Language quiz

Here’s a recording in a mystery language.

Can you identify the language, and do you know where it’s spoken?

Comments (9)

clOctober 14th, 2012 at 6:51 am

Sounds like French … but all the languages in the quiz are less-known minority languages, right?

MutOctober 14th, 2012 at 9:28 am

I’m pretty sure it is Breton. But that’s true, it really sounds like French.

TWOctober 14th, 2012 at 11:24 am

I think it’s Breton as well.

SimonOctober 14th, 2012 at 11:31 am

cl – some of the languages are minority languages, some are dialects of well-known languages, others are major languages maybe spoken by millions of people, but which aren’t well-known outside their country / region. Well-known languages would be too easy.

Christopher MillerOctober 14th, 2012 at 2:03 pm

Setu ar Brezhoneg… This is Breton, but spoken by people whose first language is French.

Jonathan KatzOctober 14th, 2012 at 4:03 pm

I’m going to second the Breton as well.

David EgerOctober 14th, 2012 at 6:41 pm

The music in the background is a bit of a giveaway – unmistakeably Breton. Also, I recognise a few words (I think) from Welsh, yet the pronunciation, intonation and rhythm sound French. I agree with CM that these speakers are probably first language French. I don’t believe I have ever heard Breton spoken by a first language speaker, but I would imagine the sound system to be less like that of French – and perhaps a little more like Welsh. I doubt, though, that there are many speakers left nowadays, whose speech is not profoundly influenced by French.

Petréa MitchellOctober 14th, 2012 at 7:49 pm

Awfully similar to French for me too, except I’d hope to recognize more words if it were actually French or a close relative.

SimonOctober 15th, 2012 at 8:53 am

The answer is Breton (Brezhoneg), a Celtic language spoken in Brittany.

The recording comes from Radio Breizh.