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 (Occitan) – Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule (Oïl) – Lapalisse (Oïl), 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 language of the Croissant (linguistic) 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.
Thus "Bourbonnais" is an ambiguous term: it can refer to idioms of Occitan (Bourbonnais of Oc), or to French dialects of the Bourbonnais (Bourbonnais of Oïl).
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 (île-de-France dialect), 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 (1872–1946), 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 (transcriptions are made according to the IPA): pronounced as : for example, : French / Bourbonnais is pronounced as or : : Fr. / Bourb. : Fr. / Bourb. is pronounced as : : Fr. / Bourb. is pronounced as : Bredin (look at word examples) would be pronounced as Berdin is pronounced as : : Fr. / Bourb. is pronounced as : : Fr. / Bourb. [R] is rolled as local speakers do in Champagne is pronounced as : : Fr. / Bourb. is pronounced as : : Fr. / Bourb.
Grammar The adverbial pronoun y is used as a personal pronoun representing an object. For example, Fr. / Bourb. fais-y; Fr. / Bourb. donne-moi z'y; Fr. / Bourb. n'y casse pas; Fr. (lend it me) / Bourb. tu m'y prêtes.
There is, in Bourbonnais, a form for neutral gender: the pronoun al can be used for masculine gender as well as feminine gender, for inanimate objects and animate. 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 Translationabonde grande quantité abundancealuchon enfant de constitution faible voire malingre sickly childarcandier vaurien, filou idlerbaraille dispute disputebelet agneau lambbesugne vêtement clothes biziot propriétaire terrien parfois également agriculteur landowner/farmerbourri âne (animal) donkeybrelotter secouer shake (v)chaleu veilleuse night owlcobi dindon turkeydâler Usually is used in the phrase "ça dale"i.e."the sun burns too hot"drille diarrhée upset tummyemmanche problème, complication problemgibalbouser mettre le désordre make a messgounelles jupons petticoatjau coq cockmourer abîmer harmpluire pleuvoir rain (v)taillon quartier de fruit bit of a fruit
Bourbonnais French equivalent English TranslationAga don (v) Regarde(diminutive from look then) Look(v)Arpion (n.m) Orteil ToeBeugner (v) Cogner Knock(v)Beugne (n.f) Coup Knock (n)Boucan (n.m) Du Bruit Noise(n)Bouchure (n.f) Haie qui pique Prickly HedgeBousiller Abîmer Damage (v)Chabrot(n.m) Mettre du vin dans sa soupe Add some wine to the soupСh'ti/ch'titte (n.m/f) Petit/Petite LittleCrognon (n.m) Extremité du pain Crust of breadDépanaillé (n.m) Avoir les vêtements en deésordre Have one's clothes in a messJargeot (n.m) Quelqu'un qui parle souvent et est un peu simple d'esprit. ChattererSoulot (n.m) Ivrogne Drunk
Bourbonnais, Arverno-Bourbonnais, Occitan language (Croissant zone)
In this part we will look at the Occitan variant of Bourbonnais (Arverno-Bourbonnais/Auvergnat dialect), 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 Translationabonde grande quantité big quantityarcandier [arcandji] vaurien, filou, sans parole idlerbachat o bachàs auge manger bergeir, bergeira [barji, barjire] berger, bergère shepherd bisbilha [bisbille] dispute disputecacoela [cacouelle] récipient (marmite, casserole) recipientchamina [ch'mina] cheminée chimneycusina cuisine kitchendegobilhar [degobillâ] vomir vomit (v)doçament [doussamin] doucement gentlyendreit [endreï] endroit placefromatge [froumaje] fromage cheesegoèra [gouère] tarte piegota [goutte] eau de vie spirits (pure alcohol)jorna [journà] journée daymeidia [maïde] midi noonmoment [moumin] moment momentauseau [ozio] oiseau birdquauque uns [quoque nun], quauque unas [quoque nune] quelques-uns, quelques-unes some peoplesinglhar [sinyâ] sanglier boar
Texts
The first article of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
L'Oïasse de Gayette
L'Agrôle et le Rena
In films
In the film "La soupe aux choux", some characters speak more or less Standard French mixed up with phrases, words and pronunciation of Oïl Bourbonnais.
See also Linguistics Index of language articles List of language families Indo-European languages Romance languages Langues d'oïl Berrichon dialect Franco-Provençal language Occitano-Romance languages Occitan language Auvergnat dialect Croissant (linguistic) Dialectology
References
Bibliography Investigation of the IFOP for the Auvergnat section of the Institut d'études occitanes, 2006. Jean Bernard and Jean Chardonnet, Lexique du parler bourbonnais. Le bocage bourbonnais, Charroux, Éd. des Cahiers bourbonnais. Marcel Bonin (1984) Dictionnaire général des patois bourbonnais, Moulins, printed in Pottier. () Pierre Bonnaud (1992), Grammaire générale de l'auvergnat à l'usage des arvernisants, coll. Eubransa / Travaux, Chamalières, Cercle Terre d'Auvergne. Pierre Bonnaud, Nouveau dictionnaire général français-auvergnat, Nonette, Created, June 1999, 776 p. ( et 978-2909797328) J.L. Bourioux, Le parler de Busset, association "dà coutà d'vé Buss". Jean-Pierre Chambon et Philippe Olivier (2000), "L'histoire linguistique de l'Auvergne et du Velay: notes pour une synthèse provisoire", Travaux de linguistique et de philologie 38, pp. 83–153. Frantz Brunet, Dictionnaire du parler bourbonnais et des régions voisines, Paris, 1964; republished be De Borée, 1993. René Chicois, Le parler biachet et montluçonnais au milieu du XXe siècle, Charroux, Éd. des Cahiers bourbonnais. Wolfgang Dahmen (1985), Étude de la situation dialectale dans le Centre de la France : un exposé basé sur l'Atlas linguistique et ethnographique du Centre, Paris, CNRS. Simone Escoffier (1958) La rencontre de la langue d'oïl, de la langue d'oc et du franco-provençal entre Loire et Allier : limites phonétiques et morphologiques, coll. Publications de l'Institut de linguistique romane de Lyon, vol. 11, Paris, Les Belles Lettres Simone Escoffier (1958) Remarques sur le lexique d'une zone marginale aux confins de la langue d'oïl, de la langue d'oc et du francoprovençal, coll. Publications de l'Institut de linguistique romane de Lyon, vol. 12, Paris, Les Belles Lettres Michel Labonne, Alain Muller, Sylvie Vilatte, Mémoires du patois de Sologne bourbonnaise. Langage et société, Moulins, Société d'émulation du Bourbonnais (prix Achille-Allier, 2014). Louis Péroux-Beaulaton (1940), Les parlers populaires en le Centre de la France : pays de Combrailles, voisinages du Berry, du Limousin et de l'Auvergne, sn., Montluçon [1re éd. sd., vers 1907]. Karl-Heinz Reichel, Études et Recherches sur les parlers arverno-bourbonnais aux confins de l'Auvergne, du Bourbonnais, de la Marche et du Forez, collection Eubransa/Travaux, Chamalières, Cercle Terre d'Auvergne, 2012 Karl-Heinz Reichel, Grand dictionnaire général auvergnat-français, Nonette, Créer, 3 décembre 2005 ( et 2848190213) Jules Ronjat (1930–1941), Grammaire istorique [sic] des parlers provençaux modernes, 4 vol. [republished in 1980, Marseille, Laffitte Reprints, 2 vol.] Jean Roux, L'auvergnat de poche, Chennevières-sur-Marne (Val-de-Marne), Assimil, coll. "Assimil évasion", 2002 ( et 2700503198)
External links A site dedicated to Bourbonnais http://micbourbonnais.free.fr/ Babel Project Profile of the Diou dialect https://projetbabel.org/diou/index.htm Illustrated dictionary of Patois Bourbonnais http://patoisbourbonnais.blog.free.fr/