What is the tilde in Breton?

I read about a Breton family winning a court battle to keep the tilde on their son’s Breton name Fañch. In Spanish, this alters the sound of the letter N. What does it do in Breton? S.B.

Oliver Rowland
Published Last updated

In Breton, this accent usually “nasalises” the preceding vowel so the sound is placed more in the nose.

The parents of the child told Le Télégramme the name sounds, with Breton pronunciation, like planche (with a nasal n) but without the accent the vowel would sound like an open “O” as in Octobre (or as it might be pronounced with an English accent).

Send your queries about life in France by email to news@connexionfrance.com

Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France

practical language / linguistics q&a

language / linguistics q&a