THE PICARD LANGUAGE AS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF FRENCH LINGUOCULTURE
Keywords:
the Picard language,, French linguoculture, regional language,, endangered language, language revitalization, , Gallo-RomanceAbstract
This article examines Picard as an integral component of French linguoculture, highlighting its historical development, linguistic features, and current sociolinguistic status. Picard, a Romance Oïl language of the Gallo-Romance family, originated from Vulgar Latin in late antiquity and evolved under diverse historical and social influences in northern France and Wallonia (Belgium). The study traces the phonetic, lexical, and grammatical distinctiveness of Picard, including its conjugation patterns and numerals, and demonstrates its influence on French vocabulary in domains such as baking, industry, and coal mining. Despite its rich literary and cultural heritage, Picard faces critical endangerment due to socio-economic shifts, globalization, and language policy. The article also discusses strategies for language revitalization, emphasizing the importance of intergenerational transmission, social prestige, education, and community visibility. By exploring Picard within the broader framework of French linguoculture, this study underscores the essential role of regional languages in preserving cultural identity and linguistic diversity.
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