HUM 3000
FINAL PROJECT
a minority Romance language
spoken in Spain
Asturian (asturianu) is spoken in and
around the Principality of Asturias, in
northern Spain.
Like all Romance languages,
Asturian is descended from
Vulgar Latin. It may be
classified as a sister language
of Castilian (Spanish).
Castilian is the official
national language, so
identified in the constitution,
and spoken by virtually
everybody as either a first or
second language.
In a 1994 census, there
were 100,000 first-language
speakers of Asturian and
450,000 second-language
speakers of Asturian.
In that year, the firstlanguage speakers made up
just 0.2% of Spain’s national
population of 40 million.
Second-language speakers
made up just 1% of the
national population.
Asturias has about 1 million people.
One-fifth of the population lives in Oviedo.
The capital city of Asturias is Oviedo
(Uviéu), with a population of about
200,000.
Asturias is traditionally a
farming and mining region,
with high mountains , lush
plains, and beautiful Atlantic
coastlines.
Asturian is the language of the historical kingdom of Asturias.
After the fall of Rome in 476 AD, the province of Hispania fell into the hands of
the Visigoths, a Celtic people. In the 700’s AD, when threatened by the Moors
from north Africa, Asturias secured its independence from the Visigoths and
became the first independent kingdom in Europe.
Castilian (Spanish) was not brought into the area until the 14th cent. AD, when
Castilian-speaking officials were posted to government and church offices.
Importantly, the kingdom of Asturias was a region never occupied either by the
Romans or the Moors. Its modern-day citizens are proud of this long legacy of
independence.
As mentioned earlier, in 1994 Asturian was spoken as a first language by 100,000 people;
that’s only 0.2% of the population of Spain. At that time it was spoken by 450,000 people
as a second language.
Asturian is at a disadvantage in Spain because unlike Castilian, Basque, Catalan, and
Galician, Asturian is not an official language and therefore cannot be used to the exclusion
of one of these official languages. By law, it must be secondary.
Asturian children are required to learn the Asturian language in schools from ages 6-16.
This instruction is in addition to Castilian, the national language. From ages 16-19,
Asturian instruction is optional.
Despite efforts to revitalize it, the language is in a state of critical decline.
In an effort to slow Asturian’s decline, the Academia de la Llingua Asturiana
(ALLA) was formed in 1980. Its tasks included develping dictionaries and
grammars to help preserve its health as a language and slow its demise. The
year 1981 saw the publication of the book Normes Ortográfiques y Conxugación
de Verbos (Orthographic Norms and Verb Conjugation) and other works of this
type.
A nationalist political party was founded in 1985: the Partíu Asturianista.
Preservation and promotion of Asturian is central to the party’s platform.
Note: Almost all minority language revitalization efforts in Spain were blocked
under the dictator General Franco, who died in 1975.
Asturian literature dates to the 17th cent. The
first distinctly Asturian text is attributed to
Anton de Marirreguera, titled Pleitu ente Uviéu
y Mérida pola posesión de les cenices de Santa
Olaya (Dispute between Oviedo and Merida over
Saint Elualia’s Ashes), published in 1639.
From:
Pleitu ente Uviéu y Mérida pola
posesión les cenices de Santolalla
Asturian:
Castilian:
Cuandu examen les abeyes
y posen de flor en flor,
si les escorren s'espanten:
vanse y nun facen llabor,
dexando'l caxellu vieyu
pa buscar otru meyor.
Santa Olaya fo l'abeya
que de Mérida ensamó,
enfadada qu'adorasen
les fegures de llatón.
Entoncies el rei Don Sil
andaba en guerra feroz
colos moros que querín
encabezase en Lleón.
Cuando enjambran las abejas
y vuelan de flor en flor,
si las persiguen se asustan:
se marchan y no trabajan,
dejando la colmena vieja
para buscar otra mejor.
Santa Eulalia fue la abeja
que desde Mérida enjambró,
enfadada porque adoraban
las figuras de latón.
Por entonces el rey Don Sil
se encontraba en guerra feroz
contra los moros que querían
hacerse fuertes en León.
Castilian
Asturianu
Castilian
Asturianu
uno
un
veinte
venti
dos
dos
treinta
trenta
tres
tres
cuarenta
cuarenta
cuatro
cuatro
cincuenta
cincuenta
cinco
cinco
sesenta
sesenta
seis
seis
setenta
setenta
siete
siete
ochenta
ochenta
ocho
ocho
noventa
noventa
nueve
nueve
cien
cien
diez
diez
The numerals
1-100 don’t
show major
differences
from
Castilian.
Castilian
Asturianu
enero
xineru
febrero
febreru
marzo
marzu
abril
abril
mayo
mayu
junio
xunu
julio
xunetu
The form xineru shows an older transitional
form between Vulgar Latin JANUARIO (with
‘j’) and Castilian enero.
agosto
agostu
septiembre
setiembre
octubre
ochobre
The words payares and avientu are unique.
noviembre
payares
diciembre
avientu
The months of the year show the common
ending –u where Castilian usually has -o.
Notice the use of letter <x> to indicate the
sound ‘sh.’ This sound is a medieval
holdover, once present in Castilian but now
lost.
Asturian does not appear greatly different
from Castilian in many respects, and might
lead one to question whether it should be
classified as a separate language.
It seems wrong, however, to classify
Asturian as a dialect of Castilian, since
Asturian is not technically a form of
Castilian but rather a variety that arose
parallel to it.
Not surprisingly, the promotion of
Asturian as a language is an important
issue for many Asturians. Asturians object
to the fact that Asturian is not classified as
“official” in the Spanish constitution.
This woman’s sign says: “I support official
status” (for the Asturian language).
Academia de la Llingua asturiana
http://www.academiadelallingua.com/
Homepage of the Asurian language academy, founded 1980. Entirely in Asturian. Has news and extensive
language resources for Asturian speakers and researchers.
Dirección Xeneral de Política Lingüística
http://www.politicallinguistica.org
Resources related to Asturian language education, translation, and language preservation.
Xunta pola Defensa de la Llingua Asturiana
http://www.exunta.org
News and information related specifically to the language and political issues surrounding its use and
preservation in Spain.
Partíu Asturianista
http://www.asturianista.as/
Homepage of the Asturianist political party, one of whose primary goals is promotion and protection of the
Asturian language. Has information about voting, campaigns, and candidates.
Asturian texts
http://www.orbilat.com/Languages/Asturian/Texts/index.html
Has links to major Asturian literary texts and poetry in parallel Asturian and Castilian, including the Pleitu from
1639.
InfoAsturies
http://www.infoasturies.net
Online edition of Asturian newspaper published in Asturian.
Asturnews
http://www.asturnews.com
Online edition of Asturian newspaper published in Asturian.
Asturias.com
http://www.asturias.com
Online edition of Asturian newspaper published in Asturian.
Pulp Fiction movie clip (dubbed) in Asturian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yQ6eJnREBU
Scent of a Woman movie clip (dubbed) in Asturian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWUuyU4J7Lo&playnext=1&list=PL05356728F306D85A
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie clip (dubbed) in Asturian
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK5hYxd02YA