Provençal expression

i'a dégun !

Sociability

Literal translation

there is nobody!

Meaning

nobody's here!

Explanation

A statement of absence built on the impersonal turn i'a (there is) and the pronoun degun, meaning nobody, no one, none. The implicit double negation typical of Provençal, where degun already carries the negative sense on its own without needing a second negative word, is rendered in French by the full phrase il n'y a personne. The expression belongs to an everyday register, said of an empty place, a deserted house, a gathering that drew no crowd, or a shop with no customers, often with a hint of disappointment or surprise. The pronoun degun is very widely used in Provençal conversation, largely replacing the longer negative construction, and recurs in many other everyday phrases to mark the total absence of people.

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Other expressions on the same theme

à la revisto !goodbye! adessias !goodbye! longo mai !a wish or toast, literally "long may it last" urous anniversàri e longo mai !happy birthday! bon Nouvè !merry Christmas! bòni Pasco !happy Easter!