Saint Pierre and Miquelon French or the Saint Pierre French () is a variety of the French language spoken in the territorial collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Although the territory is located in North America, St. Pierre and Miquelon French is clearly distinct from Quebec French, Acadian French and the French of Canada's other French-speaking provinces. According to Quebec linguist Jacques Leclerc, it is strongly influenced by the origins of its population, which comes mainly from the Basque Country, Normandy and Brittany. It differs little from the Parisian French, but retains some ‘local particularities’, including a vocabulary of maritime origin. French author and New York University professor Eugène Nicole, who was born in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, distinguishes between Miquelon French, which has retained "Acadian features", and Saint-Pierre French, whose accent has sometimes been "likened to that of Granville".
History
Influences Saint-Pierre and Miquelon French has received a significant contribution from the French spoken in the western regions of France, such as Normandy, Brittany, the Basque Country and Poitou.
The influence of Acadian French, on the other hand, is less significant, "although notable (...) particularly in Miquelon", according to Saint-Pierre linguist Andrée Olano. Miquelon, where Acadians from Beaubassin or Beauséjour in New Brunswick had mainly gathered.
Quebec French is said to have influenced Saint-Pierre and Miquelon French, particularly in terms of the climate and flora, such as barachois, bleuet and platebière (plaquebière in Québécois French). According to the Quebec government's Centre de la francophonie des Amériques, Saint-Pierrais and Miquelonnais are a French-speaking society that is "culturally distinct from France".
Pronunciation The sounds oi are transformed into oué in the last syllable of words, such as vouèr instead of voir, "as can be observed in Normandy" notes the geologist Edgar Aubert de la Rüe, who spent several periods in the archipelago.
In his preface to Mots et expressions de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon (Words and Expressions of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon), published by the author and self-taught Saint-Pierre historian Marc Dérible in 1993, the former Prefect Bernard Leurquin noted the absence of "the slightest trace of an accent" in Saint-Pierre, but "the phrases, vocabulary, tone and flow that you might hear in Paris, Caen, Brest or Bayonne". On the other hand, he notes the "words and expressions" that are hidden in the spoken language, "giving the archipelago's vocabulary a flavour of its own".
Glossary Saint Pierre and Miquelon FrenchMetropolitan FrenchEnglish glossOriginembarquerentrerto enterSailorsdébarquersortirget outSailorsamarrerattacherattachSailorsembarquer dans son litse couchergo to sleepSailorschavirer son champlabourer son champplough his fieldSailorsdébouquersortir à l'improvistegoing out unexpectedlySailorsempouchers'empiffrerguzzleSailorsmouillers'arrêterto stopSailorslarguerlaisser partirto let goSailorschiquerconsommer, boireto consume, to drinkSailorsgrâlerfrire, grillerto fry, to grillBrittany French, Normandy Frenchgarrocherlancerto throwAcadian Frenchchiquer la raquettemettre sur la pailleput out of businessSailorsune taouineune giflea slapQuebec Frenchun bleuetune myrtillea blueberryQuebec Frenchune platebièreune mûre arctiquea cloudberryQuebec Frenchun maillou, un mayouun métropolitaina French national from mainland FranceSailorstantôttout à l'heureearlier todayQuebec French, Normandy Frenchmignonmon garçonmy boySailorsun Nioufun habitant de Terre-Neuvea NewfoundlanderSailorsun barachoisune étendue d'eau saumâtrea coastal lagoonQuebec French, West Indies Frenchune puckun palet de hockey sur glacea hockey puckQuebec Frenchle déjeunerle petit-déjeunerthe breakfastQuebec French, Belgian Frenchle dînerle déjeunerthe lunchle souperle dînerthe dinnercoup de calaouinecoup de ventgale of windNewfoundland English
See also Saint Pierre and Miquelon Islanders Metropolitan French Canadian French Acadian French Quebec French Newfoundland French
References
External links - Profile