Jo e lo gascon I and the gascon
My grand mother used to speak gascon. I often heard
people talking Gascon when I was a little boy in the fifties...uncles,aunts,
rather old people. Nowadays, only few people speak Gascon unless
they they have decided to learn it again..This is what I did, but
just a little for the moment. How happy I am when learning
Gascon to recognize words and sentences I heard in my childhood.
Learning English in such a way would have been so easier for me.
Now even people who can's speak
Gascon fluently know a few sentences. They say them in the middle
of a conversation.I just want to tell you these sentences.So you
can make your Gascon friends smile or maybe laugh.They will
appreciate, no doubt about it.
To help you to pronounce the words properly, I
didn't use phonetics but the way you pronounce some English
letters or words.Try to join them quickly when you speak.
Gascon sentences or words.
To greet:
Adiu (pronounce = ah + d (in the alphabet) + oo
from loo. Strong stress on "d" Join the sounds
quickly
=Good morning or afternoon, any time of the day -speaking
to one person you know well
Adishatz (Pronounce a from jack or ah+
d(in the alphabet)+ chats, stress on the last syllable(chats)
"Sh" de "shats" is better pronounced
like in sharp , as in English in fact.
=Good morning or afternoon any time of the day -speaking
to a person you respect or several people
Com va (coom+ baa) = how are you ?
Weather forecast
que va plauer = it's going to rain .Pronounce K + baa
+ plough
que hè calor = it's very hot . Pronounce K +
hea de head + ca from café + loo (stress on
loo)
Gascon oaths
hilh de puta = son of a bitch pronounce
"hill day put "
Diu Vivant (dew bib-anne) = Living God
hilh deu diable= son of the devil =(hill
do d + "a "fom jack
+ bl from " blue"dropping "ue")(join d
+ a + bl)
macarèu(mac + ah + re like ray + oo
from food) Stress on re =gentle oath, not really rude.Impossible
to translate.
miscellanies
que va mau! (k+ baa+mou from mouse) = the
situation is bad or I'm not feeling well
que i a monde (K+ ya from yard +
moon +de from derv or dermatologist )=There
are a lot of people!
que soi crevat (k+ soo from soon + e
+ cre from crevice ) +bat : Stress on soo
and bat =
I 'm fagged out !
que soi hart )=K + soo de soon + quick e
+ heart .Roll the "r" if you can
I have had enough (food)
on vas ? (oon from moon +Bus(Oxford
accent) or with a de jack =where are you going ?
jo que m'em vau (ju from june + K + mem
from memory + bow (greeting)=I'm going
espia !(s+ p(alphabet)+a(article when unstressed) (stress
on p) = look!
beu un cop (be from bed +oo de good
+ oon de moon +cop)= have a drink !
qué vam béver un cop ( K+ bam from bamboo+
be from bed + oo de good + oon de moon
+cop)Stress on be and cop
= let's have a drink
qu'ei pèc (k + a(alphabet) or "ay"+ peck)=
he is nuts
qu'ei beroi ,beroia (k+ a(alphabet) +be in bed + roy (r+oy in
boy)+ a (article when unstressed) for the feminine)= he
or she is beautiful
quina ora ei ? (keen + aura + a in alphabet)=What's the
time ?
qu'ei aço?, (k+ ay + ah + so .Stress on so)= What's
that ?
qué vos ? (k+boss) = what do you want ?
aquera hemna ah+K +ra
in rat + hem+ na in Etna. Stress on hem
.Pronounce the H=this woman
aqueste gojata (ah+K +stay+go in good +ja
in jar +ta like in regatta=this girl
aqueste gojat(a in jack +quay +stay+go in good
+ja in jar +t like in rat = this boy
Mon Diu de jo(moon dew day+ ju in june without the
sound d): My God
minja e cara (mean + ge in impinge or hinge+ e
like in energy +car= eat and be quiet (I
often heard it when a child)