French of France

French of France
French of France
France French; Metropolitan French; Hexagonal French; Standard French
français de France; français de métropole; français métropolitain; français hexagonal; français standard
Native to	France
Language family	Indo-European Italic Latino-Faliscan Latinic Romance Italo-Western Western Gallo-Iberian Gallo-Romance Gallo-Rhaetian? Arpitan–Oïl Francien zone French French of France; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Early forms	Old Latin Vulgar Latin Proto-Romance Old Gallo-Romance Old French Middle French ; ; ; ; ;
Writing system	Latin (French alphabet); French Braille
Official status
Official language in	France
Regulated by	Académie française (French Academy)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
Linguasphere	51-AAA-i
IETF	fr-FR

French of France (French: français de France [fʁɑ̃sɛ də fʁɑ̃s]) is the predominant variety of the French language in France, Andorra and Monaco, in its formal and informal registers. It has, for a long time, been associated with Standard French. It is now seen as a variety of French alongside Acadian French, Belgian French, Quebec French, Swiss French, etc.^[2]

Phonology

Paris

In Paris, nasal vowels are no longer pronounced as in traditional Parisian French: /ɑ̃/ → [ɒ̃], /ɛ̃/ → [æ̃], /ɔ̃/ → [õ] and /œ̃/ → [æ̃]. Many distinctions are lost: /a/ and /ɑ/, /ɛ/ and /ɛː/, /ø/ and /ə/, /ɛ̃/ and /œ̃/ and /nj/ and /ɲ/. Otherwise, some speakers still distinguish /a/ and /ɑ/ in stressed syllables, but they pronounce the letter "â" as [aː]: pâte [paːt].

Southern region

In the south of France, nasal vowels have not changed and are still pronounced as in traditional Parisian French: enfant [ɑ̃ˈfɑ̃], pain [pɛ̃], bon [bɔ̃] and brun [bʁœ̃]. Many distinctions are lost. At the end of words, most speakers do not distinguish /e/ and /ɛ/: both livré and livret are pronounced [liˈvʁe]. In closed syllables, they no longer distinguish /ɔ/ and /o/ or /œ/ and /ø/: both notre and nôtre are pronounced [nɔtʁ̥], and both jeune and jeûne are pronounced [ʒœn]. The distinctions of /a/ and /ɑ/ and of /ɛ/ and /ɛː/ are lost. Older speakers pronounce all es: chaque [ˈʃakə] and vêtement [ˈvɛtəmɑ̃].

Northern region

In the north, both /a/ and /ɑ/ are pronounced as [ɔ] at the end, with là is pronounced [lɔ] and mât [mɔ]. Long vowels are still maintained: tête [teːt], côte [koːt].

Lorraine

Phonemic long vowels are still maintained: pâte [pɑːt] and fête [fɛːt].^[3] Before /ʁ/, /a/ changes to [ɑː]: guitare is pronounced [ɡiˈtɑːʁ] and voir [vwɑːʁ].

References

^ ^a ^b Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian (2022-05-24). "Glottolog 4.8 - Shifted Western Romance". Glottolog. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Archived from the original on 2023-11-27. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
^ Peske, Mary (August 1981). The French of the French Cree (Michif) Language (MA thesis). University of North Dakota.
^ "Les Accents des Français". accentsdefrance.free.fr.

[glottoGI-1] Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian (2022-05-24). "Glottolog 4.8 - Shifted Western Romance". Glottolog. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Archived from the original on 2023-11-27. Retrieved 2023-11-11.

[2] Peske, Mary (August 1981). The French of the French Cree (Michif) Language (MA thesis). University of North Dakota.

[3] "Les Accents des Français". accentsdefrance.free.fr.

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