| Population |
1,940,000 in France. Population total all countries: 2,048,310. |
| Region |
Auvergne, Gascogne, Languedoc, Limousin, and Provence provinces. Also in Italy, Monaco, Spain. |
| Language map |
Andorra and France
|
| Alternate names |
Occitani |
| Dialects |
Auvergnat (Auverne, Auvernhas), Gascon, Languedocien (Langadoc, Languedoc, Lengadoucian), Limousin (Lemosin), Provençal (Mistralien, Provençal, Prouvençau). Highly fragmented dialect situation, with limited intelligibility between some varieties. |
| Classification |
Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, Oc |
| Language use |
Home, (rural) community. All ages. Positive attitude. Also use French. |
| Language development |
Literacy rate in L2: 99%. Poetry. Newspapers. Bible portions: 1583–1983. |
| Writing system |
Latin script. |
| Language name |
Gascon, Aranese |
| Population |
3,810 in Spain (1991 census). Ethnic population: 5,552 (1991). |
| Region |
Pyrenees Mountains, Catalonia Autonomous region, Aran Valley, northwest corner, Garona River headwaters. |
| Language map |
Portugal and Spain
|
| Alternate names |
Aranés, Aranese, Aranese Occitán, Arnais, Gascón |
| Dialects |
Baish Aranés, Mijaranés Aranés, Naut Aranés. |
| Language use |
Officially recognized. The Center of Linguistic Normalization is dedicated to promotion of its use. Official language within the valley. Spelling standardized. 60% of the valley’s inhabitants always or usually speak Aranese; over 10% speak it as L2; 1,283 understand but do not speak it. Vigorous. Most domains. All ages. Also use French, Spanish, Catalan [cat], or Occitan [oci]. |
| Language development |
Literacy rate in L1: 51% read Aranese; 18.6% write it (1991). Literacy rate in L2: Nearly 100% in Spanish, 50% in Catalan. Taught regularly in school since 1984. |
| Comments |
Called ‘Aranese’ in France; influenced by Catalan and Spanish more than French. |
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