Arpitania
Encyclopedia
Arpitania refers to the lands where the Arpitan language is spoken or used to be the prevalent idiom, but Arpitania is not a country or a nation.
Arpitania and Arpitan Language are retronym
s. They were neologisms from the 20th century. It was initially used for the Alpine
regions where Arpitan was spoken. The name was popularised by Mouvement Harpitanya, a left-wing political grouping in Aosta Valley in 1970s. In 1990s, the term lost its particular political context. However, the use of the word "Arpitania" indicates a common cultural heritage and a regional identity beyond linguistic limitations.
Inhabitants of the region, whether they are actual speakers of the language or not, are named as Arpitans.
The northwesternmost salient (roughly a strip between Mâcon
and Roanne
) is seen linguistically transitional between Arpitan, Occitan and other Oïl languages.
Arpitania and Arpitan Language are retronym
Retronym
A retronym is a type of neologism that provides a new name for an object or concept to differentiate the original form or version of it from a more recent form or version. The original name is most often augmented with an adjective to account for later developments of the object or concept itself...
s. They were neologisms from the 20th century. It was initially used for the Alpine
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
regions where Arpitan was spoken. The name was popularised by Mouvement Harpitanya, a left-wing political grouping in Aosta Valley in 1970s. In 1990s, the term lost its particular political context. However, the use of the word "Arpitania" indicates a common cultural heritage and a regional identity beyond linguistic limitations.
Inhabitants of the region, whether they are actual speakers of the language or not, are named as Arpitans.
Geography
Arpitania is composed of:- FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(SavoySavoySavoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
, DauphinéDauphinéThe Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
, IsèreIsèreIsère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
, a big part of the RhôneRhône (département)Rhône is a French department located in the central Eastern region of Rhône-Alpes. It is named after the Rhône River.- History :The Rhône department was created on August 12, 1793 when the former département of Rhône-et-Loire was split into two departments: Rhône and Loire.Originally, the eastern...
département, southern Franche-ComtéFranche-ComtéFranche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
, a very small part of the AinAinAin is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...
, Monts du Forez...). - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(Aosta Valley, Arpitan-speaking valleys in the Piemont, Daunia/Arpitan Celle di San Vito, Foggia in the ApuliaApuliaApulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
). - SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(Romandy, excluding the northern and western parts of JuraCanton of JuraThe Republic and Canton of the Jura , also known as the Canton of Jura or Canton Jura, is one of the cantons of Switzerland. It is the newest of the 26 Swiss cantons, located in the northwestern part of Switzerland. The capital is Delémont...
).
The northwesternmost salient (roughly a strip between Mâcon
Mâcon
Mâcon is a small city in central France. It is prefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department, in the region of Bourgogne, and the capital of the Mâconnais district. Mâcon is home to over 35,000 residents, called Mâconnais.-Geography:...
and Roanne
Roanne
Roanne is a commune in the Loire department in central France.It is located northwest of Lyon on the Loire River.-Economy:...
) is seen linguistically transitional between Arpitan, Occitan and other Oïl languages.
Books
- Jozé Harrieta, La lingua arpitana, 1976.
- Mikael Bodlore-Penlaez, «Savoie et Aoste, coeur du peuple arpitan» in Atlas des nations sans état en Europe: Peuples minoritaires en quête de reconnaissance, Yoran Embanner 2010. ISBN 978-2914855716
External links
- Portal Arpitania.eu
- Babel Lexilogos (French)
- Harpitanya Movement Flag
- Listen to some audio documents in an Arpitan dialect.