“Fada” (“crazy”), “emboucaner” (“take the lead”), “minot” (“child”), “tarpin” (“a lot”), “degun” (“nothing”)… All these terms which arrive in the top 10 of regional words known to the French come to us from... Marseille.
The Phocaean city finds a place of choice in the collective imagination of the French when it comes to naming the French city using the most regional expressions.
With its beaches, its pétanque courts and the southern sun, the southern city has succeeded in imposing a sort of “soft power” on the rest of France.
To the point that its expressions have become familiar to the French, despite a proven lack of knowledge of regional languages.
To discover
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Indeed, according to the survey carried out between January and February 2024 by the Preply learning platform, which looked at French regions and their expressions, only 8% of the 1,500 French people questioned, from the four corners of the Hexagon, had managed to find the right number of regional languages recognized by the Ministry of Culture.
Do you know it ?
52% responded that there were 8, 28% gave 17 as a number, and 12% expected there to be 36. In reality, France has a linguistic heritage of great wealth with... 75 languages recognized as “languages of France”!
Also read: Basque, Occitan, Gascon… Why learn a regional language?
Renewed popularity
After years of ostracism, regional languages are experiencing a resurgence in popularity in France.
The French are increasingly in favor of implementing the teaching of regional languages and their expressions at school, 67% versus 33%.
Aware of the heritage and linguistic importance of these regional languages, the people interviewed want them to be preserved and continue.
The French are certainly not insensitive to their charm.
After speaking Marseille, they are not unaware of the Bordeaux expression “gavé” (“a lot”) with 60% of them already knowing it, the Lille term “biloute” (“man”) popularized by the film
Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis
(2008) or the Lyon word “pelo” for “guy”.
Their use in France remains disparate: 68% of them declared having already used a regional expression not understood by their interlocutor.
Read alsoQuebecers regret the laxity of the French towards English
Ridiculous, regional expressions?
However, we are surprised by the leading question asked by Preply which asks respondents from which region the “most ridiculous” expressions come.
The answer ?
It is Alsatian expressions that top the ranking, with terms like “schluck” (“sip”), “schmoutz” (“kiss”), “schlopps” (“slippers”), “être schlass” (“be tired”) and “schatz” (“treasure”).
Lyon expressions are not left out with its “pelo”, “cher” (“a lot”), “gone” (“child”), “se la racler” (“to tell oneself about it”) and “chaber” (“to tell oneself about it”). look").
Montpellier expressions bring up the rear in the ranking of "ridiculous regional expressions" with words like "s'espanter" ("to be surprised"), "péguer" ("to stick"), "cagnard" ("sun") and “s’enfader” (“to get angry”).
Rather than “ridiculous”, wouldn’t we rather say that they are funny and friendly?