THE BRETON OF THE CANTON OF BRIEC1 PIERRE NOYER A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Celtic Studies Program Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences The University of Sydney 2019 1 Which will be referred to as BCB throughout this thesis. CONCISE TABLE OF CONTENTS DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................ 3 DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... 21 ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS WORK ................................................................................. 24 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 29 2. PHONOLOGY ........................................................................................................................... 65 3. MORPHOPHONOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 115 4. MORPHOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 146 5. SYNTAX .................................................................................................................................... 241 6. LEXICON.................................................................................................................................. 254 7. CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................... 267 Index of place names ..................................................................................................................... 270 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 272 Appendix I My involvement with Breton ..................................................................................... 278 Appendix II Transcript of a conversation between AC and MTC ............................................... 291 Appendix III Canton of Briec Breton–English–French glossary ................................................. 295 Appendix IV Excerpt from Wmffre’s report................................................................................ 332 2 DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION Abbreviations used in this work 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Remarks on the choice of terms of reference 1.1.1 Remarks on the toponymic terms 1.2 Geographic and geo-linguistic elements 1.2.1 Historical elements on the dialectal variations within the Canton of Briec 1.3 Remarks on intercomprehension in the past and today 1.3.1 Intercomprehension between native speakers and peurunvan (PU) speakers 1.4 Orthographic transcription of Breton 1.5 Elements on the state of the Breton language in the Canton of Briec 1.5.1 Relevant biographical details on my informants 1.6 Current state of the research on the Breton of the Canton of Briec 1.6.1 Works that directly concern BCB 1.6.1.1. Le Scao’s dictionaries and their analysis by Aziliz Cornec 1.6.1.1.1 Subjects covered in the extra-lexical section of Le Scao’s dictionaries 1.6.1.1.2 Most salient features, for the understanding of BCB 1.6.1.1.3 Le Scao’s objectives 1.6.1.1.4 Representativity of Le Scao’s dictionaries 1.6.1.1.5 Current validity of Le Scao’s work 1.6.1.1.6 Some common words for which neither Le Scao nor my informants could provide a straightforward translation 1.6.1.2 André Cornec’s Microtoponymie du Canton de Briec 1.6.1.2.1 Linguistic data in Cornec’s work 3 1.6.2 Monographs on Breton dialects 1.6.2.1 Cheveau, Loïc 2007 Approche phonologique, morphologique et syntaxique du Breton du Grand Lorient (Bas-Vannetais) 1.6.2.2 Goyat, Gilles (2012) Description morphosyntaxique du parler breton de Plozévet (Finistère) 1.6.2.3 Françoise Hammer, 1969 Der bretonische dialekt von Plouharnel 1.6.2.4 Alan Heusaff, 1996 Geriaoueg Sant-Ivi 1.6.2.5 McKenna, Malachy 1976 The Breton of Guéméné-sur-Scorff 1.6.2.6 Jean-Marie Ploneis, 1983 Le parler de Berrien 1.6.2.7 Alf Sommerfelt, 1978 Le breton parlé à Saint-Pol-de-Léon 1.6.2.8 Elmar Ternes 1970 Grammaire Structurale du Breton de l’Île de Groix 1.6.2.9 Wmffre, Iwan (1998) Central Breton 1.6.3 Other works relevant to the study of Breton dialects. 1.6.3.1 The linguistic atlases. 1.6.3.2 Francis Favereau’s Geriadur ar brezhoneg a-vremañ 2. PHONOLOGY 2.0 Notation 2.1 Relevant Historical Data 2.1.1 Historical data on the palatalisation of /k/ 2.1.2 Demarcation line between [χ] and [h] in the Canton of Briec 2.1.3 Recent influence of the French language on BCB phonology 2.2 Breton Traits In The Pronunciation Of French 2.2.1 producing [eɲ] where French has [enj] 2.2.2 Palatalisation of /k]/ into [c], [kj] or even [kʃ] 2.2.3 Palatalisation [t] into [cj] 4 2.2.4 Pronouncing [eːa] for [ɛʁ]/[eʁ] 2.2.5 Uvular [ʁ] avoided and reduced or replaced by [a] or [æ] 2.2.6 Consonant devoicing 2.2.7 producing a hard i [ɪ] instead of a [i] 2.2.8 producing a resonant [ll] instead of an [l] 2.2.9 Realising [ɛ] as [e] or even [je] 2.2.10 Pronouncing [æ] where it would be [a] in French 2.3 Salient Differences Between The Sounds Of Breton And French 2.3.1 Strong dissimilarity 2.3.2 Strong stress 2.3.2.1 Elision of the last orthographic syllable 2.3.3 Diphthongization and falling diphthongs 2.3.4 Nasal diphthongs as a BCB specificity 2.3.5 Nasal vowels preceding nasal consonants 2.4 Phonological Facts About Bcb 2.4.1 Existing phonological data on BCB 2.4.1.1 Le Scao’s description of the sounds of BCB 2.4.1.2 Cornec’s description of the sounds of BCB 2.4.1.3 Phonetic transcription of BCB 2.4.1.4 References to French and English phonologies 2.4.2 The consonants of BCB 2.4.2.1 Mismatch between orthographic consonants and their phonetic counterparts 2.4.2.1.1 Voicing of final t and other final voiceless consonants in front of vowels 2.4.2.1.2 Devoicing 2.4.2.1.3 Palatalisation of s when preceding [i] and occasionally [y] 5 2.4.2.1.4 Palatalisation of /k/ to [c], [kj] or [tʃ] 2.4.2.1.5 Elision 2.4.2.1.6 Other cases of mismatch 2.4.2.1.7 Realisation of r as /æ/ and /a/ 2.4.2.1.7.1 Realisation of or(r) as [wæa] 2.4.2.1.7.2 R is realised according to its position in the word (or utterance) 2.4.2.1.7.3 Er can be pronounced [æa] 2.4.2.1.7.4 Me a + verb is pronounced [me᷉ ] 2.4.2.1.7.5 Marteze is pronounced [maˈtʁe᷉ ] 2.4.3 The vowels of BCB 2.4.3.1 [ɪ] 2.4.3.2 [ọ] for plural endings in -où 2.4.3.3 [ọ] in diphthongised contexts representing o 2.4.3.4 [ọ] in other contexts 2.4.3.5 Vowels, including nasal vowels, which are trademarks of both French and BCB 2.4.3.5.1 [y] 2.4.3.5.2 [ø] 2.4.3.5.3 [œ] 2.4.3.5.4 Nasal vowels 2.4.3.6 Diphthongs and other adjacent vocalic elements 2.4.3.6.1 Nasal diphthongs 2.4.3.7 Vowels which are trademarks of both English and BCB 2.4.3.7.1 [æ] 2.4.3.8 Other vowels 6 2.4.3.8.1 [e] 2.4.3.8.2 [ɛ] 2.4.3.8.3 [a] 2.4.3.8.4 [ɐ] 2.4.3.8.5. [ə] 2.4.3.8.6 [u] (also see § 2.4.3.2 [ọ] for plural endings in -où) 2.4.3.8.7 [i] 2.4.3.8.8 [ɔ] 2.4.4 Syllabic stress in BCB 2.4.4.1 Strong emphasis on the penultimate syllable 2.4.4.2 Variation in length of long vowels 2.5 Conclusion Of The Phonology Section 3. MORPHOPHONOLOGY 3.1 Initial Consonant Mutations 3.1.1 Preliminary remarks 3.1.1.1 Perception by learners of Breton 3.1.1.2 Perception by native speakers 3.1.1.3 Semantic and grammatical role of mutations in BCB 3.1.2 Types of mutations in BCB 3.1.2.1 Non-orthographic or invisible mutations in BCB 3.1.3 LENITION 3.1.3.1 Range of mutations through lenition 3.1.3.2 Lenition triggers 3.1.4 SPIRANTISATION 7 3.1.4.1 Range of mutations through spirantisation 3.1.4.2 Spirantisation triggers 3.1.5 PROVECTION 3.1.5.1 Range of mutations through provection 3.1.6 LENIPROVECTION (MIXED MUTATIONS) 3.1.6.1 Range of phonemes concerned by leniprovection 3.1.6.2 Leniprovection trigger 3.1.7 Homophonous triggers 3.2 Linking and Intrusive Consonants 3.2.1. Introduction 3.2.2 Terminology 3.2.3 Extent of this analysis 3.2.4 Awareness by native speakers 3.2.5 Linking consonants encountered in BCB 3.2.5.1 Linking consonants acknowledged in official orthography 3.2.5.1.1 The case of g 3.2.5.1.2 The case of l 3.2.5.1.3 The case of n and /n/ 3.2.5.1.4 List of examples of the use of non-orthographic /n/ 3.2.5.1.5 Discussion of the above examples 3.2.5.2 Linking consonants not acknowledged in the official orthography 3.2.5.2.1 The case of /h/ 3.2.5.2.2 The case of /v/ 3.2.5.2.3 The case of /t/(or /d/) 8 3.2.5.2.4 The case of /j/ 3.2.6 Conclusion about linking and intrusive consonants 3.3 Contraction of zo to s or z after vowels 3.4 Conclusion Of The Morphophonology Section 4. MORPHOLOGY 4.1. The Noun And Its Auxiliaries 4.1.1 Noun morphology 4.1.1.1 Gender differentiation in BCB nouns 4.1.1.2 Number 4.1.1.3 Plural markers 4.1.1.3.1 Plural endings in [u] and [ọ] (orth. -où) 4.1.1.3.1 a) [u]/[ọ] following phonetic consonants 4.1.1.3.1 b) [u]/[ọ] following orthographic consonants 4.1.1.3.1 c) Replacement of end consonants by /ʃ/ or /ʒ/ to form plural endings 4.1.1.3.1 d) The case of [lɑ᷉ m] lamp ‘lamp’ 4.1.1.3.1 e) Voicing of /t/, before [u] 4.1.1.3.1 f) The endings [jọ]/[ju] (orth.