An Occitan language
Provençal is part of Occitan. It has two spelling standards: the Mistralian spelling (from Frédéric Mistral and the Félibrige) and the classical spelling. ’Camargue’ is thus written *Camargo* or *Camarga*.
Little glossary
- biòu: ox, bull used in the course camarguaise
- raço di biòu: the Camargue cattle breed
- gardian: herd keeper
- manado (manade): herd of bulls or horses, and the ranch itself
- abrivado: ’momentum, haste’, driving the bulls to the arena
- bandido: from *bandir*, ’to drive out’, the bulls’ return to pasture
- attrapaïre: ’catcher’, a young man trying to make the bulls break away
- calos: the gardian’s short stick when on foot
- ficheiroun: the mounted gardian’s trident pike
- sagne: reeds cut in the marshes
- Grand Mar: nickname of the Vaccarès lagoon
- albaron: inn
- segado: ’mowing’, an old way of harpoon fishing on the Vaccarès
Test yourself
What does ’biòu’ mean?
- Ox (answer)
- Horse
- Bird
What is the Vaccarès lagoon’s nickname?
- The Grand Mar (answer)
- The Sagne
- The Calos
What is ’sagne’?
- Reeds (answer)
- Salt
- Rice
How is ’Camargue’ written in Mistralian spelling?
- Camargo (answer)
- Camarga
- Camarque