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The ''symbole'', also called ''ar vuoc'h'' ("the cow"), was an object used by
The ''symbole'', also called ''ar vuoc'h'' ("the cow"), was an object used by Francophone
French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the l ...
headmasters in public and private schools in Brittany, French Flanders, Occitania
Occitania ( oc, Occitània , , or ) is the historical region in Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe where the Occitan language, Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is sometimes still used as a second language. This ...
, Basque Country
Basque Country may refer to:
* Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map)
* French Basque Country o ...
and North Catalonia
Northern Catalonia, North Catalonia, ; french: Catalogne (du) Nord ; oc, Catalonha (del) Nòrd; es, Cataluña (del) Norte) French Catalonia or Roussillon refers to the Catalan-speaking and Catalan-culture territory ceded to France by Spain t ...
as a means of punishment for students caught speaking 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 ...
, Flemish, Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language
Occitan (; o ...
, Basque, or Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Generally, the student was supposed to pass the ''symbole'' onto another of his fellow students after catching him speaking Breton, Occitan or Catalan (referred to as '' patois''). The student in possession of the object at the end of recess, the half-day, or the day would be punished with, for example, manual labor, extra homework, corporal punishment, or organized mockery led by the headmaster.
Nature of the object
The ''symbole'' could be: * an ordinary woodenclog
Clogs are a type of footwear made in part or completely from wood. Used in many parts of the world, their forms can vary by culture, but often remained unchanged for centuries within a culture.
Traditional clogs remain in use as protective f ...
, sometimes not hollowed out, worn around the neck
* a slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
worn around the neck. At the Plouaret
Plouaret (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Plouaret-Trégor station has rail connections to Brest, Rennes, Lannion, Guingamp and Paris.
Population
Inhabitants of Plouaret are called ''plouaré ...
public school from 1943 to 1949 students were required to write "je parle breton" ("I speak Breton") on the slate.
* an object to be carried in the pocket, such as a button, toy sabot, or badge.
The purpose of its use was:
* Exclusion of the targeted language (Breton, Occitan...) from school and play;
* Bringing mockery upon those who didn't follow the established language rules;
* to help bring detriment upon students and prevent student solidarity.
See also
* Welsh Not, in Wales * Vergonha, inOccitania
Occitania ( oc, Occitània , , or ) is the historical region in Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe where the Occitan language, Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is sometimes still used as a second language. This ...
* Dialect card, in Okinawa
Bibliography
* * * * * * * *References
{{reflist Breton language French language History of Brittany Language policy in France Linguistic discrimination Linguistic rights Punishments School punishments