The Burgundian language is an Oïl language spoken in Burgundy and particularly in the Morvan area of the region.
Name
It is also known by French names Bourguignon-morvandiau, Bourguignon, and Morvandiau,
Influences
Burgundian has being in contact with Germanic languages in several occasions:
The Arpitan language has influenced dialects of the south along the Saône river, such as Brionnais-Charolais.
Literature
Very little literature from before the 19th century has survived. In 1854 the Papal Bull Ineffabilis Deus was translated into two Burgundian dialects:
- the Abbé Jacques-François Baudiau translated it to the Morvan dialect,
- the Abbé Lereuil translated it into the Dijon dialect.
By the end of the 19th century, some writers created an original literature:
- Achille Millien (1838–1927) collected songs from the oral tradition in the Nivernais.
- Louis de Courmont was a chansonnier. After working in Paris, he returned to his native region.
- Emile Blin wrote some stories for tourists. A colleciton of them was published in 1933 under the title Le Patois de Chez Nous.
- Alfred Guillaume published in 1923 a book in Burgundian, L'âme du Morvan.
- Marinette Janvier published Ma grelotterie (1974) and Autour d'un teugnon (1989).
References
Bibliography