Recent Breton (1650-1941) - brezonek


Standard languages are often a compromise of dialects spoken in a radius around a capital city. The further from the centre, the more diverse the dialects are likely to be. By 1941 two semi-official standard Celtic languages had developed in Brittany. The more widely spoken one was based on the various dialects of western Brittany, while the other was centred on the region around Vannes in the south east. The biggest difference between the two was the pronunciation of words which in the past had contained the "th" sound. Welsh still uses the original sound, as in "iaith", language. By 1941 the word had become "yez" in western Brittany (the "z" probably due to French influence) and "yéh" in the Vannes region. At this point a new spelling system was introduced which speakers of both groups of dialects could use. In this system the word for "language" was written "yezh" which could be pronunced "yez" in the west and "yéh" in the south east. This is the same idea as, for example, the word "path" being pronounced differently in northern England, southern England and the USA.

1. breur    brother        1.           1.   
2. c’hoar    sister        2.           2.   
3. mab    son        3.           3. Klevout    To understand
4. merc’h    daughter        4.           4.   
5. tad    father                  5.   
6. mam    mother        1. disul    Sunday        6.   
          2. dilun    Monday        7.   
1. nevez-amzer    spring        3. dimeurz    Tuesday          
2. hañv    summer        4. dimerc’her    Wednesday        1.   
3. diskar-amzer    autumn        5. diziou    Thursday        2.   
4. goañv    winter        6. digwener    Friday          
          7. disadorn    Saturday        3.   


Rag Doue hen deuz karet kement ar bed, ma hen deuz roet he Vab unic, evit na vezo ket kollet pioubenag a gred enhan, mes ma hen devezo are vuez eternel.

For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3,16


9. Hon Tad, pehini zo enn env, hoc’h hano bezet santifiet; 10. ho rouantelez deuet deomp, ho polontez bezet great var ann douar evel enn env. 11. Roit d’eomp hirio hor bara pemdeziek, 12. ha pardounit d’eomp hon offansou evel ma pardounomp dar re o deuz hon offanset; 13. ha na bermettit ket e kouezfemp e tentasion; mes hon dilivrit diouz ann drouk.

9 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6


My other websites:
Languages of the World
New Nutshell
Christianity in a Nutshell

My wife's websites:
Meaning of Life
Bits


Back