Mirandese language
The Mirandese language or lhéngua mirandesa is an Astur-Leonese language or language variety[3] that is sparsely spoken in a small area of northeastern Portugal in Terra de Miranda (made up of the municipalities of Miranda do Douro, Mogadouro and Vimioso).
| Mirandese | |
|---|---|
| mirandés | |
| Native to | Portugal |
| Region | Terra de Miranda (Miranda do Douro, Vimioso and Mogadouro) |
Native speakers | 15,000 (2000)[1] (10,000 use it regularly, 5,000 when they return to the area)[2] |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Co-official recognition. Special protection status in Miranda do Douro, Portugal. Statutory language of provincial identity in 4 municipalities, northeast Portugal (1999, Law No. 7-99 of 29 January).[2] |
| Regulated by | Anstituto de la Lhéngua Mirandesa |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | mwl |
| ISO 639-3 | mwl |
| Glottolog | mira1251 |
| ELP | Miranda do Douro |
| Linguasphere | 51-AAA-cb |
 Locator map of the Miranda do Douro municipality, which harbors the vast majority of Mirandese speakers. | |
Recognition
changeThe Assembly of the Republic granted it official recognition alongside Portuguese for local matters on 17 September 1998 with the law 7/99 of 29 January 1999.[4] In 2001, Mirandese was officially recognised by the European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages, which aims to promote the survival of the least spoken European languages.[5]
Roots
changeMirandese has a distinct phonology, morphology and syntax. It has its roots in the local Vulgar Latin spoken in the northern Iberian Peninsula.
Mirandese is a descendant of the Astur-Leonese variety spoken in the Kingdom of León and has both archaisms and innovations that differentiate it from the modern varieties of Astur-Leonese spoken in Spain. In recognition of these differences, and due to its political isolation from the rest of the Astur-Leonese speaking territory, Mirandese has adopted a different written norm to the one used in Spain for Astur-Leonese.
References
change- ↑ Mirandese at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mirandese language at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
- ↑ "Discovering Mirandese". Terminology Coordination Unit. 2015-05-26. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
- ↑ "Lei 7/99, 1999-01-29". Diário da República Eletrónico (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-01-24.
- ↑ Svobodová, Petra. "Mirandese language and its influence on the culture of the municipality of Miranda do Douro". Universidade Palacký.
