Language of Corsica

All Corsicans can speak French, as this is the official language of Corsica. Many Corsicans also speak Corsican (Corsu) that is quite similar to Italian, while just a few of them can speak or at least understand English or German.

All Corsicans can speak French, as this is the official language of Corsica. Many Corsicans also speak Corsican (Corsu) that is quite similar to Italian, while just a few of them can speak or at least understand English or German.

If you don't speak French at all, it may be rather difficult to make yourself understood in Corsica. Try to learn at least few French phrases before your journey and don't be afraid to use them when talking to Corsicans -- they'll appreciate your effort. On the other hand, trying to speak Corsican is not recommended to foreigners, because Corsicans value their language as a national treasure. If you speak Italian or even Spanish, many Corsicans will understand.

Understanding maps and local names

All towns and villages have both French and Corsican names, as well as major mountains, rivers, lakes, mountain passes etc., but many local names are in Corsican only. Most maps are available in French, but they still mix French with Corsican, sometimes in rather bizarre way. Some places are written there either in French only (e.g. Col de la Croix) or in Corsican only (Bocca a Croce), but other ones makes a strange mixture of the two languages (e.g. Col de Battaglia instead of Bocca di Battaglia).

The two tables below should help you understand such French-Corsican maps better.

Common geographical objects

French	Corsican	English
aiguille	acu	needle (rock)
auberge		inn
auberge de jeunesse		youth hostel
baie		bay
barrage		dam
bergerie	stazzu	sheep pen
cap	capu, capo	cape
carrefour		crossroads
cascade		waterfall, cascade
col	bocca	mountain pass
commune		district, commune, borough
couvent		convent; monastery
crete		mountain ridge
défilé		gorge, defile, narrow pass
désert		desert
église		church
étang		pond
fleuve	fiume	river
foret	furesta	forest
gite d'etape		hostel, dormitory for hikers
golfe		gulf, smaller bay
chapelle		chapel
ile		island
lac	lavu	lake
maison		house
mer	mare	sea
mont	monte (pl. monti)	mount
phare		lighthouse
place		square, town square
plage		beach
plateau	pianu	plateau
pointe	punta	point, peak
port		harbour
refuge		refuge
ruisseau	vaglinellu	stream
source		underground spring
tour	torre, (pl. torri)	tower
vallée	fiuminale	valley

French and Corsican names of major places

French	Corsican
Ajaccio	Aiacciu
Bonifacio	Bunifaziu
Corte	Corti
L'île-Rousse	Isula Rossa
Patrimonio	Patrimoniu
Porto-Vecchio	Purti Vechju
Saint-Florent	San Fiurenzu
Sartene	Sarte

Useful resources for the languages spoken in Corsica

Last modified on Sun, 2013-04-28 19:30