Garda riu, the Keep River. Such poetry Occitan shows in naming our dear Kingfisher!
The patois (local dialects) bird names are rich, full of beauty and sound. They can be
descriptive: Dama blanca, the ‘White Lady’ for the Barn Owl.
phonetic: Nipanibi, a mimologie (imitation of a sound in words) from the Ortolan bunting’s song.
surprising: Bernat pescaire for the Heron. Why is its name Bernard in Occitan?
“To change villages, is to change languages”
The book will focus on Birds of the Cantal Châtaigneraie (chestnut region) with the town of Maurs as a starting point. Aurillac and the neighboring towns of Lot (Figeac) and Aveyron (Decazeville) will be reference points for the Occitan bird names that often have several local dialects.
