Provençal

Provençal (Prouvençau in Provençal language) is one of several dialects of the Romance language Occitan, which is spoken in southern France and other areas of France.

"Provençal" is often used to refer to all dialects of Occitan, but actually refers specifically to the dialect spoken the former province of Provence as well as south of Dauphiné and the Nimes region in Languedoc; Italy: upper valleys of Piedmont (Val Mairo, Val Varacho, Val d'Esturo, Entraigas, Limoun, Vinai, Pignerol, Sestriero). "Provençal" is also the customary name given to the older version of the langue d'oc used by the troubadours of medieval literature, corresponding to Old French of the northern areas of France.

Sub-Dialects

Four main sub-dialects are identified. These are:

• Rhodanien
• Maritime
• Gavot
• Niçard

A fifth sub-dialect, the Shuadit or Judeo-Provençal is considered as extinct since 1977, the Holocaust being the major cause of its extinction.

See also: Frédéric Mistral