French is a language with many faces.
It comes in a host of dialects, which shape the identity of the country.
Alsatian is more than a patois, it is a regional language.
This covers a cultural and linguistic heritage that was formed on the borders of France, Germany and Alsace.
The
Alsatian
term did
not appear in France until 1870, when "Alsace was attached to the German Empire", we can read on the Digital Base of Alsatian Heritage.
Did you know that in 2012, “43% declared that they could speak Alsatian well” among the region's dialectophones, according to a survey by the OLCA / EDinstitut?
This regional language was born after the arrival of the Alamans and the Franks, “two peoples who invaded Alsace in the 5th century”, we still read on the Digital Database of Alsace Heritage.
Their installation in the region "leads to the disappearance of the Gallo-Roman language, except for a few toponyms or hydronyms", explains the Office for the Language and Cultures of Alsace and Moselle, for the benefit of German and French. .
At the end of the two World Wars, German, which was imposed as an official language to the inhabitants of the region, is excluded from education in schools and from public space.
French is gradually becoming the majority language spoken and taught at school.
"Kneckes", "finette", "g'sundheit" ... Do you know the meaning of these words?
Le Figaro offers you this short test to verify it.