Lower Brittany ( br, Breizh-Izel; french: Basse-Bretagne) denotes the parts of Brittany west of Ploërmel, where the

Breton language Breton (, ; or in Morbihan) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family spoken in Brittany, part of modern-day France. It is the only Celtic language still widely in use on the European mainland, albeit as a member of t ...

has been traditionally spoken, and where the culture associated with this language is most prolific. The name is in distinction to Upper Brittany, the eastern part of Brittany, which is of a predominantly Romance culture. Breton dialectes-en

History

Naming

The words "upper" and "lower" in the names of Upper and Lower Brittany refer to the relative positions of the capital. In the case of Brittany,

Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...

and

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...

have both been the capital of the ancient province called Brittany. Other French regions are also divided into Lower (''Bas'' or ''Basse'') and Upper (''Haut'' or ''Haute'') parts - for example Lower Normandy, Basse- Lorraine, and Bas- Poitou. However, the French word "bas" is often understood as carrying negative connotations, implying "inferior in status". The

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...

name of Lower Brittany, "Breizh Izel", is used in many Breton songs sung in French of the 19th and 20th centuries, perhaps because the Breton word "Izel" has no such negative connotations.

Line between Upper and Lower Brittany

Having been based on linguistic areas, the dividing line corresponds very roughly to administrative borders. It had already been established by the 14th century and has changed only slightly since, hand in hand with the pushing back of the Breton language. In 1588, the historian

Bertrand d'Argentré Bertrand d'Argentré (or Argentraeus) (19 May 1519 in Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine – 13 February 1590) was a Breton jurist and historian. Argentraeus was born the son of Pierre d'Argentré, seneschal of Rennes, and the nephew of historian Pierre L ...

defined the border as running from the outskirts of

Binic Binic (; ; Gallo: ''Binic'') is a small fishing port north of Saint-Brieuc on the north coast of Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany, in northwest France. Once a commune of its own, Binic is now part of the commune of Binic-Étables-sur-Mer, ...

southwards down to

Guérande Guérande (; br, Gwenrann, ; french: label=Gallo, Geraundd) is a medieval town located in the department of Loire-Atlantique, and the region of Pays de la Loire, Western France. The inhabitants are referred to as ''Guérandais'' (masculine), and ...

, leaving the communes of

Loudéac Loudéac (; ; Gallo: ''Loudia'') is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department, Brittany, northwestern France. Geography Climate Loudéac has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Loudéa ...

Josselin Josselin (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. History St Meriadek is said to have founded a chapel there during the 4th century. Much later Josselin became a stronghold of the House of Rohan. An ...

, and Malestroit in Upper Brittany. In 1886,

Paul Sébillot Paul Sébillot (6 February 1843 in Matignon, Côtes-d'Armor, France – 23 April 1918 in Paris) was a French folklorist, painter, and writer. Many of his works are about his native province, Brittany. Early life and art Sébillot came from an ...

moved the frontier deeper into what had been Breton speaking territory, the line then running from Plouha to Batz-sur-Mer. Maps in the 17th century favour the latter.

References

External links

''In

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

''
Carte de 1695, présentant la limite
Présentation du livre de Fañch Broudic {{Authority control Geography of Brittany Breton culture History of Brittany Breton language Brittany region articles needing translation from French Wikipedia

History

Naming

Line between Upper and Lower Brittany

See also

References

External links