The best books to learn the Monegasque language
Discover a selection of books offered by the Monaco Media Library, as the Monegasque language competition has just ended.
We know it well: the Monegasque language is above all an oral language. It was not until the 1920s that the National Committee for Monegasque Traditions and the poet Louis Notari had the idea of codifying the language with a grammar, spelling and conjugation. But beyond traditional dictionaries and learning manuals, how can you learn Monegasque, discover its expressions and intonations?
Céline Sabine, assistant curator at the Monaco Media Library, today we are offering a few works, to learn while having fun.
SEE ALSO: VIDEO. Learn the basics of the Monegasque language in three minutes
1. A Legend of Saint Devota
- A Legend of Saint Devote : The Legend of Sainte Dévote, Louis Notari – Editions du Rocher, 1927.
It is, of course, with this unique work that it all began. In 1927, Louis Notari undertakes to produce a text entirely written in Monegasque and this is what he does with A Legend of Saint Devote : The Legend of Sainte Dévote. A very long poem, prefaced by Prince Albert II and, above all, available in French. This bilingual version therefore makes it possible to check the simultaneous translation.
But for Céline Sabine, the true strength of the poem lies elsewhere: “ Louis Notari uses the celebration of Saint Dévote, the patron saint of Monaco and the Grimaldi family to evoke the history, daily life and customs of local traditional society. It’s a wealth of information. It is from this book that the Monegasque language could be fixed. (…) It allows you to learn more about the society of a certain period seen by an important character. »
READ ALSO: It’s up to you! Your opinions and memories of the Monegasque language
2. I Diti: The Sayings of Mar
- I Diti: The Sayings of MarMarc Marius Curti – 1991
Let’s look at Marc-Marius Curti. This Monegasque businessman regularly published poetic, philosophical, humorous or even satirical texts in the regional press in the 1930s. After his death, his nephew, in the 1990s, wanted to bring them together in a collection.
” Some had been published in the press, but others had remained in the family drawersays Céline Sabine. There are quite amusing texts there, also in a bilingual version. (…) It is poly-thematic and, here too, the collection allows you to see written productions made by a local from the 1930s. »
READ ALSO: Five literary nuggets to approach ecology serenely and usefully
3. “Tintin” in Monegasque
- I Iori d’A Castafiore, U Secretu d’A Unicorna and U Tesoru by Rakamu U Russuoriginal works by Hergé translated by Eliane Mollo and Dominique Salvo-Cellario – 2011 and 2012, Éditions Casterman
How to talk about works in Monegasque without addressing the adaptations of the famous reporter with the powder puff? The Jewels of Castafiore, The Secret of the Unicorn and The Treasure of Rackham the Red become I Iori d’A Castafiore, U Secretu d’A Licorna and U Tesoru by Rakamu U Russu.
This time, no bilingual version, but a small glossary: ” it is a local pride, which has the advantage of being playful, transgenerational, intended for a family audience. The expressions have been adapted to the context and to the Principality: Captain Haddock is Captain Stocafi for example. (…) Tintin has been kept but is pronounced Tine-Tine. »
As for Dupont and Dupond, whose gag is based on the homonymy of the two mustachioed police officers, for a different spelling, here, the problem is circumvented and the translation adapted: “ The transcription in Monegasque should have been Dupont and Dupond, but that wouldn’t have made sense because we pronounce all the letters. (…) In Monaco-Ville, we are very familiar with these vaulted passages connecting the parallel streets. They are called “Ponte”, if you look at them from above and “Vouta”, if you do them from below. So there was a great job and on the famous “Duponte” and “Davouta”. »
Printed in limited edition, these three albums can be borrowed, of course, from the Media Library.
READ ALSO: The eight best comic strips devoted to the Principality
4. Collection of traditional Monegasque songs
- Collection of traditional Monegasque songsItalo Bazzoli, Lucia Cappa, Hervé Laurent, Alain Bernard, Domenica Musolino and Olivia Celest – 2007, Editions Epi
To complete the selection, an original idea: learning through songs. Because nothing beats speaking to capture sounds and pronunciations. This is why, with the help of the Soroptimist Club of Monaco, a collection of songs has emerged.
There is, of course, the Monegasque national anthem, with its translation, but also a whole host of traditional or religious songs, nicely illustrated. Some scores have even been preserved!
” In echo, I remind you that a few years ago, the Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied the children’s choir of the Rainier III Academy to record on a CD Aiço D’Aiçì, which can also be borrowed from the Media Library », adds Céline.
All these books can therefore be borrowed from the Media Library. Do not hesitate, at the same time, to consult the MC fund, which is full of books that will immerse you in the history and heritage of Monaco!