Areas where the Norman language is strongest include Jersey, Guernsey, the Cotentin and the Pays de Caux.
Norman or Norman French (Normaund, French: Normand[nɔʁmɑ̃]ⓘ, Guernésiais: Normand, Jèrriais: Nouormand) is a Romance language which can be classified as a langue d'oïl, which also includes French, Picard and Walloon. The name "Norman French" is sometimes used to describe not only the Norman language, but also the administrative languages of Anglo-Norman and Law French used in England. For the most part, the written forms of Norman and modern French are mutually intelligible. This intelligibility was largely caused by the Norman language's planned adaptation to French orthography.
History
When NorseVikings from modern day Scandinavia arrived in Neustria, in the western part of the then Kingdom of the Franks, and settled the land that became known as Normandy, these North-Germanic–speaking people came to live among a local Gallo-Romance–speaking population.[4] In time, the communities converged, so that Normandy continued to form the name of the region while the original Norsemen were largely assimilated by the Gallo-Romance people, adopting their speech but still contributing some elements from Old Norse language and Norse culture. Later, when conquering England, the Norman rulers in England would eventually assimilate, thereby adopting the speech of the local English.[citation needed] In both cases, the elites contributed elements of their own language to the newly enriched languages that developed in the territories.
In Normandy, the Norman language inherited only some 150 words from Old Norse.[5] The influence on phonology is disputed, although it is argued that the retention of aspirated /h/ and /k/ in Norman is due to Norse influence.[citation needed]
The British and Irish governments recognize Jèrriais and Guernésiais as regional languages within the framework of the British–Irish Council. Sercquiais is in fact a descendant of the 16th-century Jèrriais used by the original colonists from Jersey who settled the then uninhabited island.
The last first-language speakers of Auregnais, the dialect of Norman spoken on Alderney, died during the 20th century, although some rememberers are still alive. The dialect of Herm also lapsed at an unknown date; the patois spoken there was likely Guernésiais (Herm was not inhabited all year round in the Norman culture's heyday).
Three different standardized spellings are used: continental Norman, Jèrriais, and Dgèrnésiais. These represent the different developments and particular literary histories of the varieties of Norman. Norman may therefore be described as a pluricentric language.
The Anglo-Norman dialect of Norman served as a language of administration in England following the Norman conquest of England in 1066. This left a legacy of Law French in the language of English courts (though it was also influenced by Parisian French). In Ireland, Norman remained strongest in the area of south-east Ireland, where the Hiberno-Normans invaded in 1169. Norman remains in (limited) use for some very formal legal purposes in the UK, such as when the monarch gives royal assent to an Act of Parliament using the phrase, "Le Roy (la Reyne) le veult" ("The King (the Queen) wills it").
As of 2017[update], the Norman language remains strongest in the less accessible areas of the former Duchy of Normandy: the Channel Islands and the Cotentin Peninsula (Cotentinais) in the west, and the Pays de Caux (Cauchois dialect) in the east. Ease of access from Paris and the popularity of the coastal resorts of central Normandy, such as Deauville, in the 19th century led to a significant loss of distinctive Norman culture in the central low-lying areas of Normandy.
Old French influences
Norman French preserves a number of Old French words which have been lost in Modern French. Examples of Norman French words of Old French origin:
Norman French
Old French
French
Meaning
alosier
alosier
se vanter, se targuer
to brag, to pride oneself on
ardre
ardre, ardeir
brûler
to burn
caeir
caeir, caïr
«choir», tomber
to drop, to fall over
calengier
calungier, chalongier (became challenge in English)
négocier, débattre
to negotiate, to argue
d'ot
od, ot
avec
with
de l'hierre (f.) de l'hierru (m.)
de l'iere
du lierre
of ivy
déhait
dehait
chagrin, malheur
grief, hardship
ébauber, ébaubir
esbaubir
étonner
to surprise
éclairgir
esclargier
éclaircir
to lighten
écourre
escurre, escudre
secouer
to shake, to mix
essourdre
essurdre, exsurdre
élever
to raise, to lift
haingre (adj.)
haingre
maigre
thin, skinny
haingue (f.)
haenge
haine
hatred
haiset (m.)
haise
barrière or clôture de jardin faites de branches
garden fence
herdre
erdre
adhérer, être adhérant, coller
to adhere, to stick
hourder
order
souiller
to make something dirty
iloc (with a silent c)
iloc, iluec
là
there
itel / intel
itel
semblable
similar
liement
liement, liéement
tranquillement
quietly, peacefully
maishî
maishui, meshui
maintenant, désormais
now, from now on
manuyaunce
manuiance
avoir la jouissance, la possession
to have enjoyment
marcaundier
marcandier
rôdeur, vagabond
prowler, walker
marcauntier
marcantier
mouchard, colporteur
canary
marganer
marganer
moquer
to make fun of, to mock
marganier
marganier
moqueur, quelqu'un qui se moque
mocking, teasing
méhain
meshaing, mehain
mauvaise disposition, malaise
loss of consciousness, feeling of faintness
méhaignié
meshaignié
malade, blessé
sick, injured
méselle
mesele
lèpre
leprosy
mésiau or mésel
mesel
lépreux
leper
moûtrer
mustrer
montrer
to show
muchier
mucier
cacher
to conceal / to hide
nartre (m.)
nastre
traître
traitor
nâtre (adj.)
nastre
méchant, cruel
mean, nasty
nienterie (f.)
nienterie
niaiserie
nonsense, insanity
orde
ort
sale
dirty
ordir
ordir
salir
to get something dirty
paumpe (f.)
pampe
en normand: tige
en anc. fr.: pétale
petal
souleir
soleir
«souloir», avoir l'habitude de
to have habit of / to get used to
targier or tergier
targier
tarder
to be late / slow
tître
tistre
tisser
to weave
tolir
tolir
priver, enlever
to remove, to take something away from somebody
trétous
trestuz
tous, absolument tous
all, absolutely every
Examples of Norman French words with -ei instead of -oi in Standard French words
Norman French
Standard French
Meaning
la feire
la foire
fair (trade show)
la feis
la fois
time
la peire
la poire
pear
le deigt
le doigt
finger
le dreit
le droit
right (law)
le peivre
le poivre
pepper
aveir (final r is silent)
avoir
to have
beire
boire
to drink
creire
croire
to believe
neir (final r is silent)
noir
black
veir (final r is silent)
voir
to see
Examples of Norman French words with c- / qu- and g- instead of ch- and j in Standard French
In some cases, Norse words adopted in Norman have been borrowed into French – and more recently some of the English words used in French can be traced back to Norman origins.
A bar named in Norman (Cherbourg, 2002)
Influence of Norman on English language
Following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the Norman and other languages and dialects spoken by the new rulers of England were used during several hundred years, developing into the unique insular dialect now known as Anglo-Norman French, and leaving traces of specifically Norman words that can be distinguished from the equivalent lexical items in French:
Other borrowings, such as canvas, captain, cattle and kennel, exemplify how Norman retained Latin /k/ that was not retained in French.
In the United Kingdom, Acts of Parliament are confirmed with the words "Le Roy le veult" ("The King wishes it") and other Norman phrases are used on formal occasions as legislation progresses.
Norman immigration in Canada
Norman immigrants to North America also introduced some "Normanisms" to Quebec French and the French language in Canada generally. Joual, a working class sociolect of Quebec, in particular exhibits a Norman influence. For example the word "placoter" can mean both to splash around or to chatter comes from the Normand French word "clapoter" which means the same thing.[9]
