Limousin language
Encyclopedia
Limousin is a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the three departments of Limousin
, parts of Charente
and the Dordogne
in the southwest of France
.
The first Occitan documents are in this dialect, particularly the Boecis
, written around the year 1000.
Limousin is used primarily by people over age 50 in rural communities. All speakers speak French
as a first or second language. Due to the French single language policy
, it is not recognised by the government and might be disappearing. A revivalist
movement around the Felibrige
and the Institut d'Estudis Occitans
is active in Limousin (as well as in other parts of Occitania
).
The following reproduces the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."
Limousin (région)
Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of...
, parts of Charente
Charente
Charente is a department in southwestern France, in the Poitou-Charentes region, named after the Charente River, the most important river in the department, and also the river beside which the department's two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are sited.-History:Charente is one of the original...
and the Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...
in the southwest of France
France
The 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...
.
The first Occitan documents are in this dialect, particularly the Boecis
Boecis
The Boecis is an anonymous fragment written around the year 1000 in the Limousin dialect of Old Occitan, spoken in the nowadays southern France. It is the first known poem in langue d'oc, and one of the first texts written in this language...
, written around the year 1000.
Limousin is used primarily by people over age 50 in rural communities. All speakers speak French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
as a first or second language. Due to the French single language policy
Language policy in France
France has one official language, the French language. The French government does not regulate the choice of language in publications by individuals but the use of French is required by law in commercial and workplace communications...
, it is not recognised by the government and might be disappearing. A revivalist
Language revival
Language revitalization, language revival or reversing language shift is the attempt by interested parties, including individuals, cultural or community groups, governments, or political authorities, to reverse the decline of a language. If the decline is severe, the language may be endangered,...
movement around the Felibrige
Félibrige
The Félibrige is a literary and cultural association founded by Frédéric Mistral and other Provençal writers to defend and promote Occitan language and literature...
and the Institut d'Estudis Occitans
Institut d'Estudis Occitans
The Institut d'Estudis Occitans , or IEO, or Occitan Studies Institute, or Institute for Occitan Studies, is a cultural association that was founded in 1945 by a group of Occitan and French writers including Jean Cassou, Tristan Tzara, Ismaël Girard, Max Roqueta, Renat Nelli, and Pierre Rouquette...
is active in Limousin (as well as in other parts of Occitania
Occitania
Occitania , also sometimes lo País d'Òc, "the Oc Country"), is the region in southern Europe where Occitan was historically the main language spoken, and where it is sometimes still used, for the most part as a second language...
).
Differences from Languedocien
Most speakers and academics consider Limousin to be a dialect of Occitan. For more detailed information on this question, see the section on Occitan dialects and codification.The following reproduces the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."
| Limousin | Languedocien |
|---|---|
| Totas las personas naisson liuras e egalas en dignitat e en drech. Son dotadas de rason e de consciéncia e lor chau agir entre elas emb un esperit de frairesa. | Totes los èssers umans naisson liures e egals en dignitat e en dreches. Son dotats de rason e de consciéncia e se devon comportar los unes amb los autres dins un esperit de fraternitat. |