The Breton Language

Brezhoneg

The Celtic Languages, which are part of the Indo-European family of languages, are divided into two subgroups Brythonic and Goidelic.  Breton (Brezhoneg) along with Welsh and Cornish belongs to the Brythonic group.  Irish, Scottish and Manx make up the Goidelic Group.  Linguistically speaking, Breton is an insular Celtic, or neo-Celtic, language rather than a continental Celtic variant (such as Gaulish).  Breton has four main dialectal subgroups: Leoneg around Brest; Tregereg around Treguire; Kerneveg around Quimper; and Gwenedeg around Vannes.  This last one differs significantly from the standard language and has its own literary tradition.  It could be considered to be a language by itself and has been said to descend from Gaulish.  Standard Breton is based on the Leoneg dialect.

These areas of dialect differentiation are called bro in Breton and correspond closely to the ancient division of Brittany into diocese.  These ecclesiastical divisions, are more clear cut, however, than the linguistic barriers.  The people of these areas are generally very aware of their regional and linguistic identity.  Some speakers of Gwened dialect and the others have difficultly in easily understanding each other's Breton.  This problem may be due to the lack of contact, in the last one hundred and fifty years or so, between Breton speakers of different dialects.  There is no effective Breton based media such as television, radio or newspapers that would allow people to be more used to hearing or reading the different dialects of Breton.  The standardizing effect of such media is also lacking.

Beginning at the end of the Roman period, as a result of increasing pressure of the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, a group of Celts departed from Cornwall in the fifth century and settled in Armorica, the area of France now known as Brittany.  This period of emigration lasted to about the seventh century.  In Armorica, they mixed with the local population which probably spoke Gaulish (another Celtic language).  The earliest emigration occurred during a very turbulent period of time and there is little written historical record from that time.  The most ancient texts date from the eighth century. 

By early medieval times, when written history begins to reappear, Brittany was functioning as a Celtic kingdom.  Although it maintained close cultural and economic contact with Cornwall and Brittany was becoming increasingly involved in continental western European politics.  Contact with their neighbors in the Frankish Empire was particularly frequent.  The realities of geopolitics combined with the geographical distance eventually lessened the tie with insular Britain.  Gradually, both internal linguistic innovations and the separation from the Welsh and Cornish languages allowed the new language to form. 

Breton was never the native speech of the entire population of the territory of Brittany and it has probably been more influenced than any other Celtic language by contact with non-Celtic languages, many of which were those spoken by the ruling classes.  Breton was, however, present throughout the region during different periods and was spoken by different classes of society at different times.  Until the ninth century, Breton was spoken almost as far east as Rennes.  In the far eastern areas around Fougčres, Vitré and the east of Loire Atlantique may never have spoken Breton.  After the eleventh century the advance of French resulted in the assimilation of Breton in the east of the peninsula. 

Breton is still spoken as the native language in all parts of  western Brittany (Basse-Bretagne or Breizh Izel).  In western Brittany the language is spoken the least in the south, and around the coast.  It is spoken most in Central Brittany (Kreiz Breizh).  It is spoken less in the towns and spoken the most in rural areas.

Except for one, all of the municipal councils of the communes in Lower Brittany have asked the central government of France to sign the European Charter on Regional and Minority Languages, and to define policy areas and Language Laws.  There does not seem to be any specific policy towards the language anymore.  The attitude of the French Government toward Breton can best be described as one of "hostile tolerance."  Breton has the same status as other non-official languages of the French State, and so its status can only be defined in negative terms by the laws passed in favor of French.

Hello = Demat, salud dit 
Welcome! = Deut mad oc'h!
Good day to you (polite plural) = Demat deoc'h
Good morning madam = Demat itron
Good afternoon mister = Demat aotrou 
Goodbye = Kenavo 
So long = Ken ar c'hentań
See you another time = D'ur wech all!
Cheers, Good health! = Yc'hed mat
Good evening = Abardaevezh vat 
Good night = Nozvat
Nice to meet you = Plijet bras on 
How are you? = Mont a ra ganeoc'h?
It goes well, with me = Mont a ra mat, ganin
Good = Mat 
Bad = Fall 
So so = Mat a-walc'h
What's your name? = Pe anv out? or Petra eo da anv?   
My name is John = Yann eo ma anv
Yes = Ya
Yes indeed = Ya'vat
No = Nann
Thank you = Trugarez, Mersi dit
Thank you very much = Trugarez vras 
You're welcome = Gant plijadur
Please = Mar plij
Excuse me = Digarezit ac'hanonon, Iskuzit ac'hanon  
Day festival = Fest-deiz 
Night festival = Fest-noz
I do not understand = Ne gomprenan ket 
How do you say this in English? = Penaos e vez laret se e Saozneg? 
Do you speak Breton? = Komz a rit Brezhoneg?
English = Saozneg 
French = Galleg 
German = Alamaneg 
Spanish = Spagnoleg 
Chinese = Sinaeg
I = Me 
We = Ni 
You (singular, familiar) = Te 
You (singular, formal) = C'hwi 
You (plural) = C'hwi 
They = Int 
Wife = ar wreg 
Husband = ar gwaz 
Daughter = ar verc'h 
Son = ar mab 
Mother = ar vamm 
Father = an tad 
Friend = ar mignon (m) ar vignonez (f)
Where is the bathroom? Where is the toilet? = Pelec'h emań ar privezioů?
How much does this cost? = Pegement eo? 
What is this? = Petra eo? 
I'll buy it. = Prenań a rin se. 
I would like to buy ... = C'hoant em befe da brenań...
Do you have ...? = Daoust hag eń ho peus...? 
Do you accept credit cards? = Kemer a rit ar c'hartennoů bank ?
Open = digor 
Closed = serr 
Postcard = kartenn-bost 
Stamps = timbroů 
A little = un tammig 
A lot = kalz 
All = an holl
Breakfast = dijuni
Lunch = merenn
Dinner = koan
Cheers! = Yec'hed mat!
Please bring the bill. = Pegement eo ar gont, mar plij.