Breton language

Breton

Breton is a special language spoken in Brittany, a region in modern-day France. It belongs to the Celtic language group, which includes languages like Irish and Welsh. Breton is unique because it is the only Celtic language still used on the European mainland today.

This language was brought to Brittany from Great Britain by people called Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Because of this history, Breton is most closely related to Cornish, another language from Britain. Other Celtic languages like Welsh are more distantly related.

Unfortunately, the number of people who speak Breton has been decreasing. Experts say Breton is "severely endangered." However, there is some good news: more children are now learning Breton in bilingual classes.

History and status

See also: Linguistic boundary of Brittany

Breton is spoken in Lower Brittany, the western part of Brittany in France. It began as a language from Great Britain brought to the area by people who moved there many years ago. For a long time, it was used by important people and later by everyday folks in Lower Brittany. Over time, more people began using French instead.

The French government has often encouraged people to use French rather than local languages like Breton. Because of this, fewer and fewer people now speak Breton. Today, only a small number of people still use the language, and most of them are older.

Revival efforts

In 1925, a teacher named Roparz Hemon started a magazine called Gwalarn in the Breton language. For almost 20 years, this magazine helped improve Breton and encouraged people to write new stories and books in Breton. After Gwalarn ended, another magazine called Al Liamm took its place.

Special schools called Diwan schools were started in 1977 to teach Breton to children by speaking only Breton in class. These schools have helped many young children learn and speak Breton.

Popular comic books like Asterix and The Adventures of Tintin have been translated into Breton. There are also Breton movies, TV shows, and music. Many famous writers and singers have created work in Breton.

Today, Breton is special because it is the only Celtic language still spoken on the European mainland that isn’t an official language of any country. There are dictionaries to help people learn Breton, and groups work to make Breton more common in everyday life. Breton is also used on the internet and in events across the region.

Geographic distribution and dialects

Breton is mostly spoken in Lower Brittany and also in Upper Brittany, where people also speak Gallo and French. Breton is also spoken in other parts of the world where Breton people have moved.

The four main dialects of Breton are leoneg (léonard, of the county of Léon), tregerieg (trégorrois, of Trégor), kerneveg (cornouaillais, of Cornouaille), and gwenedeg (vannetais, of Vannes). Gwerranneg (guérandais, of Guérande) was spoken until the early 1900s in the area of Guérande and Batz-sur-Mer. The dialects mix together slowly, changing from village to village. Gwenedeg can be a bit harder to understand with the other dialects.

Official status

See also: Language policy of France

Nation

French is the only official language of France. Some people who speak Breton and other local languages want their languages to be used more in schools and public places.

Constitution

In July 2008, France changed its rules to say that local languages are part of the country’s heritage.

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is an agreement to help protect these languages, but France has not fully agreed to it yet. In October 2015, France’s Senate decided not to fully accept this agreement.

Region

Local leaders in Brittany use Breton only a little. Some places have signs in both Breton and French.

Because of a rule called the Toubon Law, signs can’t be only in Breton. They must be in both languages or just in French. Because space is limited, most signs are only in French.

Ofis Publik ar Brezhoneg, an organization for the Breton language, started in 1999 to help people use Breton more. It created the Ya d'ar brezhoneg campaign to encourage businesses and towns to use Breton.

Education

In the late 20th century, the French government thought about adding special schools that teach only in Breton to the regular school system. But this idea was stopped because French law says that French must be the only language used in public schools.

There are special schools called Diwan that started in 1977 to teach Breton using only Breton in their lessons. These schools have helped many students learn Breton and have done well in exams, even in French subjects. These schools do not get money from the government, but the Brittany Region sometimes helps them.

Another way to learn Breton in regular schools is called Div Yezh, which means "Two Languages." This method started in 1979. There is also a program called Dihun, meaning "Awakening," started in 1990, for learning Breton in Catholic schools.

Besides these special programs, some primary schools in the area of Finistère also teach a little Breton through songs and games for a few hours each week.

In secondary schools, some students can choose to take classes in Breton. The University of Rennes 2 even has a special department for Breton where students can study the language and even get a higher degree in Breton and Celtic Studies.

Phonology

Breton has different sounds for vowels and consonants. Vowels can be short or long and can also have a special sound called nasalized.

Consonants sound different depending on where you are and which dialect you use. For example, the letter r can sound different in various places. Some special consonant sounds come from changes in other letters, like d and t. The letters C, Q, and X are mostly used in words borrowed from other languages.

Grammar

Main article: Breton grammar

Breton nouns change depending on whether they are masculine or feminine and whether they are single or more than one. Breton has two genders: masculine and feminine. Some endings of words show if they are masculine or feminine.

Breton also has special ways to talk about more than one thing. For example, the word for "eyes" uses an old way of saying "two eyes." There are special endings to show many things, and sometimes a word can have more than one way to show "many."

Verbal aspect in Breton works similarly to other Celtic languages and English, allowing different ways to describe actions. Breton verbs also change at the start of words. The usual order of words in a sentence is verb-subject-object, but Breton has a rule where the verb must be the second part of the sentence. This allows flexibility in where the subject or object can appear in a sentence.

Vocabulary

Breton has many words borrowed from other languages, especially French. Many of its main words come from French. This shows how the language has changed over time by taking in words from nearby places.

Orthography

Breton is written with the Latin alphabet. The most common way to write Breton today is called Peurunvan orthography. It uses letters like a, b, c, d, e and has some special marks on top.

There are two main ways to write Breton: Peurunvan and Skolveurieg. They are mostly the same but look a little different in some words. Most writers use Peurunvan, and that is what is taught in Breton schools.

Alphabet

Breton uses the Latin script with special characters and marks. The alphabet includes letters such as a, b, ch, cʼh, d and more. Some letters have marks like circumflexes or accents above them.

Sample texts

Lord's Prayer

Here is a simple version of a special prayer in Breton:

Hon Tad,
cʼhwi hag a zo en Neñv,
ra vo santelaet hocʼh anv.
Ra zeuio ho Rouantelezh.
Ra vo graet ho youl war an douar evel en neñv.
Roit dimp hiziv bara hor bevañs.
Distaolit dimp hon dleoù
evel m'hor bo ivez distaolet d'hon dleourion.
Ha n'hon lezit ket da vont gant an temptadur,
met hon dieubit eus an Droug.

Words and phrases in Breton

When you visit Brittany, you might see some Breton words and phrases on signs and posters. Here are a few examples:

Language comparison

Borrowing from Breton by other languages

Some English words like dolmen and menhir came from French. French got these words from the Breton language. In Breton, menhir is called peulvan or maen hir, meaning "long stone." The word dolmen might be a mix-up.

The French word baragouiner means "to talk in a confusing way." It comes from Breton words bara, meaning "bread," and gwin, meaning "wine." Another French word, goéland, means "large seagull." It comes from Breton gwelan, which is related to the English word "gull."

.bzh

.bzh is a special web address made for Brittany and its Breton culture and languages. In 2023, more than 12,000 people and groups used this special address. The www.bzh group helps show Brittany’s culture online, like adding a Breton flag picture to the internet and offering special email services.