Every country has its own
regional languages. In this era of globalization, it’s important not to forget one’s roots in order to preserve identity. In France, in the
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, several regional languages are spoken.
In fact, there were once two families of Romance languages: the Langue d’Oïl, spoken in the North, and the Langue d’Oc, spoken in the South of France. Among these is Niçard or "Nissart," if you prefer. It’s a regional variety of Occitan spoken in
Nice and the surrounding villages.
Did you know that the city of Nice has a very ancient history? The city, originally called Nikaia, later became part of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia and was annexed to France in 1860.
In fact, Nissart is a real language with its own grammar rules. For example, in Niçard, nouns do not take an "s" in the plural. Only articles and adjectives show plural marking. So *lo professor* (the teacher) becomes *lu professor* in the plural.
That’s easier than in French, right? Now let’s learn a bit of vocabulary. That way, you’ll be ready to speak Niçard when you come to the Côte d’Azur. Let’s go! “How are you?” is *coma va?* and “have a nice day” is *boana jornada*. Do you know what *can* means in Niçard?
It means “dog.” Likewise, a *tchiné* is a child, and a *babatchou* is a foolish person. To say “I’m from here,” you say *sian d’acqui*. One last thing: if you hear about the *ratapignata*, it’s not a local dish — it means “bat.” This little creature has long been a symbol associated with the Niçard people.
Regional languages are of interest to people of all ages. In Nice, nearly 1,500 students learn Niçard in high school, and each year, more than 400 choose it as a subject for the Baccalauréat. There are also associations that offer free classes. So don’t waste time — come and discover the culture and language of *Nissa la Bella*!
