SafekipediaLeonese language
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
Leonese is a group of traditional dialects spoken in parts of Spain and Portugal. It is mainly found in the provinces of León, Zamora, and Salamanca in Spain, as well as in a few villages in Portugal. Though some people also consider it a separate language, most speakers now use Spanish in their daily lives.
Today, only about 20,000 to 50,000 people still speak Leonese. It belongs to a larger group of languages called Asturleonese, which also includes Asturian. Even though people sometimes separate Asturian and Leonese, the real differences are more about where the dialects are spoken rather than the language itself. Leonese has a rich history and is an important part of the culture in its region.
Name
The name "Leonese" was used by a scholar named Menéndez Pidal to describe a wide area of languages, including Asturias. Today, some experts use the term "Asturian-Leonese" instead. However, many people still call this group of languages simply "Leonese" or sometimes just "Asturian." This happens because some of these dialects are rare and not well known, even in the places where they are spoken.
Leonese and Asturleonese
Leonese is a group of dialects spoken in parts of Spain and Portugal. It is closely related to the Asturian language, and together they are often called Astur-Leonese. These dialects share many features and are influenced by nearby languages like Galician.
Some scholars see Leonese as a language that includes both Asturian dialects and those spoken in the provinces of León and Zamora in Spain, as well as a related dialect in Trás-os-Montes in Portugal. Mirandese, spoken in Miranda do Douro, Portugal, is often considered a separate language and has official recognition there. Unlike Asturian, which has official support, Leonese dialects do not have the same level of promotion or regulation.
Main articles: Asturian language, Astur-Leonese, Galician language, Miranda do Douro, Institute of the Mirandese Language, Academy of the Asturian Language
Linguistic description
Leonese has five vowel sounds that can appear in stressed positions: /a, e, i, o, u/. In unstressed positions, some of these sounds blend together.
Leonese uses masculine and feminine genders and singular and plural numbers. For example, masculine nouns often end in -u in the singular and -os in the plural, while feminine nouns often end in -a in the singular and -as in the plural. Adjectives also change to match the gender and number of the nouns they describe.
| Gloss | Latin | Portuguese | Galician | Asturian/Leonese | Mirandese | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diphthongization of ŏ and ĕ | ||||||
| door | pŏrta(m) | porta | porta | puerta | puorta | puerta |
| eye | ŏc(u)lu(m) | olho | ollo | güeyu güechu | uolho | ojo |
| time | tĕmpu(m) | tempo | tempo | tiempu | tiempo | tiempo |
| land | tĕrra(m) | terra | terra | tierra | tierra | tierra |
| Falling diphthongs | ||||||
| thing | causa(m) | cousa coisa | cousa | co(u)sa | cousa | cosa |
| blacksmith | ferrariu(m) | ferreiro | ferreiro | ferre(i)ru | ferreiro | herrero |
| Initial n- | ||||||
| Christmas | natal(is) nativitate(m) | natal | nadal | ñavidá | natal | navidad |
| Initial f- | ||||||
| make | facere | fazer | facer | facer | fazer | hacer |
| iron | fĕrru(m) | ferro | ferro | fierru | fierro | hierro |
| Initial l- | ||||||
| fireplace | lare(m) | lar | lar | llar ḷḷar | lhar | lar |
| wolf | lupu(m) | lobo | lobo | llobu ḷḷobu | lhobo | lobo |
| Initial pl-, cl-, fl- | ||||||
| flat | planu(m) | chão | chan chao | chanu llanu | chano | llano |
| key | clave(m) | chave | chave | chave llave | chabe | llave |
| flame | flamma(m) | chama | chama | chama llama | chama | llama |
| Intervocalic -n- | ||||||
| frog | rana(m) | rã | ra(n) | rana | rana | rana |
| -ct- and -lt- | ||||||
| made | factu(m) | feito | feito | feitu fechu | feito | hecho |
| night | nŏcte(m) | noite | noite | nueite nueche | noute | noche |
| much | mŭltu(m) | muito | moito muito | muitu mueitu muchu | muito | mucho |
| listen | auscultāre | escutar | escoitar escuitar | escuitare escueitare escuchar | scuitar | escuchar |
| -c’l-, -t’l-, -g’l- | ||||||
| razor | novac(u)la(m) | navalha | navalla | ñavaya | nabalha | navaja |
| old | vet(u)lu(m) | velho | vello | vieyu viechu | bielho | viejo |
| tile | teg(u)la(m) | telha | tella | teya | telha | teja |
| -lj- | ||||||
| woman | muliere(m) | mulher | muller | muyer mucher | mulhier | mujer |
| -ll- | ||||||
| castle | castellu(m) | castelo | castelo | castiellu castieḷḷu | castielho | castillo |
| Intervocalic -l- | ||||||
| ice / to frost | gelu(m) gelare | gelo gear | xeo xear | xelu | hielo | |
| fern | filictu(m) | feto | fieito, fento | feleitu feichu | feleito | helecho |
| -m'n- | ||||||
| man | hom(i)ne(m) | homem | home | home | home | hombre |
| hunger, famine | fam(i)ne(m) | fome | fame | fame | fame | hambre |
| fire | lum(i)ne(m) | lume | lume | llume ḷḷume | lhume | lumbre |
Historical, social and cultural aspects
The Leonese language comes from Latin, brought to the area by Romans. Over time, it developed into different forms in places like Leon, Zamora, Asturias, and parts of Portugal. In the past, Leonese was used in writing, government, and literature. Today, it is mainly spoken by a smaller number of people in rural areas.
Leonese is considered endangered, with estimates suggesting between 5,000 and 50,000 speakers. Efforts are being made to protect and promote the language, including courses and studies. Some people want Leonese to be used more in schools and official settings, while others hope to keep it as a cultural treasure.
| Sociolinguistic study | Number of speakers |
|---|---|
| II Estudiu sociollingüísticu de Lleón: Identidá, conciencia d'usu y actitúes llingüístiques de la población lleonesa | 50,000 |
| Facendera pola Llengua newsletter | 25,000 |
| El asturiano-leonés: aspectos lingüísticos, sociolingüísticos y legislación | 20,000 to 25,000 |
| Linguas en contacto na bisbarra do Bierzo: castelán, astur-leonés e galego. | 2,500 to 4,000 (El Bierzo, Ribas de Sil, Fornela, and La Cabrera) |
Literature
Leonese literature includes several notable works, such as:
- Benigno Suárez Ramos, El tío perruca, 1976.
- Cayetano Álvarez Bardón, Cuentos en dialecto leonés, 1981.
- Xuan Bello, Nel cuartu mariellu, 1982.
- Miguel Rojo, Telva ya los osos, 1994.
- Manuel García Menéndez, Corcuspin el Rozcayeiru, 1984.
- Manuel García Menéndez, Delina nel valle'l Faloupu, 1985.
- Eva González Fernández, Poesía completa : 1980–1991, 1991.
- Cuentos de Lleón: Antoloxía d'escritores lleoneses de güei, 1996.
- Roberto González-Quevedo, L.lume de l.luz, 2002.
- Roberto González-Quevedo, Pol sendeiru la nueite, 2002.
- Roberto González-Quevedo, Pan d'amore : antoloxía poética 1980–2003, 2004.
- Roberto González-Quevedo, El Sil que baxaba de la nieve, 2007.
- Emilce Núñez Álvarez, Atsegrías ya tristuras, 2005.
- Luis Cortés Vázquez, Leyendas, cuentos y romances de Sanabria, 2003.
- Ramón Menéndez Pidal, El dialecto leonés (Commemorative edition with stories and poems in Leonese), 2006.
- Cuentos populares leoneses (escritos por niños), 2006.
- Nicolás Bartolomé Pérez, Filandón: lliteratura popular llionesa, 2007.
- José Aragón y Escacena, Entre brumas, 1921.
- Francisco Javier Pozuelo Alegre, Poemas pa nun ser lleídos, 2008.
- Xosepe Vega Rodríguez, Epífora y outros rellatos, 2008.
- Xosepe Vega Rodríguez, Breve hestoria d'un gamusinu, 2008.
- Antoine De Saint-Exupéry, El Prencipicu (Translation of The Little Prince), 2009.
- Ramón Rei Rodríguez, El ñegru amor, 2009.
- Juan Andrés Oria de Rueda Salguero, Llogas carbayesas, 2009.
Images
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