User:CJ Withers/Joual

Joual is the common name for the linguistic features from Quebec French that are associated with the working class, those receiving public assistance, and even some Quebec nationalists. Attitudes towards Joual range from stigma to exaltation depending on forms and components of human communication such as social setting (formal/informal; public/private), channel (spoken vs. written; broadcast) and so on.

Joual is often termed a sociolect or dialect of Québec's French-speaking working class. However, it can no longer be strictly considered as such given two major events in the latter half of the 20th century: upward socio-economic mobility among Quebec francophones and a cultural renaissance connected to the Quebec sovereignty movement. At the beginning of the 21st century, Joual now fits the description of a diatype more than any other categorization.

Origin of the name Joual

Although coinage of the name Joual is often attributed to French Canadian journalist André Laurendeau, usage of this term throughout French-speaking Canada predates the 1930's.

The actual word Joual is the representation of how the word cheval (horse) is pronounced by those who "speak in" Joual. Cheval is usually pronounced as one syllable, [ ʃval ], by all francophones in la Francophonie. With this in mind, in the chain of speech some vowels and consonants undergo changes due to their environment. In the case of [ ʃval ], the [ ʃ ] was voiced to become [ ʒ ], thereby creating [ ʒval ]. Next, the [ v ] at the beginning of a syllable in some regional dialects of French or even in very rapid speech in general weakens to become the semi-vowel [ w ] written "ou". The end result is the word [ ʒwal ] transcribed as Joual.

Perception

Often described by what it is NOT, or by what is considered "incorrect".

-mots à cent piastres

-le beau perler

-le bon français, le français correct, le français de France

Not to be confused with lack of articulation due to speech problems

Diglossia - Barbeau; Gil Courtemanche http://www.ledevoir.com/2006/04/29/107970.html

Most notable or stereotypical linguistic features

Pronunciation

-diphthongs, L/R drop, rolled or trilled R, very posterior A, hushed S, A for E before R, nasal /e/, "oé"

-phenomena that most people are unaware of in all varieties of Quebec French, including Joual: ts/dz, lax IYU, /e//3/ opposition

Usage in cultural productions

Theater

Michel Tremblay

Michel Garneau (his plays + translations of Shakespeare)

Clémence Desrochers - monologs

numerous Québec comedians as a base register

Television

Les Bougons (somewhat exaggerated for comedic effect)

La Petite Vie (very little exaggeration yet very exaggerated intonation/pitch)

Virginie

aspects of Le déclin de l'empire américain and Les invasions barbares (note: characters are university educated and well-off but use linguistic features that are considered Joual)

Le Cœur a ses raisons (humorous contrast of nasal vowels /e/ - /æ/ with /a/)

Folk and pop music

Robert Charlebois

Beau Dommage ("La complainte du phoque en Alaska") Corbeau, Marjo (esp. "Illégal")

Daniel Boucher

La Chicane (Nativity song)

Les Cowboys Fringants

Novels

not exactly, but Hémon's Maria Chapdelaine

Tremblay