{"id":57937,"date":"2011-09-29T23:08:37","date_gmt":"2011-09-29T21:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sorosoro.org\/?p=57937"},"modified":"2025-10-21T22:21:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T20:21:12","slug":"interview-with-marie-adele-joredie-on-her-language-xaracuu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sorosoro.org\/en\/2011\/09\/interview-with-marie-adele-joredie-on-her-language-xaracuu\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Marie-Ad\u00e8le Jor\u00e9di\u00e9 on her language, X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9"},"content":{"rendered":"

In October\/November 2010, a Sorosoro team led by linguist Claire Moyse and chief operator Jos\u00e9 Reynes took off to New Caledonia<\/strong> to film three Kanak<\/strong> languages\/cultures, X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9<\/strong>, X\u00e2r\u00e2gur\u00e8<\/strong>, and Ham\u00e9a<\/strong>. First comes X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9<\/a><\/strong>, and in particular teacher and activist Marie-Ad\u00e8le Jor\u00e9di\u00e9<\/strong>, known as the creator of the Bb-lecture program aiming to familiarize Kanak little children to the concept of books. Here\u2019s a first interview with Marie-Ad\u00e8le telling us about her relation towards her own language, what it represents for the Kanak, the necessity to have it handed down, especially using means imported by “the White”, namely the school system and books.<\/p>\n

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\nLinguist<\/span>: Claire Moyse-Faurie (LACITO\/CNRS)
\nImage & sound<\/span>: Jos\u00e9 Reynes, assisted by Karl Jor\u00e9di\u00e9
\nTranslation<\/span>: Annick Kasovimoin (Acad\u00e9mie des Langues Kanak – ALK)<\/a>
\nEditing<\/span>: Caroline Laurent<\/p>\n

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X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9<\/a> is one of the 28 Kanak languages, a group belonging to the Austronesian language family. The Austronesian language family stands among the largest language families in the world, with its 1,000 to 1,200 languages shared over a vast area including a large part of Oceania, the Pacific, and South-East Asia.<\/em><\/p>\n

X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 is one of the languages spoken in the X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 area, alongside X\u00e2r\u00e2gur\u00e8<\/a>, Ham\u00e9a, and T\u00eer\u00ee. It is the most widely spoken of these four languages, with 5,729 speakers over 14 years old accounted for in the 2009 census. One third of them live essentially around Noum\u00e9a, while the other two thirds have remained in their traditional area, on the eastern coast of Grande Terre, and mainly in the Canala and Thio municipalities.<\/em><\/p>\n

X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 is also the fourth most widely spoken Kanak language in New Caledonia, following Drehu, Nengone, and Paic\u00ee \u2013 it is also one of the best maintained: spoken in every municipality of the X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 language area, it reaches over 90% of the population in Canala.<\/em><\/p>\n

Like every other Kanak languages, X\u00e2r\u00e2c\u00f9\u00f9 is part of France\u2019s 75 languages, and recognized in New Caledonia as a language of education and culture since the 1998 Noum\u00e9a Accord. It is part of the programs at the Canala and Thio junior high schools, although the language still hasn\u2019t been approved as a relevant option for Baccalaur\u00e9at, the French secondary school certificate<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"logo<\/a> Visit the Acad\u00e9mie des Langues Kanak website<\/a> (in French).<\/em><\/p>\n