Brigasc is a
dialect
A dialect is a Variety (linguistics), variety of language spoken by a particular group of people. This may include dominant and standard language, standardized varieties as well as Vernacular language, vernacular, unwritten, or non-standardize ...
of the
Ligurian language. It is spoken in
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
Area of use
The Brigasc dialect is spoken in
La Brigue (France) and
Briga Alta (Italy) and some villages of the communes 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
The musical term alto, meaning "high" ...
and
Triora. It is very close to
Royasc
Royasc is a dialect bridging the gap between the Ligurian language and the Occitan language. It is spoken in Italy and France.
Area of use
The Royasc dialect is spoken in the Upper Roya valley, at the boundary of France and Italy.
In France, i ...
dialect.
History
During the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
the
Ligurian language was spoken in all the territories of the
Republic of Genoa
The Republic of Genoa ( ; ; ) was a medieval and early modern Maritime republics, maritime republic from the years 1099 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italy, Italian coast. During the Late Middle Ages, it was a major commercial power in ...
: in the western area of this republic one of its groups (spoken mainly in the area between the
Principality of Monaco
Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is a semi-enclave borde ...
and
Sanremo
Sanremo, also spelled San Remo in English and formerly in Italian, is a (municipality) on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination ...
) was called ''Intemelio''.
The language spoken in the mountains around
Briga was called ''Brigasc'' and received some influence from the Occitan language.
[Giulia Petracco Sicardi, E. Azaretti, "Studi linguistici sull'anfizona Liguria-Provenza", in ''Dizionario Etimologico Storico Ligure'', Alessandria 1989, a pp. 11-62, di Giulia Petracco Sicardi, "Contributo alla definizione dell'anfizona Liguria-Provenza".]
Some words in Brigasc
See also
*
Mentonasque
*
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 wes ...
*
Ligurian language
References
Bibliography
*
Fiorenzo Toso, ''Il brigasco e l'olivettese tra classificazione scientifica e manipolazioni politico-amministrative'', in ''Intemelion. Cultura e territorio – Quaderno annuale di studi storici dell'Accademia di cultura intemelia'', n. 14, anno 2008
website online (in Italian)
External links
*
ttp://web.tiscali.it/robertotarabella/ "Terra brigasca" website
{{Authority control
Languages of France
Ligurian language (Romance)