The Quebecois Dictionary

Janice Shea was Head of the Media, Technical, A.V. Equipment Services at Algonquin College, Nepean, Ontario.

The only time I ever saw Léandre Bergeron was in 1974: blue jeans, slouch hat, set off by grey hair and beard (lots of both). I was delighted. But how is a militant socialist, historian, playwright, linguist, nationalist born? And where — Manitoba? Educated by Jesuits in those quiet 1950s? Does he teach school? At RMC? (For heaven’s sake!) But then came the 1970s: Québec, the Quiet Revolution, Sir George Williams. Los Editions Québécoises, Diffusion Québec, Editions de l’Aurore are born with the help of M. Bergeron. Petit Manuel de l’Histoire du Quebec, Histoire du Québec en Trois Regimes and he himself is born — historian, dramatist, author.

Bergeron and his works have been variously excoriated and lauded by the French-speaking press. L’Action Nationale has had a field day: pseudo-marxism, propaganda, etc. Dictionnaire de Ia Iangue Québécoise has yet to be broadsided by this rather conservative group. I suspect they are struck dumb. The French version was a huge bestseller in 1980, not because it is a learned, linguistically perfect study of Québécois French, but as political and social commentary. François Latraverse (Livres et auteurs québécois, 1980), if somewhat preciously, says all that needs to be said about the French version.

But what of the English? The author claims to have translated “so that English speakers can discover and enjoy Québécois.” Horsefeathers! A pious hope, smacking of hypocrisy and faintly odourous of crass commercialism.

In French, this book belonged to French-speaking Québeckers; only they have the right to know such intimate things about their language, to laugh at themselves. Awakening consciousness was for them only, and this book encoded their power struggles, nationalism, pride in heritage. In English it runs the risk of becoming a triviality, a parlour game, amusing, on a level with Orkin’s French-Canajan, hei? (Lester & Orpen, 1975). At best, “Aren’t French Canadians cute?”; at worst, “No wonder this country’s in such a mess!”

Highly recommended. All buyers should be required to read from front to back with a “Québécois sympathique” in attendance to lead, guide, explain. I wonder if Léandre Bergeron has changed much since 1974? I’m afraid he has.