Tag Archives: Occitan

French Stereotypes: the French Don’t Speak English

Posted on 11/12/2017 by

Every nation is afflicted by stereotypes that other nations love to perpetuate. Englishmen wear bowler hats, drink tea all day, eat overdone roast beef and sport a stiff upper lip. Frenchmen wear berets, drink wine all day, eat garlic and … Continue reading →

Posted in Language | Tagged , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

A Film Record of an Aveyron Family Post-WWII

Posted on 09/11/2017 by

Just after WWII, Aveyron was a different country from much of France. It took a long time to get there from anywhere else, people spoke a different language and the way of life had existed for centuries. Change was happening, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Personalities, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Language Larks: What French Words Mean Depends on Where You Live

Posted on 23/09/2015 by

Just a short post this week, for reasons that will become apparent later. Before we moved here, in my ignorance I had always assumed that French was a pretty homogeneous language and that the vocabulary of Lille must also be … Continue reading →

Posted in Language | Tagged , , , , , , | 41 Comments

A French Country Upbringing

Posted on 28/11/2013 by

‘Of course, Occitan was my first language,’ our friend Georgette said. I was sitting next to her at an association lunch today. She has never talked much about her childhood but, once I had started questioning her (no one is … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, History, Personalities, World War I & II | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

A Walk Back in Time on the Saint-Antonin Causse

Posted on 31/07/2013 by

Last Saturday night’s thunderstorm caused us little bother – except for water seeping under the kitchen door as usual – and cleared the air. In parts of Aveyron, we hear, the damage was considerable and a church spire is reported … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places, Walking in France | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Same Country Divided by Countless Languages

Posted on 29/03/2013 by

Today we paid an Easter visit to our elderly neighbours, M. et Mme. F. We are very fond of them but our conversations with them are sometimes characterised by total incomprehension on our side. This is not just a cultural … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Language | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Naming La Lune

Posted on 28/09/2011 by

Since I’ve changed my blog’s name, I’ve also done a bit of research about La Lune, our lieu-dit. In addition to my Kindle, I received a proper printed book for my recent birthday. Knowing my addiction to history – I … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, History, Language, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s in a (place)name?

Posted on 20/08/2011 by

We spent a fascinating morning last Wednesday. The tiny village of Espinas organises a walk every Wednesday in July and August. The guided walks follow local footpaths and take in sights of historical or other interest. Last week’s was a bit … Continue reading →

Posted in French life, History, Personalities, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

French Regional Accents: comment?

Posted on 07/06/2011 by

We have just returned from a 10-day holiday in Corsica, hence the lack of posts, comments etc for a while. I did schedule this post to appear while I was away, but for some reason it didn’t, so here it … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, History, Language, Personalities | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments