What Is Occitan? Uncover Its Historical past and Distinctive Elements

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What’s the Occitan language? Whereas Occitan is usually related to Spanish, it’s really a separate language spoken in components of France and Catalonia and is extra carefully associated to French and Catalan. In Spain, it’s known as Aranese, and people who converse Occitan there are primarily from a small area known as Val d’Aran. In France, the decrease third of the nation is house to many Occitan audio system.

Think about your self taking within the breathtaking views of the Pyrenees, with its pure magnificence and charming villages, or wandering the picturesque cities in Provence—house to the Occitan language and its six dialects. Discover out extra concerning the heritage of those areas and whether or not primary French journey vocabulary will show you how to perceive Occitan if you end up in an space the place it’s nonetheless generally spoken. 

What’s Occitan? 

The Occitan language is a Romance language with its foundation in Vulgar Latin. Occitan has six main dialects, all of that are recognized as endangered or severely endangered by UNESCO. 

• Provençal
• Gascon
• Languedocien
• Limousin
• Alpine
• Auvergne

It’s additionally known as la langue occitane (the Occitan language in French) and el occitano (Occitan in Spanish). Folks have referred to the final Occitan language as Provençal, however that’s technically one of many six dialects. 

The place is Occitan spoken? 

The Occitan language doesn’t match neatly inside the borders of anybody nation. The area the place it’s spoken straddles southern France, Italy, and Spain. Occitan is spoken primarily in rural areas of the southern third of France, Monaco, the Val d’Aran area in Spain, and the Occitan Valleys in Italy. It’s one of many official languages in Cataluña (Catalonia), and as a regional language has been declared a part of French heritage by Article 75-1 of the 2008 Structure.

In keeping with a survey by the Ofici Public de la Lenga Occitana (OPLO), there have been round 542,000 audio system of the language in 2020. This quantity included those that use it as a primary language and people who say they will maintain a primary dialog in Occitan with out problem. Different noteworthy findings of the survey have been that:

• Greater than half of Occitan audio system dwell in rural areas;
• The common age of Occitan audio system was 66 years;
• In Occitan-speaking areas, the typical share of Occitan audio system fell to 7%, just a few share factors decrease than the earlier decade;
• The best share of people that might converse Occitan in a single area was in Val d’Aran in Spain, at 62%. 

The Historical past of the Occitan language

Occitan has a wealthy historical past because the “lingua franca” (frequent language) of Southern France. It derived its title from the time period Langue d’Oc (language of “Oc”), which referred to the best way audio system within the South of France pronounced the phrase for “sure.” 

The language was as soon as well known amongst European the Aristocracy because the tongue by which troubadours, who often got here to court docket, sang and wrote poetry. Nevertheless, in 1539, King François signed the edict of Villers-Cotterêts to make French the official language of France.

From that time in French language historical past, official paperwork and authorities enterprise have been performed in French. Occitan audio system continued to show their kids the language and talk in Occitan at house and in villages all through southern France. In 1863, even after three centuries of suppression by the federal government, a lot of the inhabitants within the French area of Dordogne nonetheless spoke Occitan.

In 1904, the Occitan poet Frédéric Mistra was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and his work kicked off a revival of the language. Within the early twentieth century, nevertheless, the French authorities launched a marketing campaign to standardize language throughout the nation, and in consequence, Occitan was not permitted to be taught in colleges.

Is Occitan a lifeless language?

Not but, however as a language named en hazard sérieux de l’extinction (in severe hazard of extinction) by UNESCO, it has an unsure future. For this reason advocates for the language are planning and applications to stop it being misplaced. 

Within the 2020 survey, the Institut d’Estudis Occitans (Institute for Occitan Research) discovered 92% of respondents have been in favor of selling the language. Concepts included growing the presence of the language within the area, within the media, on public transports and signage, and in public training.

A few of these initiatives appear to have revived an curiosity in studying this regional language of France. 

Is Occitan nearer to French or Spanish? 

The reply is neither, because it’s thought-about closest to Catalan. However if you happen to converse one other Romance language, you’re prone to see some similarities resulting from their shared roots in Vulgar Latin. Within the desk, you may see the similarities Occitan phrases share with Catalan, Spanish, and French. Discover the Glosbe on-line dictionary for extra Occitan to English translations. 

The Occitan alphabet shares the identical varieties of accent marks as French, and Occitan pronunciation options plenty of the identical sounds as French and Spanish, so realizing one or the opposite could be useful if you wish to study Occitan. 

Are Catalan and Occitan mutually intelligible? 

As a result of they’re each Romance languages, Catalan and Occitan share many similarities in vocabulary and grammar. Whereas the Occitan pronunciations of phrases do differ from Catalan, most audio system of Catalan can perceive Occitan and vice versa.

Understanding a couple of Romance language is a large benefit within the areas the place Occitan is spoken. Studying a language like Spanish and French can unlock partial comprehension of a language like Occitan, particularly utilizing a confirmed technique like Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion, as a result of the vocabulary and grammar is extra prone to make sense and the knowledge will stick with you long-term. 

Incessantly requested questions on Occitan

Occitan is such an fascinating language, you’re sure to be inquisitive about extra particulars.