Marseille speech explained in a regional dictionary published by Le Robert

Did you know ? The Marseille language is 2000 words, listed and explained by the renowned linguist Médéric Gasquet Cyrus. “In Marseille, it’s said like that” joins the regional dictionaries published by Le Robert.

Ask the kids in France: how do we speak Marseillais? “Tarpin”, “Degun”, “Emboucaner”! There is no shortage of expressions in the Marseille city.

Médéric Gasquet-Cyrus, sociolinguist researcher at the Aix Parole et langue laboratory (CNRS), has made it his playground. He is the author of numerous books on the subject, whose Dictionary of Marseille or Marseille for dummies. He just went out In Marseille, it’s said like that! published by Le Robert. On shelves since May 2, 2024.

His favorite word? The “ooay!” which designates a din, a brothel. The word comes from Italian guaioprobably from the Neapolitan dialect version uaio. “For me, who is a lover of dictionaries and in particular an admirer ofAlain Rey, one of the master builders of the Le Robert dictionary, to be entrusted with this mission is an honor”. Among the collection we will also find the Breton language, the language of the North and of Picardy. A collection which aims to popularize these regional languages ​​with examples of the use of words and expressions as found in popular culture.

The Marseille language is rich and unique, symbol of an identity influenced by the Provençals, the Italians, the Gypsies, the North Africans and the Comorians. “The idea is to show how each region speaks on a daily basis and the diversity of the French language”, explains the sociolinguist. He wants to prove that popular French is also good French. “My desire is not heritage, I just show the different uses.”

This renowned linguist has identified and explained 2000 words. And the most astonishing thing is that, like all languages ​​in the world: Marseillais evolves and new words appear. “I’m enjoying it, it never stops”he said. “I have already written books on Marseille words, but we realize that they evolve with many new variants.” Médéric Gasquet-Cyrus is a real radar. When he walks through the streets of Marseille, he captures all the expressions, discusses the different meanings, checks the usage on social networks, and researches their antiquity in literature.

In summary, “In Marseille, it is said like that” is a “tarpin bien” (too good) book, the most up-to-date on local speaking. It invites those who want to deepen their knowledge to delve into dictionaries, glossaries, and studies on etymology and sociolinguistics.

To practice vocabulary, he also launched an online game: Motchus.