What is Occitan?
It is a Romance language, belonging to Southern France, which has some inclusions of Italy and Spain too. In French, it is called langue d’oc; it is a a family of dialects Limousin, Auvergnat, Vivaro-Alpin, Gascon, etc. In the Middle Ages, Occitan was considered the main literary language in France. Ever since, things have changed. However, the language has influenced different other languages even in terms of their modern versions. The traces of this influence can be seen in different words.
Who speaks Occitan?
The population that speaks this language includes young people and older generation. The language is preserved well and is spoken by many.
Is Occitan Similar To Any Other Language?
French, Spanish, and Italian are similar to Occitan. One language that is most similar and close to Occitan is Catalan. If you understand one, you can easily make it through the other.
In What Ways, Occitan Is Related To French?
During the time of the troubadours, Occitan was considered the main language in Southern France followed by French being declared as the official language of France. That was the time when speaking any other language was not favored and was strictly discouraged. But, the language has a great influence on French.
Example Of French Words Rooted in Occitan
Amour is an Occitan import. The word is used in modern French. It is important to note that French already had the Latin word amateur; but its modern version amour shows the Occitan influence. There are many such words that passed through Occitan and were borrowed by the French.
A significant part of the food vocabulary of French made its way through Occitan with words like cassoulet, brandade, nougat, etc.
Animal names are not exception. The French embraced various versions of the Occitan names as follows:
- abelha → abeille (f) — bee
- aigla → aigle (m/f) — eagle
- cigala → cigale (f) — cicada
- faisan → faisan (m) — pheasant
There are other influences too. The Occitan pelosa has taken the French form pelouse. Moreover, a badaud comes from the Occitan badar.
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