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Franco-Provençal language

NameFranco-Provençal, Arpitan
Nativenamepatouès, arpetan
Pronunciation-frppatuˈe], [patuˈɑ
StatesItaly
France
Switzerland
RegionAosta Valley, Piedmont, Foggia, Franche-Comté, Savoie, Bresse, Bugey, Dombes, Beaujolais, Dauphiné, Lyonnais, Forez, Romandy
Speakers(est.) 113,400
FamilycolorIndo-European
Fam1Indo-European
Fam2Italic
Fam3Romance
Fam4Italo-Western
Fam5Western
Fam6Gallo-Iberian
Fam7Gallo-Romance
Fam8Gallo-Rhaetian
ScriptLatin alphabet with diacritical marks
Nationprotected by statute in Italy and Aosta Valley Autonomous Region.
Iso3frp
Lingua51-AAA-j
MapcaptionMap of the Franco-Provençal Language Area:
Dark Blue: Protected. - Medium Blue: General regions.
Light Blue: Historical transition zone.
NoticeIPA

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Franco-Provençal (Francoprovençal), Arpitan, or Romand (in Switzerland) (Vernacular: ; ; ) is a Romance language with several distinct dialects that form a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue d'Oïl and Langue d'Oc. The name Franco-Provençal was given to the language by G.I. Ascoli in the 19th century because it shared features with French and Provençal without belonging to either. The neologism Arpitan is becoming a popular name for the language and the people who speak it.

Today, the largest number of Franco-Provençal speakers reside in the Aosta Valley, an autonomous region of Italy. The language is also spoken in alpine valleys in the province of Turin, two isolated towns in Foggia, and rural areas of the Romandy region of Switzerland. It constitutes one of the Gallo-Romance languages of France and is classified as a regional language of France, though its use is marginal. Organizations are attempting to preserve it through cultural events, education, scholarly research, and publishing.

The number of speakers of Franco-Provençal has been declining significantly. According to UNESCO (1995), Franco-Provençal is a "potentially endangered language" in Italy and an "endangered language" in Switzerland and France.


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