Sage-Tips

What languages are spoken in southern France?

Occitan language, also called Languedoc, modern name given by linguists to a group of dialects that form a Romance language that was spoken in the early 21st century by about 1,500,000 people in southern France, though many estimates range as low as one-third that number.

Does southern France speak French?

A. The Southern French accent can be heard in the southeast of France, in areas where Franco-Provencal used to be spoken. Marseille, in particular, is known to have a recognizable regional accent.

What language is Occitan most similar to?

Catalan
Catalan was considered a dialect of Occitan until the end of the 19th century and still today remains its closest relative.

How many people speak Occitan in France?

The area where Occitan was historically dominant has approximately 16 million inhabitants. Recent research has shown it may be spoken as a first language by approximately 789,000 people in France, Italy, Spain and Monaco.

Is French the only language spoken in France?

So much so, that the Académie Française exists, in part, to act as an official authority over the French language. As of today, French is the only official language of France, but that doesn’t mean that it is the only language spoken in France. In fact, France has a number of languages that are native to its lands.

What is another name for the Occitan language?

Occitan language. Across history, the terms Limousin ( Lemosin ), Languedocien ( Lengadocian ), Gascon, and later Provençal ( Provençal, Provençau or Prouvençau) have been used as synonyms for the whole of Occitan; nowadays, “Provençal” is understood mainly as the Occitan dialect spoken in Provence, in southeast France.

Is Occitan still spoken in Monaco?

Traditionally Occitan-speaking areas. In Monaco, Occitan, imported by immigrants coexisted in the 19th and 20th centuries with the Monégasque dialect of Ligurian. French is the dominant language. Poitou-Charentes – Use of Occitan has declined here in the few parts it used to be spoken, replaced by French.