Page Type: languageOccitan | Ethnologue

OCI ISO 639-3

Occitan

A language of France

ISO 639
oci
Alternate Names
Patois
Population
110,000 in France (Bernissan 2012). Total users in all countries: 218,310.
Location:
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region: Ardeche, Cantal, Drome, Haute-Loire, Isere, Loire, and Puy-de-Dome departments; Nouvelle-Aquitaine region: Charentes, Correze, and Haute-Vienne departments; Occitania region: all except Pyrenees-Orientales department; Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
Language Status
6b (Threatened). Recognized language (2013, No. 595), Education.
Classification
Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, Oc
Dialects
Auvergnat (Auverne, Auvernhas, Auvernhat, Auvernhe), Gascon, Languedocien (Langadoc, Languedoc, Lengadocian, Lengadoucian), Limousin (Lemosin), Provençal (Alpine Provençal, Mistralien, Prouvençau, Provençau), Vivaro-alpine (Vivaroalpenc, Vivaroaupenc), Niçard (Nissart, Niçart, Niçois). Highly fragmented dialect situation, with limited intelligibility between some varieties.
Language Use
Children who learn it in school cannot communicate in Occitan with their parents (2012). Home, (rural) community. Some young people, all adults, few children. Positive attitudes. Also use French [fra].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 99%. Literature. Newspapers. Periodicals. Grammar. Bible: 2013.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Occitan
Writing
Latin script [Latn].

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Gascon, Aranese
User Population
3,810 in Spain (1991 census). Spoken by most of the 4,800 living in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees (Salminen 2007). Ethnic population: 5,550 (1991).
Location
Catalonia autonomous region: Aran valley, northwest corner, Garona river headwaters, Pyrenees mountains.
Dialects
Baish Aranés, Mijaranés Aranés, Naut Aranés.
Language Status
6b (Threatened)
Other Comments
Influenced by Catalan [cat] and Spanish [spa] more than French [fra]. Official language within the valley. Spelling standardized.
View other languages of Spain
Language Name
Occitan
User Population
100,000 in Italy (1990 P. Blanchet).
Location
Liguria region: Imperia province; Piedmont region: Entraigas, Limoun, Pignerol, Sestriero, Val d’Esturo, Val Mairo, Val Varacho, Vinai, upper valleys; maybe Calabria region: Guardia Piemontese.
Dialects
Vivaro-alpine, Cisalpine.
Language Status
6b (Threatened)
View other languages of Italy
Language Name
Occitan
User Population
4,500 in Monaco (1988).
Location
Scattered.
Dialects
Provencal.
Language Status
7 (Shifting)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Come from Nice and Cannes.
View other languages of Monaco

Map

Location: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region: Ardeche, Cantal, Drome, Haute-Loire, Isere, Loire, and Puy-de-Dome departments; Nouvelle-Aquitaine region: Charentes, Correze, and Haute-Vienne departments; Occitania region: all except Pyrenees-Orientales department; Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.