Mentonasque

The mentonasque (or mentonnais ) is the speech of the canton of Menton, in the the Alpes-Maritimes. It is intermediate between the Occitan (niçois) and the Ligure (Intémélien), but has dominant features occitans and is asserted locally like occitan.

In this speech, one names it and one writes it O mentonasc according to the traditional standard or or mentounasc according to the Norme mistralienne (see of Provence). One pronounces meⁿtu'naʃk, by employing the specific definite article o/ou (in front of a consonant) as in Ligure, and not the usual article lo/lou of the Provençal niçois.

Dialectology

Its categorization in to speak or dialect indicates that the mentonasque one is the variety of true a Langue, and that it is by no means about a Patois (term connoted in a negative way and given up by the majority of the linguists). Described for the first scientific time of way per James Bruyn Andrews at the end of the 19th century (“It dialetto di Mentone, in quanto egli tramezzi ideologicamente will tra it provenzale E it ligure” ( the dialect of Chin, in what it is intermediate ideological between the of Provence one and the Ligurian ) in Archivio Glottologico Italiano XII, 1890/92, pp. 97-106), it is the subject of more recent studies in particular by Jean-Philippe Dalbera (“Interferences between Provençal and Ligurian in the genesis of mentonnais” in Bulletin of the Center of romanistic and late Latinity 4-5, Nice, 1989, pp. 89-97) and especially by Werner Forner of the University of Siegen (“Intemelia linguistica”, in Intemelion 1, Sanremo, 1995, pp. 67-82), whose research is well summarized in “mentonnais between all the chairs? ”, in Lexicon French-Mentonnais (Caserio & Al 2001). In these various studies, it Appert an intermediate character clearly of these speeches between the of Provence one (and thus the Occitan) and the Ligurian (in its alternative Intémélien). He nevertheless is taught, according to the French rules into force in the State education, as a variety of of Provence the Niçois - what does not prevent from respecting the specific features of them. From a genetic point of view, in spite of unquestionable and massive influences due to the niçois and with of Provence maritime (diphtonguée realization of ò = in particular), “ the position of mentonnais is thus that of last Mediterranean, pilot outpost of the old extent of the linguistic type Royasque - Pignasque to the edge of the sea ” (Werner Forner).

The speeches Royasque S and Pignasque S are clearly of ligure type - rather different however from the génois such as he is spoken with Genoa.

Areology

He is spoken not only in Menton, but also in the villages of his canton, namely Gorbio, Holy-Agnes and Castellar. The speech of Roquebrune-Cape-Martin is generally regarded as the mentonasque one by the majority of the authors even if it presents characteristics which can make of it a speech distinct - this remark being in addition valid for each village from the canton… It is nevertheless about a well delimited dialectal surface “ which is distinguished definitely so much from its Western neighbors (surface of the Provençal of the niçois type and ligure linguistic small island of Monaco) that of its Eastern neighbor (surface of the Ligure) ” (Alain Venturini, in Lou Sourgentin , n° 56, April 1983).

While being a variety of of Provence niçois (of occitan), the mentonasque one presents similarities with the speeches alpine Ligurians such as the Royasque (valley of high Roya and Bévéra, in particular Sospel, Breil and Saorge) and the Pignasque (Pigna, in the Province of Imperia).

On the other hand, it is distinguished rather clearly, especially with the ear, of the ligure speeches (Italian septentrional) of Vintimille (Intémélien) and of Monaco (Monégasque), influenced tardily by the spoken génois with Genoa.

The fastening of mentonnais with prestigious the Langue of oc (in relation to its alternative niçoise spoken in the Comté about Nice) is sometimes asserted by some: it is what arises, on the one hand, of work of certain linguists and, on the other hand, of the feeling () of local associations like the Société of Art and History of Mentonnais (SAHM) which published the Lexique French-Mentonnais (Caserio & Al 2001). This company is affiliated besides with the Félibrige and the Institut of Studies Occitanes, the two main movements militant for the language of oc.

The Apocope generalized and the second late diphthongization (as in pònt/pouant for the word “bridge”), as well as the vocabulary, give indeed to mentonasque provençaux features. One detects there the influence of the spoken language with Marseilles (the of Provence maritime one) arrived to Menton, “ broad heavy shower which broke against the Baoussé Roussé ” ( Bauces Bosses , I Balzi Rossi, rocks which forms the Franco-Italian littoral border today) to take again the image of Werner Forner.

Literature

The mentonasque one does not have the literary prestige of the close dialects. But it can be pressed on the literary rich person heritage of the language occitane of which it forms part. There exist nevertheless some texts and songs published recently mentonnais some (for the majority at the 20th century) and it from now on is regularly taught in the academy of Nice, in the canton of Chin. Among the various publications, has Lambrusca de Paigran (the Virginia creeper Grandfather) by Jean-Louis Caserio, illustrations of Mr. and F. Guglielmelli, SAHM, Menton, 1987.

See too

Occitan

Of Provence

Vivaro-alpine Niçois

Ligure Royasque

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