Newfoundland French: Difference between revisions

Newfoundland French
Newfoundland French
Français terre-neuvien
Native to	Newfoundland
Extinct	moribund
Language family	Indo-European Italic Romance Italo-Western Western Gallo-Iberian Gallo-Romance Gallo-Rhaetian Oïl French Newfoundland French; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Language codes
ISO 639-1	none
ISO 639-2	none
ISO 639-3	None (mis)

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Newfoundland French or Newfoundland Peninsular French refers to the French spoken on the Port au Port Peninsula (part of the so-called “French Shore”) of Newfoundland. The francophones of the region are unique in Canada, tracing their origins to Continental French fisherman who settled in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and not to the Québécois, or Acadians of the The Maritimes. For this reason, Newfoundland French was probably (at least in its early stages) most similar to the Norman- and Breton-influenced French of nearby St.-Pierre et Miquelon. Heavy contact with Acadian French and especially widespread bilingualism with Newfoundland English has taken their toll, and the community is in decline.

The degree to which lexical features of Newfoundland French constitute a distinct dialect is not presently known. It is uncertain how many speakers survive — the dialect could be moribund. There is a provincial advocacy organisation Fédération des Francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador, representing both the Peninsular French and Acadian French communities.

Distribution

Newfoundland French communities include the Bay St. George (Cap-St-Georges, Petit jardin, Grand jardin, De Grau, Rousseau rouge, La Pointe à luc), Trois cailloux, La Grand’terre, L’Anse-aux-canards, Maisons-d’hiver and Lourdes.

There are also Acadian French communities in the Codroy Valley, Stephenville, and St George’s. It is in the Port-au-Port peninsula where a particularlyl Newfoundland version of French may be found and upon which researchers have concentrated their efforts.

History

Origins

France contested ownership of Newfoundland from 1662 until 1713, when it ceded the island to Great Britain as part of the Treaty of Utrecht. During the Seven Years War France (and Spain) vied for control of Newfoundland and the valuable fisheries off its shores. Fighting ceased in 1763, with French fishing rights to the western coast enshrined in the Treaty of Paris. This period saw an influx of Breton, Norman and Basque fisherman to the region, though most of the activity was seasonal, and French settlement before the late 1800s was forbidden. Despite the disproval of the british, clandestine settlement of the west coast continued by the french over many years. During this period within which permanent settlement by french colonists was not sanctioned by treaty, while scattered, small, settlements were tolerated, french schools were not. There is evidence that the english, much more established on the east coast, were willing to ignore french settlements so long as they were not a threat, and some feeling that literate french could send messages to France and act as a source of information. As a result the only source of litterate french present in Newfoundland was through immigration from France. In 1904 ownership of the region was transferred from France to the Colony of Newfoundland.

In addition to french immigration from Europe, Acadian emigres arrived from Cap-Breton Island as well as the Magdalen Islands to colonize Cape St. George, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Codroy Valley and in Stephenville called "l'Anse-aux-Sauvages" (the Cove of Savages) begining in the XIXth century^[1], while up to the middle of the XXth century, fishermen originating from Brittany and with Breton as their mother tongue, but educated in french through the schools of Jules Ferry, came to establish themselves on the Port-au-Port peninsula : this is one of the key causal factors which can help to explain the differences between Newfoundland French and Acadian French^[2].

Contact with english populations, bilingualism, and assimilation

Contacts between french and english Newfoundlanders had been historically both limited and normally peaceful. At this time the west coast of newfoundland was roughly evenly distributed with english and french families, mostly working within their own liguistic industries and communities. The major exception was the Catholic Church, wherein the priests were nearly always unilingual english. This had strongly encourage billingualism in the francophone community, and laid the seeds for assimilation.

In 1940 the establishment of the American Air Force Base at Stephenville sounded the start of French Newfoundland’s decline. Newfoundland French and Acadian French speakers who had lived and worked their entire lives in relative francophone isolation now found themselves at the heart of an American, Canadian, British and Newfoundlander anglophone economic centre. Families were grateful for the economic opportunities brought by the base, but transmission of French across generations dropped-off dramatically.

The absence of french education, and the mandatory attendance of all children in english schools, as well as both radio and television programs in english caused newer french generations to fail to learn and master more complication grammer and subject matter in french. English was becomming the only language of the educated ^[3].

Patrice Brasseur, a french linguist and researcher interested in the french of Newfoundland, has written numerous academic papers on the culture and language of this unique group. Over numerous visits to the island and in speaking with the remaining, aged, francophone population has found that french children were often punished for speaking french at school ^[4].

Marriages between francophone and anglophone Catholics also became a contributing factor to the assimilation, with intermarriages becoming more common from the 1930s onward.^[5].

Confederation

Since 1949 when Newfoundland became a Canadian province the use of French on the island has been in decline. Newfoundland French is now only spoken by a handful of elderly residents. Other Franco-Newfoundlanders in Newfoundland now use Acadian French, rather than the Newfoundland dialect. Today, 15 000 descendants of French settlers live in the province and there is a movement to reestablish the Newfoundland dialect as the French language of education in the province. However, schoolchildren in the province are currently being introduced to either standard Canadian French, or an Acadian-influenced variety thereof.

Notes & References

Notes

References

Bibliography
Profil Port-au-port 2009 Template:Fr
French Presence in Newfoundland
The Two Traditions: The Art of Storytelling Amongst French Newfoundlanders By Gerald Thomas
Le français parlé au 21ième siècle By Michaël Abecassis, Laure Ayosso, Élodie Vialleton Template:Fr
The Lexical Basis of Grammatical Borrowing. King, Ruth Elizabeth.
Ballads and Sea-Songs of Newfoundland. Greenleaf, Elizabeth Bristol & Grace Yarrow Mansfield.
Walking a tightrope: aboriginal people and their representations. David McNab, Ute Lischke.

^ Waddell & Doran 1979, p. 150
^ Brasseur 2007, p. 67
^ Brasseur 2007, p. 78
^ Brasseur 1995, p. 110-111
^ http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/portauport.html

[1] Waddell & Doran 1979, p. 150

[2] Brasseur 2007, p. 67

[3] Brasseur 2007, p. 78

[4] Brasseur 1995, p. 110-111

[5] ttp://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/portauport.html

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 Newfoundland French communities include the [[Bay St. George]] ([[Cape St. George, Newfoundland and Labrador|Cap-St-Georges]], [[Bay St. George|Petit jardin]], [[Bay St. George|Grand jardin]], [[Bay St. George|De Grau]], [[Bay St. George|Rousseau rouge]], [[Bay St. George|La Pointe à luc]]), [[Three Rock Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador|Trois cailloux]], [[Mainland, Newfoundland and Labrador|La Grand’terre]], [[Black Duck Brook and Winterhouse, Newfoundland and Labrador|L’Anse-aux-canards]], [[Black Duck Brook and Winterhouse, Newfoundland and Labrador|Maisons-d’hiver]] and [[Lourdes, Newfoundland and Labrador|Lourdes]].
-There are also Acadian French communities in the [[Codroy Valley (Newfoundland and Labrador)|Codroy Valley]], [[Stephenville]], and [[St George’s]].
+There are also Acadian French communities in the [[Codroy Valley (Newfoundland and Labrador)|Codroy Valley]], [[Stephenville]], and [[St George’s]].  It is in the Port-au-Port peninsula where a particularlyl Newfoundland version of French may be found and upon which researchers have concentrated their efforts.
 ==History==
 ===Origins===
-France contested ownership of Newfoundland from [[1662]] until [[1713]], when it ceded the island to [[Great Britain]] as part of the [[Treaty of Utrecht]]. During the [[Seven Years War]] France (and [[Spain]]) vied for control of Newfoundland and the valuable [[fishery|fisheries]] off its shores. Fighting ceased in [[1763]], with French fishing rights to the western coast enshrined in the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Treaty of Paris]]. This period saw an influx of [[Breton]], [[Norman people|Norman]] and [[Basque people|Basque]] fisherman to the region, though most of the activity was seasonal, and French settlement before the late [[1800]]s was limited. In [[1904]] ownership of the region was transferred from France to the [[History_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador#Colony_of_Newfoundland|Colony of Newfoundland]].
+France contested ownership of Newfoundland from [[1662]] until [[1713]], when it ceded the island to [[Great Britain]] as part of the [[Treaty of Utrecht]]. During the [[Seven Years War]] France (and [[Spain]]) vied for control of Newfoundland and the valuable [[fishery|fisheries]] off its shores. Fighting ceased in [[1763]], with French fishing rights to the western coast enshrined in the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Treaty of Paris]]. This period saw an influx of [[Breton]], [[Norman people|Norman]] and [[Basque people|Basque]] fisherman to the region, though most of the activity was seasonal, and French settlement before the late [[1800]]s was forbidden.  Despite the disproval of the british, clandestine settlement of the west coast continued by the french over many years. During this period within which permanent settlement by french colonists was not sanctioned by treaty, while scattered, small, settlements were tolerated, french schools were not.  There is evidence that the english, much more established on the east coast, were willing to ignore french settlements so long as they were not a threat, and some feeling that literate french could send messages to France and act as a source of information.  As a result the only source of litterate french present in Newfoundland was through immigration from France.  In [[1904]] ownership of the region was transferred from France to the [[History_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador#Colony_of_Newfoundland|Colony of Newfoundland]].
+In addition to french immigration from Europe, Acadian emigres arrived from [[Cap-Breton Island]] as well as the [[Magdalen Islands]] to colonize [[Cape Saint-George|Cape St. George, Newfoundland and Labrador]], the [[Codroy]] Valley and in [[Stephenville]] called "l'Anse-aux-Sauvages" (the Cove of Savages) begining in the XIXth century<ref>{{harvsp|Waddell|Doran|1979|p=150}}</ref>, while up to the middle of the XXth century, fishermen originating from Brittany and with [[Breton]] as their mother tongue, but educated in french through the schools of [[Jules Ferry]], came to establish themselves on the Port-au-Port peninsula : this is one of the key causal factors which can help to explain the differences between Newfoundland French and Acadian French<ref>{{harvsp|Brasseur|2007|p=67}}</ref>.
+=== Contact with english populations, bilingualism, and assimilation ===
+Contacts between french and english Newfoundlanders had been historically both limited and normally peaceful.  At this time the west coast of newfoundland was roughly evenly distributed with english and french families, mostly working within their own liguistic industries and communities.  The major exception was the Catholic Church, wherein the priests were nearly always unilingual english.  This had strongly encourage billingualism in the francophone community, and laid the seeds for assimilation.
-===World War II===
 In [[1940]] the establishment of the [[Ernest Harmon Air Force Base|American Air Force Base]] at [[Stephenville]] sounded the start of French Newfoundland’s decline. Newfoundland French and Acadian French speakers who had lived and worked their entire lives in relative [[francophone]] isolation now found themselves at the heart of an [[United States|American]], [[Canadian]], [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Newfoundlander]] [[anglophone]] economic centre. Families were grateful for the economic opportunities brought by the base, but transmission of French across generations dropped-off dramatically.
+The absence of french education, and the mandatory attendance of all children in english schools, as well as both radio and television programs in english caused newer french generations to fail to learn and master more complication grammer and subject matter in french.  English was becomming the only language of the educated <ref>{{harvsp|Brasseur|2007|p=78}}</ref>.
+Patrice Brasseur, a french linguist and researcher interested in the french of Newfoundland, has written numerous academic papers on the culture and language of this unique group.  Over numerous visits to the island and in speaking with the remaining, aged, francophone population has found that french children were often punished for speaking french at school <ref>{{harvsp|Brasseur|1995|p=110-111}}</ref>.
+Marriages between francophone and anglophone Catholics also became a contributing factor to the assimilation, with intermarriages becoming more common from the 1930s onward.<ref><nowiki>http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/portauport.html</nowiki></ref>.
 ===Confederation===