French- Français
History of the French Language- Histoire du français
French is descended from what is known as Vulgar Latin, the vernacular Latin of the Roman Empire. When ancient France, known as Gaul, was attacked and conquered by the Romans in the 2nd and 1st Centuries B.C., the residents in the region spoke Gaulish. Gaulish was a Celtic Language, but it was quickly replaced by Latin from the new Roman leaders. In the 5th Century A.D. Germanic tribes invaded Gaul, but they too were conquered and became Romanized. This is why we see German and Celtic roots in modern-day French.
By the 9th Century the area we know today as France boasted a language that was very different from Latin, making it its own language. This new language was known as Old French and was affluent from the 9th to the 13th Century. Dated in 842 AD is the Oaths of Strasbourg, the earliest text in Old French that is still around today. One of the various dialects of Old French, known as Francien and found in the north-central region including in Paris, became the standard form of the new French language because of the political and cultural importance of Paris. From the 14th to the 16th Century French was known as Middle French. From this time period several words and expressions were taken from Latin, Greek, and Italian. A group of French poets, the Pleiade, encouraged the French citizens to develop and improve their language and literature.
Modern French began in the 17th Century with the help of the French Academy. In 1635 the Academy was founded by Cardinal Richelieu in order to help maintain and uphold the purity of the language and its literature. It ultimately served as the ultimate judge of usage of the language. Although Romanticism and Realism have influenced the vocabulary and style of Modern French, structurally French has remained almost unchanged since the Middle French era. Standardization has been helped along by widespread education and mass media.
(History of French Language, 2012)
Where in the World is French - Où est le français
As of 2015, there are 29 independent nations where French is an official language. The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where French is an official or de facto language.
Those with French as an official language: France, Democratic Republic of Congo, Canada, Madagascar, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, Chad, Guinea, Rwanda, Belgium, Burundi, Benin, Haiti, Switzerland, Togo, Central African Republic, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Comoros, Luxembourg, Vanuatu, Seychelles, and Monaco.
Those with French as a de facto language: French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Aosta Valley, Jersey, Guernsey, Saint-Martin, Wallis and Futuna, Saint-Barthelemy, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, and Pondicherry.
(List of Territorial Entities where French is an official language, 2017)
Where in the US is French spoken - États Unis
The following states and cities boast at least 10% of the population that can speak French:
Louisiana: St. Martin Parish, Evangeline Parish, Vermilion Parish, Lafourche Parish, Acadia Parish, Avoyelles Parish, Assumption Parish, St. Landry Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish
Maine: Madawaska, Fort Kent, Van Buren, Frenchville, Eagle Lake, St. Agatha, St. Francis, Grand Isle, Saint John Plantation, Hamlin, Aroostook County, Androscoggin County
New Hampshire: Berlin, Coos County
(French language in the United States, 2017)
Jobs in the US that require French - Emplois
Customer Service:
- Representative for Dish in Flushing, NY
- Representative for Uline in Coppell, TX
- Help Desk Analyst in Schaumburg, IL
Communications:
- Technical Support in Salt Lake City, UT
- Customer Tech Support in Cottage Grove, WI
- Network Engineer in Atlanta, GA
- At-home Social Media Evaluator
Business
- Marketing and Administrative Assistant in Miami, FL
- Technical Publications Writer in Houston, TX
- Staff Buyer in Pittsburgh, PA
- Reimbursement Processor in Quad City Airport, IL
Education:
- Teacher in Houma, LA
- French/ ESL Teacher in New Hope, PA
- Curriculum Specialist in Columbus, OH
- Educational Director in Brooklyn, NY
Resources
"History of French Language." Infoplease. 2012. Accessed March 07, 2017. http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/society/french-language-history-french.html.
"The French flag painted on grunge wall with bloody palmprint over it." Shutterstock.com. Accessed March 07, 2017. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/french-flag-painted-on-grunge-wall-112409573.
"List of territorial entities where French is an official language." Wikipedia. February 19, 2017. Accessed March 07, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_territorial_entities_where_French_is_an_official_language.
"French language in the United States." Wikipedia. March 06, 2017. Accessed March 07, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_language_in_the_United_States.
"French Jobs." Monster. Accessed March 07, 2017. https://www.monster.com/jobs/search/?q=French.
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