Alsace: Language, Identity, and History

The Enduring Tongue of Alsace: A Linguistic Tapestry

The region of Alsace, nestled in the northeastern corner of France, boasts a linguistic heritage as complex and fascinating as its history. For centuries, the primary language spoken by the majority of its inhabitants was not French, but rather Elsasserditsch, commonly known as Alsatian German. This Germanic tongue, passed down through generations, is deeply interwoven with the identity of the Alsatian people, whose ancestral roots trace back to the Alemanni, a Germanic tribe.

During the Ancien Régime, the French monarchy paid little heed to the mother tongue of the Alsatians. They were, in essence, the "Germans of France," and Alsace held the status of a foreign province. A staggering 92% of the population was German-speaking, with only a small segment of the bourgeoisie and the "Welsch" population in some Vosges valleys possessing a grasp of French. Many of these Welsch communities spoke only their own Romance dialects. This linguistic divide persisted largely unchanged until 1918.

The relocation of the French border to the Rhine in 1790 did little to alter this linguistic landscape. Marriages between Alsatians and their neighbours in Baden, the Palatinate, and Württemberg remained common, reinforcing the Germanic linguistic connections.

Attempts at Francisation and Resistance

The French Revolutionaries made numerous attempts to impose the French language on the Alsatian population, but these efforts met with considerable failure. So strong was the resistance that there were even discussions of decimating the more rebellious Alsatians and deporting others far from their homeland. The introduction of civil registration in 1793, replacing parish records, saw Alsatians being assigned French first names against their will. Traditional German names were forbidden. It took approximately twenty years for this new naming system to become fully established in the countryside, yet even with their Frenchified names, many individuals named Jean would continue to sign themselves as Hans or Johann.

To speak of a "Germanisation" of Alsace in 1871 is to misrepresent history. For centuries, the names of the inhabitants, towns, villages, mountains, rivers, forests, fields, and pathways had been German. It was only in 1871 that school attendance became mandatory in Alsace, with lessons conducted in German. Alsatian speakers of French dialects learned French in these German schools.

During the period of the Reichsland (Imperial Territory), French was not actively prohibited. Many advertisements and shop signs were bilingual, reflecting the existing linguistic reality.

The Post-1918 Era: New Tensions

The occupation of Alsace by the French army in 1918 led to the dethronement of the regional government. A poignant detail is that three-quarters of Alsatians who died in the war perished on the French front, yet their names on war memorials were Frenchified, and any mention of their regiment or their sacrifice for the homeland was forbidden.

A stark policy was enacted: Alsatians were prohibited from giving their children traditional German first names. Paradoxically, nationals from French colonies were permitted to retain their ancestral names. For the first time, compulsory French schools were established throughout Alsace.

World War II and its Lingering Scars

The entry of the Nazis into Strasbourg on June 18, 1940, found the city abandoned by the French army. The Nazis imposed a regime of terror, banning the French language and forcibly conscripting men into the German army. Parental families faced imprisonment in labour camps for desertion.

Following the war in 1945, Alsatians faced the accusation of having fought in the German army, a situation made more complex by the fact that the legitimate French government under Pétain had actively collaborated with the Nazis, even fielding a French SS regiment. Furthermore, many Jewish individuals expelled from Alsace by the Nazis in 1940 were subsequently arrested upon arrival in France and deported. The narrative surrounding this period is fraught with complexities, including the triumphant reception of Marshal Pétain in Nancy on May 25, 1944, and the subsequent declaration of General de Gaulle as the legal head of the French government, which conveniently cast Alsatians as collaborators.

The ancestral language of Alsace was declared the "language of the Nazis." This association with Hitler was used to instil guilt in parents, discouraging them from passing Alsatian to their children. This created a tragic disconnect, where children and their grandparents could no longer communicate. School children faced persecution for uttering even a single word of Alsatian, whether in the classroom or during playtime. Bullying, beatings, and punishments were commonplace, a particularly harsh reality for children who, in some cases, did not fully comprehend French.

Navigating the Alsatian Language Today

For those seeking to translate phrases from French to Alsatian, the journey can be challenging. Google Translate does not currently offer Alsatian, and finding readily available, experienced Alsatian translators online can be a persistent difficulty. This scarcity leads many enthusiasts to scour social media platforms in search of assistance.

Resources for Learning Alsatian

Despite these hurdles, numerous word lists are freely accessible, and comprehensive dictionaries, such as Ernst Martin's publication from 1974, are available. For sentence translation, applications like Freelang, launched in 1997, prove invaluable. This user-friendly platform allows for bidirectional translation between French and Alsatian. Simply input your phrase and click 'Chercher' (Search).

For instance:

With these basic phrases, you are equipped to begin your journey towards becoming "alsatianophone"!

Understanding Alsatian Pronunciation and Lexicon

The Alsatian accent is distinguished by a pronounced lexical stress on the first syllable of words, in contrast to standard French, which stresses the final syllable of a phrase. Vowels like /o/ and /ø/ are pronounced with a closed sound, and a degree of denasalisation is also evident. Similar to the German accent, certain sounds may be devoiced, notably /ʒ/, /b/, and /v/, which are realised as [ʃ], [p], and [f] respectively. Interjections also undergo diphthongisation; for example, "oh!" can be heard as [io] and "uh!" as [iø]. These phonetic peculiarities stem from the substratum of Alsatian, a Germanic language whose archaic forms sometimes bear resemblance to Old High German. It is also noteworthy that in Alsace, the word for "yes" can sometimes be pronounced as [ɥi].

Germanic Influence and Alsatian Loanwords

The French spoken in Alsace is marked by Germanic calques. An example is the use of "manteau de pluie" (Regenmantel) for an "impermeable." Pronoun and preposition usage also differs from standard French. Phrases like "Ils ne viennent pas avec…" (sie kommen nicht mit… from the German separable verb mitkommen) and "demander quelqu'un" instead of "demander à quelqu'un" (a literal translation of jemanden fragen) are common. The expressions "comme dit" and "là il est" are direct calques of Germanic syntax. Influenced by the German word "doch," "donc" is often used in the sense of "pourtant" (e.g., "Tu ne le sais pas ? Je te l'ai donc dit!"). Literal translations also appear, such as "bleuter" (from the German expression blau machen) for "faire l'école buissonnière." Older generations might use "ça donne" (from the German es gibt) for "il y a," and "comme dit" (from the German wie gesagt) to mean "as previously stated." Appliances like televisions and light bulbs do not "burn out" when they stop functioning; instead, they "close" (fermer), as in: "Je ferme la lumière." A draught is described as "ça tire" (from the German es zieht). If everything is in order, one might say "c'est en ordre" (from the German in Ordnung).

Common Alsatian Terms in French

Several Alsatian words have been adopted into everyday French spoken in Alsace, often without the speakers being aware of their dialectal origin. Beyond gastronomy, familiar terms include:

• Baeckeoffe or Baeckaoffa
• Mannele or Mannala
• Bredele or Bredala
• Berewecke or Berawecka
• Flammekueche or Flommakuacha

The following list highlights key terms specific to the French of Alsace:

• Schluck: A mouthful (gorgée)
• Schlüch: A garden hose (tuyau d'arrosage) (pronounced /ʃlyʃ/ or /ʃlyχ/ depending on the region)
• Stück /ʃtyk/: A piece (morceau), but can also refer to an imposing building, a beautiful woman, or a well-built man.
• Schlass: A knife (couteau)
• Spritz /ʃpʁiʦ/: A spray bottle (vaporisateur), particularly car windshield washer fluid. The verb "spritzer" means "to spray" and can also refer to certain small cakes.
• Bichele /bi.ʃa.lə/ or Bichala: An oven mitt (manique)
• Zehnerclock /tse.nœʁ.klɔk/: The sound of the cathedral bells striking ten o'clock every evening.
• Fresch /fʁaχ/ (Haut-Rhin) or /fʁɛʃ/ (Bas-Rhin): Cheeky or impudent (effronté)
• Schlass: Literally "mouldy" or "shrivelled," used like elsewhere to mean "tired," but also signifies being "a little drunk."
• Schnock /ʃno:k/: A mosquito (moustique)
• Schnock /ʃnɔk/: To be senile (être sénile)
• Schlapa or Schlop: Slippers (pantoufles)

Common Alsatian Interjections

Three interjections are particularly noteworthy:

• Hopla!: Means "forward," "let's go," or "here we go." It can also be used to apologise for a mishap and is also found in German (hoppla).
• Gæll? or Gall?: Used to confirm a statement, equivalent to "hein?" or "isn't it?" This is also found in Alemannic dialects of Southern Germany and Switzerland.
• Jo!: Pronounced with a long 'o' sound, this interjection expresses astonishment, doubt, surprise, agreement, refusal, disappointment, and exasperation. Its precise meaning is heavily dependent on the intonation used.

The linguistic and cultural identity of Alsace remains a vibrant testament to its unique history, a blend of Germanic heritage and French influence, constantly evolving yet deeply rooted.

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