Royasc is a
dialect
The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena:
One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a ...
bridging the gap between the
Ligurian language and the
Occitan language
Occitan (; oc, occitan, link=no ), also known as ''lenga d'òc'' (; french: langue d'oc) by its native speakers, and sometimes also referred to as ''Provençal'', is a Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan Vall ...
. It is spoken in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
.
Area of use
The Royasc dialect is spoken in the Upper Roya valley, at the boundary of France and Italy.
In France, it is spoken in the communes of
Breil-sur-Roya,
La Brigue
La Brigue (; lij, Briga; oc, La Briga; it, Briga Marittima) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
La Brigue became part of France after World War II, when Italy was forced to hand it over in September 1947 ...
,
Fontan,
Saorge,
Tende
Tende (; Italian, Occitan and Royasc: ''Tenda'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
Tende is located within Mercantour National Park in the French Alps. The mountainous commune is bordered b ...
(
Alpes Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes (; oc, Aups Maritims; it, Alpi Marittime, "Maritime Alps") is a department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the Italian border and Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, it ...
).
In Italy, it is spoken in the province of
Imperia
Imperia (; lij, Inpêia or ) is a coastal city and ''comune'' in the region of Liguria, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Imperia, and historically it was capital of the ''Intemelia'' district of Liguria. Benito Mussolini created the ...
,
Liguria
it, Ligure
, population_note =
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- communes of
Olivetta San Michele and
Triora
Triora ( lij, Triöra) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about northwest of Imperia, on the border with France. As of 31 December 2004, it had a populati ...
(only in the villages of Realdo and Verdeggia) and in the province of
Cuneo
Cuneo (; pms, Coni ; oc, Coni/Couni ; french: Coni ) is a city and ''comune'' in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area.
It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in ...
,
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
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- communes of
Briga Alta and the village of
Viozene in the commune of
Ormea
Ormea is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about southeast of Cuneo.
Ormea borders the following municipalities: Alto, Armo, Briga Alta, Caprauna, Cosio di ...
.
The dialect of La Brigue, Briga Alta, Realdo, Viozene, and Verdeggia is also named
Brigasc
Brigasc is a dialect of the Ligurian language. It is spoken in Italy and France.
Area of use
The Brigasc dialect is spoken in La Brigue (France) and Briga Alta (Italy) and some villages of the communes of Ormea and Triora. It is very close to ...
.
History and position
Royasc is the mountainous adaptation of the western
Ligurian dialect. It received influence from the Occitan language as the Upper Roya valley was partly ruled by the County of Nice.
Its structure is Ligurian, but its position is discussed: some include it in the Ventimiglia dialect (intemelian) but others consider it a member of a very distinct group of Alpine Ligurian dialects, along with Pignasc and Triorasc.
Italian Royasc-speaking communes put themselves under the State Law for the protection of minorities, using the Occitan name to do so.
[Servizio Beni e attività culturali della Provincia di Torino, ''Atlante delle minoranze linguistiche storiche del Piemonte e della Provincia di Imperia'',]
Download link
on the Chambra d'Oc website)
See also
*Royasc
*
Intemelio
Intemelio is a Ligurian dialect spoken historically from the Principality of Monaco to the Italian province of Imperia.
History
Since the Renaissance the Ligurian language was spoken in all the territories of the Republic of Genoa; in the we ...
*
Ligurian language
References
External links
Presentation of Olivetta San Michele in Italian and Brigasc(called Occitan on that site)
Presentation of Triora in Italian and Brigasc(called Occitan on that site)
''A Vaštéra'' magazine website
{{Romance languages
Languages of France
Ligurian language (Romance)