Joret line

The Joret line (french: ligne Joret; Norman: ''lène Joret'') is an isogloss used in the linguistics of the . Dialects north and west of the line have preserved Vulgar Latin and before ; dialects south and east of the line have palatalized and before . This palatalization gave Old French and , then modern French and . The line was first identified by Charles Joret and published in 1883.

To the north and west of the line are found Picard and some dialects of Norman. To the south and the east lie other Oïl dialects including southern Norman, Walloon and French. The area north and west of the is sometimes called the ''Normano-Picard'' domain.

Geography

The Joret line extends from the Channel Islands (including Jèrriais, Guernésiais and Sercquiais) and across the continent from Granville, Manche to the linguistic border with Dutch in the North of France and Belgium. It runs approximately west to east through Normandy north of Granville and Villedieu-les-Poêles and divides Manche and Orne, where the line runs with the Amiénois and Thiérache, up to the west of Rebecq, Beaumont and Chimay in Belgium where it separates Picard from Walloon.

Examples

* Norman Picard ~ Southern Norman, French , Walloon ( palatalization)

:Latin ''cattu'' (cat) gave rise to ''cat'' north of the line and ''chat'' to the south.

:Low Latin ''*captiare'' (to catch) gave rise to ''cachier'' / ''cacher'' (> English catch) north of the line and ''chasser'' (> English chase) to the south.

:Low Latin ''*cantionem'' (song), Picard ''canchon'' West of the line, French ''chanson'', Walloon ''tchinson'' South and East of the line. Similarly Latin ''cantare'' → ''canter'' vs. ''chanter'', ''tchanter''.

:Frankish ''*pokka'' (bag) gave rise to ''pouque'' (> English dial. poke) north of the line and ''pouche'' (> English pouch) to the south. French ''poche'' (pocket), Norman ''pouquette'' (> English pocket).

:Latin ''candela'' (candle) gave rise to ''candelle'' north of the line and ''chandelle'' to the south.

:Celtic ''*carros'' > Latin ''carrus'' gave rise to ''car'' (> English car) north of the line and ''char'' (wain, carriage), ''chariot'' (> English chariot) to the south.

:Celtic ''*kagio-'', Gaulish ''caio-'' > Norman Picard ''kay'', ''cay'' (> ME kay) > French quai (> English quay); Old French ''chay'' > French ''chai'' (wine cellar)

* Norman Picard ~ Southern Norman, French , Walloon (palatalization)

:Latin ''gamba'' (leg) gave rise to ''gambe'' north of the line and ''jambe'' to the south, ''djambe'' to the East.

:Frankish ''*gard-'' (yard) gave rise to ''gardin'' (> English garden) north of the line and ''jardin'' to the south.

:Late Latin ''*galleto'' > Norman Picard ''gal(l)on'' (> English gallon) ; Old French ''jallon'' , French ''jalon'' (measure)

Second isogloss

Another effect of the palatalizations a bit further to the north but quite parallel was this:

* Norman Picard (or ) ~ Southern Norman or , French .

:Low Latin ''*captiare'' > Norman Picard ''cacher'', ''cachi(er)'' (> English catch); Southern Norman, French ''chasser''

:Low Latin ''ceresiu(m)'' > Norman Picard ''cherise'', ''chrise'', ''chise'' (> English cherry); Southern Norman ''srise'' French ''cerise''

Third isogloss

A third isogloss, marking a consonantal change unrelated to the others, more or less follows the Joret line throughout Normandy and continues through northeastern France. It includes all of Picardy, Wallonia, Champagne, Lorraine and a part of Burgundy.

Germanic (sometimes Latin was affected as well) was kept north of the line (written ''w'' or ''v''), but became (written ''g'' or ''gu'') south of the line.

*Northern French ~ French

:Latin ''vespa'' / Frankish ''*waspa'' (wasp) > Picard ''Wespe'', Norman ''Vêpe'' ~ French ''guêpe'' (wasp)

:Frankish ''*wala hlaupan'' (S. English well and leap) > Picard, Old Norman ''waloper'' (> English wallop) ; French ''galoper'' (> English gallop)

:Frankish ''wahtôn'' (S. English wake and watch) > Picard Old Norman ''wait(i)er'' (> English wait) ; Old French ''guaitier'', French ''guetter''

:Frankish ''*werra'' > Old Picard Old Norman ''werre'', ''warre'' (> English war) ; French ''guerre'' (war)

Toponymy

The Joret line affects toponyms in Normandy and Picardy: Cambrai (corresponding to Chambray), Camembert, Carentan (corresponding to Charenton), Caen gallicized as ''Chaem'').

Norman placenames derived from the Gallo-Romance word ''Campaniacum'' show initial ''C-'' in some cases ( Campigny, north) and initial ''Ch-'' in others (Champigny-la-Futelaye, south).

See also

*Norman language
*Picard language
*Walloon language

Notes

References

*''La Normandie dialectale'' Lepelley, Caen 1999 {{ISBN, 2-84133-076-1

Oïl languages
Picardy
Normandy
Isoglosses
Norman language