Aromanian
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A language of Greece
50,000 (Salminen 1999). Ethnic population: 700,000 (Association of French Aromanians). Total users in all countries: 502,160.
Epirus and Western Macedonia, Macedonia and Thrace, and Thessaly and Central Greece administrative units; Pindus mountains, western Ioannina, southwest Trikala, southwest corner, Grevena; Pella area, southeast of Lake Vegoritis and into Imathia; central zone, Kastoria into Florina and Kozani.
6b (Threatened).
Structurally a distinct language from Megleno Romanian [ruq] (Agard 1984). It split from the other 3 Romanian languages between 500 and 1000 A.D. Many dialects.
Rapid assimilation to Greek culture; children attend Greek schools. 20% live traditionally. No legal status in Greece. Not taught in school except for one course at the University of Salonica. Some revival of the culture in progress since the 1980s. Rapid language shift in Greece. People over 50 are fluent, many between 25 to 50 are passive speakers with limited knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Known by some youth. Many also use Greek [ell].
Christian.