3 ms·

> Why do you describe it as dialect of French? Did I? I mentioned dialects in France, not of French, IIRC. I'm nitpicking because, TBH, I quite likely just re

> Why do you describe it as dialect of French? Did I? I mentioned dialects in France, not of French, IIRC. I'm nitpicking because, TBH, I quite likely just read too much into your use of "astounded" in your original comment. It seemed to me that you were overestimating how prevalent or significant these languages were. By the mid-20th century, they were already quite less popular and even less so by the time Malevil took place (1977, I take it, even though it was written a few years earlier), especially when it came to being taught before French. At the same time, I guess I was maybe as surprised to learn that Louisiana French is still a thing as you were about these areas in France. :)

eesmith 1y ago
When is something a dialect in France and when is it a language in France? > It seemed to me that you were overestimating how prevalent or significant these languages were. I said I was in sixth grade, a kid living in the US. I didn't even know then there was more than one Romance language in Italy - as I alluded to in my original comment. Yes, I now, decades later, know more. But I was sharing my childhood misapprehension and how I learned the world was more complicated than 11 year old me thought as something meant for others to smile at and enjoy, not to be nitpicked as if my comment was any profound statement about all of France. My interpretation was not "questionable" - the story clearly was supposed to take place in a part of France where many of those in the countryside still learned a Romance language other than French as their mother tongue. That matches the real history for that supposed area that the author drew from. Yes, it's certainly something that's a lot less common now, some 50 years later. But then just say that things have changed.
- rkomorn 1y ago
  My bad for nitpicking. Sorry.

eesmith 1y ago

When is something a dialect in France and when is it a language in France? > It seemed to me that you were overestimating how prevalent or significant these languages were. I said I was in sixth grade, a kid living in the US. I didn't even know then there was more than one Romance language in Italy - as I alluded to in my original comment. Yes, I now, decades later, know more. But I was sharing my childhood misapprehension and how I learned the world was more complicated than 11 year old me thought as something meant for others to smile at and enjoy, not to be nitpicked as if my comment was any profound statement about all of France. My interpretation was not "questionable" - the story clearly was supposed to take place in a part of France where many of those in the countryside still learned a Romance language other than French as their mother tongue. That matches the real history for that supposed area that the author drew from. Yes, it's certainly something that's a lot less common now, some 50 years later. But then just say that things have changed.

rkomorn 1y ago
My bad for nitpicking. Sorry.