Languages

Celtic cousins

Breton is a Celtic language closely related to Welsh and Cornish. From the Revolution, which imposed a single French language, the number of Breton speakers slowly dwindled. In the 19th century, the Third Republic, while instituting schooling for all, insisted on French as the sole language. Now, just a small number of Bretons stick tenaciously to their native tongue.

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Breton connections 

Breton may not have managed to survive as vibrantly as Welsh, but if you’re from Wales, or have visited that country, you may spot many familiar words in Brittany. ‘Kreis ker’, for example, means ‘town centre’. ‘Ker’ is a word you’ll see a lot, signalling a locality. ‘Pen’ or ‘penn’ (headland or end), is another word commonly found either side of the Celtic Channel ; Finistère is thus known as Penn ar Bed, ‘the end of the earth’, in Breton. Add ‘pen’ to ‘ty’ (house), and you get a ‘penty’ – Breton for ‘end of a house’, i.e. a cottage. It’s fun getting to grips with the building blocks of the language.

Minding your Ps and Qs 

To say hello in Breton, the expression is ‘Degemer Mad’. Goodbye is ‘Kenavo’. You’ll often see posters advertising a ‘fest noz’, or night festival, when you can enjoy traditional Breton singing and dancing. To join in and say cheers, the phrase you should have on your lips is ‘Yech mad’, literally ‘good health’. That last word, ‘mad’ by the way, means ‘good’ in Breton, rather than indicating troubled sanity !

Learning the lingo 

The closest you may come to learning Breton on holiday is by studying a restaurant placemat illustrated with basic Breton words although you’ll find a good array of publications on the Breton language in local bookshops. It’s now possible to take school leaving exams in Breton, and Diwan schools teach wholly in Breton, even if the number who attend is very small. Some universities in Brittany also offer courses in Breton.

Did you know ? 

Although it’s hard to calculate precise numbers, it’s estimated that some 200,000 people can speak Breton today.