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Langues d'oïl facts for kids

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Oïl
Langues d'oïl
Geographic
distribution:		 Northern and central France, Belgium, Switzerland
Linguistic classification: Indo-European
Proto-language: Old French
Subdivisions:
see below
Langues d'oïl 2.svg
The geographical spread of the Oïl languages (other than French) can be seen in shades of green and yellow on this map

Langues d'oïl (say "long doo-eel") means "languages of yes." This is a special name for a group of Gallo-Romance languages. These languages grew out of Latin in the northern parts of ancient Roman Gaul. Today, this area includes northern France, parts of Belgium, and the Channel Islands.

These languages are important because they led to modern French. They also include many other languages spoken in these regions.

What Are Oïl Languages?

The Oïl languages are part of a bigger language family. This family is called the Romance languages. Romance languages all come from Latin, the language of the ancient Romans.

Here is how the Oïl languages fit into the bigger language family:

Where Are Oïl Languages Spoken?

The Oïl languages are mainly found in northern and central France. You can also hear them in parts of Belgium and the Channel Islands. The most famous Oïl language is French. It started as a dialect of Oïl spoken around Paris.

Over time, this Parisian dialect became the official language of France. This is why French is so widely spoken today. However, many other Oïl languages still exist. They are often spoken by smaller groups of people.

Different Oïl Languages

While French is the most well-known, there are many other Oïl languages. Some examples include:

  • Walloon: Spoken in parts of Belgium.
  • Norman: Spoken in Normandy, France, and the Channel Islands.
  • Picard: Spoken in northern France and southern Belgium.
  • Gallo: Spoken in Brittany, France.

These languages have their own unique sounds, words, and grammar. They are an important part of the cultural history of their regions. Many people work to keep these languages alive.

History of Oïl Languages

The Oïl languages began to form after the Roman Empire. When the Romans left Gaul, their Latin language changed over time. It mixed with the languages already spoken by the local people. This mix created new dialects.

These dialects slowly became different from each other. The ones in the north became the Oïl languages. The ones in the south became the Occitan languages. The name "Oïl" comes from the word for "yes" in these northern dialects. In the south, the word for "yes" was "oc," which gave the name "Langues d'oc."

Over many centuries, these languages developed. They had their own literature and traditions. Even though French became dominant, the other Oïl languages continued to be spoken.

Images for kids

  • Bram Bilo 1890

    The Oïl languages have literary traditions, as for example seen in this 19th-century collection of Jèrriais short stories

  • Fosses-la-Ville JPG06W

    Bilingual street sign for market square in French and Walloon

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lenguas de oïl para niños

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