Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...
: ''lo Creissent''; French: ''le Croissant'') is a linguistic transitional zone between the
Langue d'oc
Occitan (; ), also known by its native speakers as (; ), sometimes also referred to as Provençal, is a Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan Valleys, as well as Spain's Val d'Aran in Catalonia; collectively, thes ...
(also referred to as
Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...
) dialects and the Langue d'oïl dialects, situated in the centre of France where Occitan dialects are spoken (
Limousin
Limousin (; ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. Named after the old province of Limousin, the administrative region was founded in 1960. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne. On 1 Jan ...
and
Auvergnat
(; ) or (endonym: ) is a northern dialect of Occitan spoken in central and southern France, in particular in the former administrative region of Auvergne.
Currently, research shows that there is not really a true Auvergnat dialect but rath ...
) that have transitional traits toward French (Langue d'oïl). The name derives from the contours of the zone that resemble a ''
croissant
A croissant (, ) is a French cuisine, French pastry in a crescent shape made from a laminated yeast dough similar to puff pastry.
It is a buttery, flaky, ''viennoiserie'' pastry inspired by the shape of the Austrian cuisine, Austrian ''Kifli, ...
'', or
crescent
A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself.
In Hindu iconography, Hind ...
.
The first author to use the term ''Croissant'' was the linguist (1864-1925) in 1913.
There are two main Croissant dialects:
* Marchois, which is closer to the
Limousin
Limousin (; ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. Named after the old province of Limousin, the administrative region was founded in 1960. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne. On 1 Jan ...
dialect, is found in the west, going from Confolentais (
Allier
Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...
/Gorges du Cher) and passing through the north of
Creuse
Creuse (; or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the east, Cor ...
d'oc dialect region are, as far as they are concerned, Arverno-Bourbonnais dialects belonging to the
Auvergnat
(; ) or (endonym: ) is a northern dialect of Occitan spoken in central and southern France, in particular in the former administrative region of Auvergne.
Currently, research shows that there is not really a true Auvergnat dialect but rath ...
dialect zone of the Croissant, centered around Chantelle and
Vichy
Vichy (, ; ) is a city in the central French department of Allier. Located on the Allier river, it is a major spa and resort town and during World War II was the capital of Vichy France. As of 2021, Vichy has a population of 25,789.
Known f ...
Allier
Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...
(to the east). The crescent is very narrow between its westernmost point and Le Dorat (between 10 and 15 km wide) but widens towards the east: between 30 km (at
Availles-Limouzine
Availles-Limouzine (; ) is a commune in the west-central department of Vienne, in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metro ...
Magnac-Laval
Magnac-Laval (; ) is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in west-central France.
Geography
The river Brame flows westward through the middle of the commune and crosses the town.
Inhabitants are known as ' ...
Indre
Indre (); is a department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administrative region of Cent ...
Creuse
Creuse (; or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the east, Cor ...
:
La Souterraine
La Souterraine (; Limousin dialect, Limousin: ''La Sotarrana'') is a Communes of France, commune in the west-central French Departments of France, department of Creuse.
Geography
La Souterraine is an area of farming and light industry, comprisi ...
,
Crozant
Crozant (; Limousin dialect, Limousin: ''Crosenc'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Creuse Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region in France.
Geography
A tourism and farming village situated ...
Cher
Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme (; or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2021, it had a population of 662,285.Saint-Éloy-les-Mines
*
Allier
Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...
Vichy
Vichy (, ; ) is a city in the central French department of Allier. Located on the Allier river, it is a major spa and resort town and during World War II was the capital of Vichy France. As of 2021, Vichy has a population of 25,789.
Known f ...
Cusset
Cusset is a commune in the department of Allier, in the central French region of Auvergne. Situated in the foothills of the , the city is a suburb of Vichy and ranks fourth in population for the department.
Population
Geography Loca ...
Vichy
Vichy (, ; ) is a city in the central French department of Allier. Located on the Allier river, it is a major spa and resort town and during World War II was the capital of Vichy France. As of 2021, Vichy has a population of 25,789.
Known f ...
.
Classification
Most linguists specializing in the Croissant dialects confirm it is a predominantly
Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...
-speaking zone. (Tourtoulon & Bringuier, Dahmen, Escoffier, Chambon & Olivier, Quint). Only Jules Ronjat expresses a more cautious opinion by refusing to explicitly say if the Croissant comes under Langue d’Oc or Langue d’Oïl (French). Since Ronjat’s hesitation, some books by Occitan scholars (Pierre Bec, Robert Lafont) have been reluctant to present the Croissant as a completely Langue d'oc zone. However, cultural studies conducted in the Croissant from the 1970s (Quint, Merle) prove that linguistic and cultural awareness of Occitan is widespread there.
Since the 1970s, edited maps include nearly all of the Croissant in the Langue d’oc region. Guylaine Brun-Trigaud even includes the Langue d’oïl dialects with Occitan features.
Likewise, the writer Valery Larbaud (1881-1957), who originated from Vichy, in the Croissant zone, expressed his support for the idea of a union of Langue d’oc regions in his work ''Jaune bleu blanc'' ''(Yellow blue white)'' (1927).
Historical, territorial and linguistic evolution
The influence of French in the Croissant zone goes back a long way. The presence of French-speaking nobility and administrators caused, from the second half of the 13th century, administrative and legal documents to be written in French and not in the local dialects, as well as in
Marche
Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...
County (
Limousin
Limousin (; ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. Named after the old province of Limousin, the administrative region was founded in 1960. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne. On 1 Jan ...
Auvergnat
(; ) or (endonym: ) is a northern dialect of Occitan spoken in central and southern France, in particular in the former administrative region of Auvergne.
Currently, research shows that there is not really a true Auvergnat dialect but rath ...
-speaking territory). In Bourbonnais, the earliest known documents written in the local vernacular are deeds in French with some
Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...
forms inserted from 1245. Therefore, the Croissant has been a Langue d’oc- Langue d’oïl
diglossia
In linguistics, diglossia ( , ) is where two dialects or languages are used (in fairly strict compartmentalization) by a single language community. In addition to the community's everyday or vernacular language variety (labeled "L" or "low" v ...
since that time, long before French had spread through the rest of the Langue d’oc linguistic area. The border between Langue d’oc and
Berry
A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...
, which took place between the 12th and 15th centuries, principally from the ravages of the
Hundred Years' War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...
, which caused the area to be consecutively repopulated.
In the Croissant dialects, the spread of Gallicisms has increased, weakening the local Occitan variants. During the last few centuries, it seems that progression to have been more rapid in
Marche
Marche ( ; ), in English sometimes referred to as the Marches ( ) from the Italian name of the region (Le Marche), is one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. The region is located in the Central Italy, central area of the country, ...
County (
Limousin
Limousin (; ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. Named after the old province of Limousin, the administrative region was founded in 1960. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne. On 1 Jan ...
-speaking territory) than in Bourbonnais (
Auvergnat
(; ) or (endonym: ) is a northern dialect of Occitan spoken in central and southern France, in particular in the former administrative region of Auvergne.
Currently, research shows that there is not really a true Auvergnat dialect but rath ...
-speaking territory). However, since the 20th century, in all cases, the spread of French has resulted in a
diglossia
In linguistics, diglossia ( , ) is where two dialects or languages are used (in fairly strict compartmentalization) by a single language community. In addition to the community's everyday or vernacular language variety (labeled "L" or "low" v ...
, and linguistic substitutions similar to those across all of the Langue d’oc regions. That puts into perspective the "gallicised" aspects of the Croissant dialects today since nearly all Occitan dialects are undergoing a process of Gallicization.
Dialectological subdivisions
There is no clear dialectological subdivision in the Croissant region, and the general impression is that it is largely fragmented. There is no clear border between the
Auvergnat
(; ) or (endonym: ) is a northern dialect of Occitan spoken in central and southern France, in particular in the former administrative region of Auvergne.
Currently, research shows that there is not really a true Auvergnat dialect but rath ...
dialect region and the
Limousin
Limousin (; ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. Named after the old province of Limousin, the administrative region was founded in 1960. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne. On 1 Jan ...
dialect region since the "border" between these two dialects is a vast transitional zone spanning the entire eastern part of the
Limousin
Limousin (; ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. Named after the old province of Limousin, the administrative region was founded in 1960. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienne. On 1 Jan ...
region (well beyond the Croissant).
In any case, from a cultural and possibly dialectological point of view, the west of the Croissant as far as Montluçon belongs to Limousin or La Marche (Marchois is spoken there).
The eastern part of the Croissant from Montmarault, where the Averno-Bourbonnais dialect is found, is linked to
Auvergnat
(; ) or (endonym: ) is a northern dialect of Occitan spoken in central and southern France, in particular in the former administrative region of Auvergne.
Currently, research shows that there is not really a true Auvergnat dialect but rath ...
.
Within the
Auvergnat
(; ) or (endonym: ) is a northern dialect of Occitan spoken in central and southern France, in particular in the former administrative region of Auvergne.
Currently, research shows that there is not really a true Auvergnat dialect but rath ...
area, there is a distinct zone influenced by Francoprovençal in the south-east of
Allier
Allier ( , , ; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region that borders Cher (department), Cher to the west, Nièvre to the north, Saône-et-Loire and Loire (department), Loire to the east, Pu ...
), towards the Bourbonnais Mountains. There, since ancient times, the intervocalic ''d'' is dropped, in particular in ''-aa'' endings (for ''-ada''), as is also the case in Vivaro-Alpin, where the loss of the ''d'' can also be explained by its proximity to Francoprovençal.
Traits
The Croissant dialects are quite heterogenous according to Ronjat, but the following characteristics are commonly found:
* According to accounts from Croissant dialect speakers, intercomprehension is a little difficult but often possible with other dialects located to the south. It is much more difficult with the dialects located to the north.
* The final vowels ''-a'' and ''-e'' are often completely silent in the Croissant, but they are very clearly pronounced in the other
Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...
dialects. On the other hand, it is possible to hear ''-as'' (:)and ''-es'' j/ijendings, which can potentially bring out the
tonic accent
Pitch accent is a term used in autosegmental- metrical theory for local intonational features that are associated with particular syllables. Within this framework, pitch accents are distinguished from both the abstract metrical stress and the ...
. Despite that phenomenon, there are still traces of a mobile
tonic accent
Pitch accent is a term used in autosegmental- metrical theory for local intonational features that are associated with particular syllables. Within this framework, pitch accents are distinguished from both the abstract metrical stress and the ...
, which can fall either on the second-last syllable of a word (a
paroxytone
In linguistics, a paroxytone (, ') is a word with stress on the penultimate syllable, that is, the second-to-last syllable, such as the English language, English word ''potáto''.
In English, most words ending in ''-ic'' are paroxytones: ''músic ...
) or on the last syllable (an
oxytone
In linguistics, an oxytone (; from the , ', 'sharp-sounding') is a word with the stress on the last syllable, such as the English words ''correct'' and ''reward''.
It contrasts with a paroxytone, stressed on the penultimate (second-last) syll ...
Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...
traits and considerable lexical and idiomatic creativity (Escoffier).