Ethnologue.com home

Ethnologue: Languages of the World
16th edition

Ethnologue: Languages of the World
US$ 100.00
Add to cart

Preview print edition

Most Recent
SIL Publications
Reduced Price SIL Publications


ABOUT SSL CERTIFICATES
Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Europe > Spain > Asturian

Asturian

A language of Spain

ISO 639-3: ast

Population  100,000 in Spain (1994). 50,000 in Central Asturian, 30,000 in Western Asturian, 20,000 in Eastern Asturian. Population total all countries: 125,000. Ethnic population: 550,000 (1996).
Region  Asturias Princedom, west Cantabria and Leon, north Castilla-Leon. Montañes in Cantabria and Las Peñamelleras, a Spanish dialect with Asturian influence. Also in Portugal.
Language map  Portugal and Spain
Alternate names   Astur-Leonese, Asturian-Leonese, Asturianu
Dialects  Leonese (Lleones), Western Asturian, Central Asturian (Bable), Eastern Asturian, Montañes. As different from Spanish as Galician [glg] or Catalan [cat]; more different than Murcian and Andalusian dialects. About 80% intelligibility with Spanish (R. Hall, Jr. 1989) enough to cause disruption of communicative ability (1992 T. Erickson). The Vaqueiros ethnic group speaks Western Asturian [ast]. Intelligibility among the 3 dialects is functional. Similar to Mirandés [mwl] in Portugal. Leonese may be a separate language. Central Asturian is considered the model, and has the most speakers.
Classification  Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Asturo-Leonese
Language use  450,000 L2 speakers able to speak or understand it (1994 F. Botas). Leonese associations promote their language variety. Also use Spanish.
Language development  Dictionary. NT: 1997.
Writing system  Latin script.
Comments  About 43% of the population in the region have immigrated into the region from the south since the 1950s, and they have not absorbed the Asturian culture or language. There is literature, both popular and literary, since the 17th century; poetry, traditional ballads, and chivalric novels of oral tradition. The Academy of the Asturian Language was formed in 1981 to revive the academy of the 18th century. Western Asturian may need orthography adaptation. Montañes is a Spanish dialect with Asturian influence.

Also spoken in:

Portugal

Language name   Asturian
Population  25,000 in Portugal.
Region  Miranda do Douro.
Language map 
Alternate names  Asturian-Leonese
Dialects  West Asturian, Central Asturian (Bable).
Language use  Children 6 to 16 required to study it in school; voluntary for ages 16 to 19. Spanish in formal situations and with outsiders. Vaqueros ethnic group speaks West Asturian.
Comments  Popular and literary literature since the 17th century; poetry, traditional ballads, and chivalric novels of oral tradition. Although Academy of the Asturian Language was formed in 1981, use in decline due to lack of government support from overwhelming immigration into the region. Western Asturian may need orthography adaptation.