Aranese dialect

Aranese is a special way of speaking used in a place called the Val d'Aran. This area is in northwestern Catalonia, close to the border between Spain and France. Aranese is part of a bigger language family called Occitan. It is one of the three official languages spoken there, along with Catalan and Spanish.

In 2010, leaders in Catalonia decided that Aranese should be an official language. This means people can use it in schools and government offices. The names of towns in Val d'Aran are often shown in Aranese on maps and signs. For example, a town called Vielha in Catalan has its Aranese name on official maps.

This dialect helps keep the culture and history of Val d'Aran special and alive.

Official status

The Aran Valley is the only place where the Occitan language is officially recognized and protected. According to Law 35/2010 passed by the Parliament of Catalonia, Occitan is an official language in all of Catalonia, with special focus in the Val d'Aran where it is spoken.

The laws in Catalonia make sure that Aranese, the local name for Occitan, is taught in schools and used in public services. Since 1984, children in the Aran Valley have been learning and using Aranese in their schools. The valley also has some self-government, which helps protect and promote the Aranese language. Place names in the Aran Valley are shown in Occitan, not Catalan or Spanish, on maps and signs.

Usage

Aranese is a language spoken in Val d'Aran. Many people there can understand it, though fewer young people know it well. Some can speak it, but not many can write it.

Over time, more people have started to use Aranese again. It is an official language in Val d'Aran, along with Catalan and Spanish. Since 1984, children in schools there have learned Aranese with Spanish. They spend time each week learning these languages, and sometimes they also learn French or English.

Phonology

The Aranese dialect has special sounds and ways of speaking that make it unique. For example, some words from old Latin change in interesting ways. Words that started with "F" often now start with "H", like the word for "fire."

Aranese also has its own special rules. Some sounds used in other similar languages are not used in Aranese, except in two specific towns. There are also special ways to make words plural and to say words that end in certain letters.

Notes:

1. Certain sounds at the end of words change to quieter sounds.
2. A special sound is only used in two towns and in foreign words.
3. Another sound is usually quiet at the end of words.
4. A specific sound can change depending on its place in a word.

Notes:

1. Some sounds are often said in a simpler way.
2. Endings of words can change how they sound.
3. A certain sound can be said in two different ways.
4. An old way of writing sounds is now said differently.

Aranese uses special marks above letters to show when two vowels are said separately and not mixed together.

• A special mark over certain letters: ï, ü
  • flaüta /flaˈy.ta/
  • cocaïna /ku.kaˈi.na/
  • coïncidir /ku.in.siˈdi(ɾ)/
• A mark that shows where to stress a word, on í, ú
  • país /paˈis/

Orthography

The Aranese dialect uses special letter pairs called digraphs. These help show sounds that are special to this language.

Aranese also has special ways to write vowels. These help make words sound just right.

Loanwords

The Aranese dialect, spoken in Val d'Aran, has been influenced by Spanish and Catalan. It has taken some new words from these languages, like actuar instead of agir, and empresa instead of entrepresa.

Spanish and Catalan have also changed some Aranese words, such as turning abans into abantes. Some Spanish words, like hasta, are used directly in Aranese.

Regulation

Aranese follows the standard rules of the Occitan language, set by Loís Alibèrt. These rules are supported by the Occitan Language Council and have been accepted by the General Council of Aran since 1999.

Sometimes Aranese uses different words or endings than other Gascon varieties. For example, Aranese uses "-ES" instead of "-AS" for feminine plurals, like "hemnes araneses" for Aranese women. It also sometimes uses "U" instead of "V", like "auer" instead of "aver". The Aranese Language Institute studies and supports the Aranese language.

Written publications

Grammar

A book about Aranese verbs called Es Vèrbs conjugadi: morfologia verbau aranesa was written by Verònica Barés Moga. It came out in 2003. Another book about Aranese grammar was written by Aitor Carrera. It came out in March 2007 and shows how Aranese changes in different villages.

Dictionaries

A dictionary of Aranese was written by the Catalan linguist Joan Coromines.

There is a simple dictionary with Spanish, Aranese, Catalan, and French. It was written by Frederic Vergés Bartau.

An Aranese-English and English-Aranese dictionary was published in 2006. It was written by Ryan Furness, a young man from Minnesota. He became interested in the language after visiting Val d'Aran.

A big dictionary for Catalan and Occitan was published. It was supported by the governments of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya) and Val d'Aran (Conselh Generau d'Aran). The dictionary uses Aranese spelling and focuses on the Aranese variety.

Periodicals and commercial publications

There is a local monthly magazine called Toti. Local newspapers are partly in Aranese. The online newspaper Jornalet has many articles and opinions in Aranese.