITAN PRONUNCIATION Occitan pronunciation has some local variations, for example as regards the final consonants. So listen carefully or ask! i

Vowels The i is pronounced as in French: un nis (un nid/a nest).

u

The u is also pronounced as in French (not «ou» as in Spanish!) : la luna (la lune/the moon). a

The tonal a keeps the same pronunciation as in French: un pastre (a shepherd). It is mainly pronounced «o», when it is at the end of a word (or followed by s): trenta cadièras (thirty chairs). è e

The è is pronounced «open», just like in French: un castèl (a castle).

In contrast, the e with no accent is pronounced «é» like in été: negre

(black). ò

With a grave accent, it is still pronounced «o»: un estilò, un bòsc (a pen,

a wood).

The o is pronounced «ou»: un ostau (a house).

diphthong and triphthong Diphthong When two vowels follow in writing, they are both pronounced orally according to the pronunciation indicated above: una glèisa, un peis, lo coide (a church, a fish, the elbow).

As an exception to the rule, the u in a diphthong turns into a «ou»: una taula, lo teulat (a table, the roof).

Triphthong When there are three vowels following each other, we pronounce all three successively: nuèit (night), fiau (fil, wire), ieu (I, me).

© Mireille Fomengo

o

Special groups of consonants • lh The lh group of consonants is pronounced «li» as in the French «escalier»: una fuèlha (a leaf) and in Gascon dialect it is pronounced «ill».

• nh The nh group of consonants is the equivalent of «gn» in French: una castanha (a chestnut).

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? Free booklet of the IEO

23

A FEW SENTENCES FROM EVERYDAY LIFE

Hello!

Bonjorn !Adieu !

Adieussiatz !

IN EVERYDAY LIFE Hello!

Bonjorn ! Adieu ! Adieussiatz !

Welcome!

Benvengut ! (La) benvenguda ! Planvengut !

Chabatz d’entrar !

How are you?

Quò vai ben ? Va plan ? Cossí va ? Quin te va ?

Fine, thank you. And you?

Quò vai. Va plan. ‘Quò pòt ‘nar. Va ben, mercés.

E tu ?

How do you say… in Occitan?

Cossí se ditz. Coma se ditz… en occitan ?

I don’t understand. Can you repeat that?

Compreni pas ! Pòdes tornar dire ?

What’s your name?

Cossí te dison ? Coma te sonas ?

Coma t’apelas ? Quin t’apèras ?

Yes. No, thank you very much. Òc. Non. Grand mercé. Mercé plan. Mercés hèra.

See you soon! Hi! / Goodbye!

A lèu ! Al còp que ven ! A l’aut’ còp ! Adieu !

Adieussiatz !

Adishatz ! A si reveire.

Do you speak Occitan?

Parlas occitan ?

Pardon? Excuse me.

Perdon ? Desencusa. M’excusaràs My name is…

A ieu, me dison… Me sòni… / Que m’apèri…

You’re welcome (It’s my pleasure!).

Amb plaser ! Emb plaser ! Dab plaser !

I love you!

Fröhliche Weihnachten und einYear. gutes neues Jahr!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Polit Nadal e bona annada.

Bònei C(h)alendas.

Polit Nadal e bona annada. Bònei C(h)alendas.

Good luck!

Bon astre !

24

T’aimi Te vòli bèn Have a good trip!

Bon viatge !

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? www.ieo-oc.org

A FEW SENTENCES FROM EVERYDAY LIFE Cheers!

To your health!

Santat !

A la vòstra

OUT (IN PUBLIC) What can I get you?

Qué volètz ? Qué prendretz ?

Do you want some? Pass me some. Pass it around.

Ne vòl(e)s ? Fai virar !

Have a good evening Bon ser. Bon vèspre Let’s go!

Anem ! Zo ! Haut !

Give me a beer please.

Balha-me una cervesa, sens te comandar / se te plai / seràs brave.

Cheers! To your health! Enjoy your meal!

Santat ! A la vòstra ! Bon appétit ! Bon apetit !

Where are the toilets?

Ont (ente) son los comuns ?

Do you want to dance with me?

Vòles dançar amb ieu / dab jo / coma ieu ?

What? excuse me Perdon ? Desencusa. M’excusaràs

The bill please!

Lo compte. La nòta. L’adicion (sens vos comandar)

What time is it?

Quala ora es ? Quina ora es ?

How much is the coffee?

Quant còsta lo cafè ? Quant fa ?

Happy birthday See you next year, if we do not, let’s not be less A l’an vèn, que se sèm pas mai que siam pas mens Urós / Bon anniversari

Urós / Bon anniversari

I miss you a lot Me mancas fòrça / tot plen / hèra L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? Free booklet of the IEO

25

FOR LEARNING OCCITAN Teaching of the language is progressing. There are several educational courses for Occitan, for all ages from early childhood, through to evening classes, school and university.

AquitAine Auvergne LAnguedoc-roussiLLon Limousin midi-Pyrénées Poitou-chArentes Provence-ALPes-côte d’Azur rhône-ALPes

institut d'estudis occitans

parlesc

Courses for adults Apprendre, Se cultiver, découvrir, echAnger, pArtAger,

un courS, une formAtion, un StAge,

All levels and dialects throughout the Occitan space and even by remote learning.

Courses that provide recognised educational progress using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages can be certified.

Un diplôme, Un emploi... !

pour adultes et étudiants

retrouvez-nouS :

aprenemloccitan.com N°Vert 0 800 74 6 9 64 APPEL GRATUIT DEPUIS UN POSTE FIXE

parlesc

institut d'estudis occitans

© IEO / Institut d’Estudis Occitans - Rédaction : équipe de l’IEO - © Photos : droits réservés, Schutterstock, Fotolia et IEO - Design : www.studio7bis.com - Ne pas jeter sur la voie publique

Cours

d’oCCitan

APRENEM L’OCCITAN / PARLESC +33 (0)5 34 44 97 11 - contact@aprenemloccitan.com contact@parlesc.com - www.aprenemloccitan.com - www.parlesc.com

State education From nursery school Taught as a modern language or as a teaching language in bilingual sections with equal amounts of time spent on both languages (several non-language subjects taught in Occitan), Occitan has its place in primary and nursery schools. In the Occitan valleys of Piedmont (Italy) and in Val d’Aran (Spain), Occitan is widely taught in schools.

At primary school and secondary school Occitan is taught as a modern language in many primary and secondary schools in the Occitan space. It is possible to take Occitan exams for the baccalaureate, at LV2, LV3 and LV as an additional or optional subject.

At university Bachelors Degrees, Masters Degrees, options, modern languages, preparing for competitive exams, all of these are possible in Toulouse, Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence, Limoges, Clermont-Ferrand, Nice, Poitiers, Bordeaux and even abroad (Baltimore, Barcelona, Naples, Vienna, etc.).

The language proficiency degree (DCL) in Occitan, in place since 2011 in the academies of Bordeaux, Toulouse, Montpellier and Nice, allows people to add value to their language level for professional purposes.

Calandreta immersive schools These are associative and secular schools under contract with the State. The teaching and programmes are the same as in state schools, but everything is conducted in Occitan, from an early age up to secondary school depending on the loc ation. +33 (0)4 67 06 81 10 - mirelha.blanquer@wanadoo.fr - www.calandreta.org

26

L’occitan… Qu’es aquò ? www.ieo-oc.org

If you seek an association, an artist, a shop, a craftsman... relevant to the Occitan language and culture, you will find it for sure in this site.

You can also register in this directory to be part of the network of occitanas paginas.

Paginas-occitanas.com

OCCITAN

QU’ES AQUÒ

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OCCITAN

OCCITAN

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QU’ES AQUÒ

OCCITAN QU’ES AQUÒ QU’ES AQUÒ QU’ES AQUÒ QU’ES AQUÒ OCCITAN OCCITAN institut d'estudis occitans 11, carrièra Malcosinat 31000 Tolosa/Toulouse +33 (0)5 34 44 97 11 - www.ieo-oc.org

© IEO / Institut d’Estudis Occitans - Rédaction : équipe de l’IEO - © Photos : droits réservés, Schutterst k, Fotolia et IEO - Design : www.studio7bis.com - Maquette initiale : Artwork : http://lili.coorjet.free.fr - Ne pas jeter sur la voie publique

OCCITAN

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QU’ES AQUÒ

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