well, it probably depends where you put the border of Britanny - the historic britanny doesn't fit exactly with the actual administrative entity. Nantes and its region for exemple was part of it Britanny but is now in "pays de la Loire" administrative region.
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From what I know though, Breton is indeed a language in imminent extinction. There are scores of people in their 50s who grew up hearing Breton being spoken, but who are now unable to speak more than a few cursory words. I befriended a couple of Bretons at Essec and most of them only know a few words like "kenavo" (read: salut) or "demat" (read: bonjour).
I actually never have met Bretons able to speak more than those few words.
[quote]I think what gives Britanny its lasting Celtic character has to be the convoluted place names which defy pronunciation - at least for the visitor who is more accustomed to Gallic vowels.
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It is interesting is the word "gallic" you used to describe french in opposition to Breton, while "gallic" originally relates to a celtic former entity.
But you're right that some Breton names can seem quite difficult to pronounce. But you also find in Britanny a lot of french names (particulary in the outside the "bretonnante" part but not only).
(Is the proportation really that high? In my understanding, Basse-Bretagne or the departments of Finistere and Morbihan had traditionally been bretonnat with the line dividing Breton and Gallo cutting through Cote d'Armor and Ille-et-Vilaine.
From what I know though, Breton is indeed a language in imminent extinction. There are scores of people in their 50s who grew up hearing Breton being spoken, but who are now unable to speak more than a few cursory words. I befriended a couple of Bretons at Essec and most of them only know a few words like "kenavo" (read: salut) or "demat" (read: bonjour).
I think what gives Britanny its lasting Celtic character has to be the convoluted place names which defy pronunciation - at least for the visitor who is more accustomed to Gallic vowels. Some of the places which I sensibly did not attempt to pronounce include Plougoumelen, Plobannalec-Lesconil, Ploudalmézeau as well as Bannalec. These names seem to be a world apart from places such as Cergy, Neuville, Conflans – Fin d'Oise or Houilles – Carrières-sur-Seine (all train stops of the RER A line).
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Of course, place names aside, I'd consider the Catholic traditions of the region to be a strong part of its Celtic heritage.
It is interesting that you associate catholicism with celticness - some regions that claim to be celtic are not all majoritary catholic; Scotland, Wales are not. In my opinion the strong catholic traditions in Britanny are more linked with the isolation of the region that endured the place during centuries . Corsica is probably even more.
Having said that, as far as the pro-independence movement is concerned, Britanny is decades behind Scotland or even Wales.
It seems you mean that it has to go in that direction, or it would be a good thing? why it should?
I mean that the state of the Breton independence movement is roughly comparable to where Scotland was about 40 years ago. It may or may not go in that direction.
fab wrote:
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I'm not opposed to Breton independence,
Does it mean you are in favour of it? that's how I feel to understand it.
Ultimately, yes — because I am generally sympathetic to all non-violent 'separatist' movements as a means to create more locally-based democratic societies. I would be happy to see an independent Brittany, but I'm not so bothered about it that I would actually go there and start campaigning for it though.
Location: San Francisco, Noord-Kalifornië, Noord-Amerika
Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:47 pm Post subject:
fab wrote:
I actually never have met Bretons able to speak more than those few words.
I met one in NY in the early 1980s, at which time he was in his 20s. My brother was tutoring him in math. He was fluent in Breton -- not that I know anything about Breton, but he did demonstrate his ability to speak a language that he said was Breton, and I had no reason to doubt that it was Breton.
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