Asturian language

The problems appear in writing, and seldom with the oral language. This is typical in all languages and all human groups, but it can be special in us, the Asturians. In the time of our grandfathers, they were teaching to read and write in Castilian language. But the oral language for the majority was the Asturian. The Castilian was grow how write language, this grow was due to the television, the newspapers and the obligatory teach. At all it was a social victory, bat it was a danger for a small and old culture. The geography situation: The actual Asturian languages coincide with the pre-Romans Celtic people; western and central Asturian was an Ástures people, egonaviego was a Galatians people, and oriental language Asturian was a Cantabros people.

Language studies: It’s very important said that Asturian people had to write and read in Castilian language, although they told Asturian (The Castilian culture was very strong, because all news was in this language)... In spite of everything, and every people determine in refuse, however the people speak in Asturian, normally it a very Asturian pure, majority people is in the rural zone. Too, there are a lot of people that speak Castilian language, perhaps because they have our origins in Castilian zone or perhaps they learned very well in the Castilian obligatory teach. And finally, The majority people, this people that learned the Asturian by family and the Castilian by school, and this people speak a mixture of languages. We can be thought that it’s a bad Castilian because We think that people out Asturies can understand us. But this is false, and this idea is thought because the Castilian and the Asturian have a similar structures. And We can understand all Castilian, because all Asturian people have in their houses a electronic windows, an this windows is open for three o four hour, and people of the windows speak every time in Castilian language, but the Castilian speaker haven’t this electronic windows in Asturian language, and it’s the cause because they don’t understand the Asturian language. A good example is the Galician language, it’s more similar than Castilian language, but a lot of people said don’t understand the Galician, because they don’t see the Galician TV. In summary, all Spanish can understand Portuguese language but anybody said that in Cuenca o Segovia people speak Portuguese language... The Asturian, Is it language o dialect? History reason: In all history don’t have a great nation which it said that it language was a dialect. Anybody had said that the French, Spanish or English was a dialect, for example. But, It’s very normal to hear: the Africans dialects or Indians dialects. It’s clear that Africans or Indians people didn’t put this word of dialect. Equally, it’s very typical in Asturian people to accept the term dialect for the language, but there is to think that people didn’t give this name, because they hadn’t interest for made. The national idea: One state one language, it didn’t let room to other languages than Castilian. Politic reasons: The reason to made to distinguish language and dialect aren’t linguistics, It’s historic, and politics too. This can see in the past, when the state had other configuration. Today, anybody said that the Galician, Basque or Catalan is dialects. But, Why is Asturian said? Well, In the second degree of Alvarez Encyclopaedia, made in 1964, in the eleven theme of geography, where it write of north regions, page 272, 'además del castellano, en Galicia hablan el gallego, en Asturias el bable y en Vascongadas el vascuence' (moreover of Castilian, in Galicia speak Galician, in Asturies the Asturian and in Basque Provinces the Basque) . 30 years ago, the Asturian language had the same status that Galician or Basque, what happened now? Language study: Etymological argument: The origin of Asturian is the Latin and the Asturian don’t come from other live language. Etymologically, the Asturian as the other romantic languages of European continental is a dialect of Latin, but the Asturian isn’t of other live language. Quantitative argument: The dialects are spoken a few people, and the languages are spoken for a lot of people. Then, if We think, We can approach same questions: noneHow much speaking, accurate, was need for difference dialect of language? noneIf a country lose a lot of people (by a war, for example), the language, Should convert in a dialect? If the languages are classified by the number of speaker, then, have same languages that are more languages than other? For example: Is the Chinese more language than the Portuguese? Anybody doubts that that Norwegian is a language, and the Andalusian is a Castilian dialect. But Andalusian (6 millions) has more speaker than Norwegian language (4 millions), How is it understood? These questions don’t make sense, because number argument doesn’t make sense too. Write argument: Languages are written, dialects not. All Languages aren’t written at same moment, this is a historic process. French, 9 century. Spanish, 11th century. Portuguese, 12th century. Asturian started to write in some notary’s document in 13th century. Literature argument: Languages have literature and dialects no. In this idea, the asturian is a language too. Antonio González Reguera is the oldest author, he born in Carreño in 17^th century, but it’s very possible than exist more people before, today they could forgot. Legal argument: Languages are official, dialects no. This argument is the worst and totally It’s false. It’s used of bad faith. Moreover, the legality is a historic process too. Until a few years (1978) Galician, Basque and Catalan weren’t official languages. The Spanish Constitution in second article said: "The Spanish languages have been in her Autonomic Communities officials too, in accordance with the Statutes law”). The Spanish Constitution doesn’t quote these languages, and it let one open possibility in asturian official language. But, in the line, There is to consult of Autonomy Statute of Asturies, 1981. In the 4^th article said: "The asturian/bable has been protected. It has been promoted her use and diffusion in the communication media and it has been learned. It have be respected every types, local variations and her teach voluntary“. The Statute, already it was seen; it doesn’t said that the Asturian will be a language or dialect. If it said that is a dialect, it said a heavy fault and for this doesn’t say. But if it said that is a language, immediately the 3rd Constitution article accepts the official language. For this, the asturian isn’t the defined legal situation, but this isn’t irrevocable. Yes, in the moment that politics consider, they can change the 4^th Statute article and it be redacted and it accept the official asturian language. The name: Asturiano or Asturianu: The strength in the actually of “asturiano” or “asturian” name have two reason: A/ Equality with other name of languages. The normally is that this people to be called by the gentilities of this (Basque, Catalan, Portuguese, Spanish, French, etc.). That’s why, recognition signal and affirmation in cultural principles they call with asturian name. B/ Refuge from “bable” and “bables”. Unkind use, empequeñecedor, que-y tán dando dalgunos a 'bable' y mui particularmente a 'bables', obliga a les persones mas favorables pa col idioma a apartase d'eses pallabres marcaes, y escoyer esclusivamente la pallabra asturiano. Peculiarities: Traditionally asturian people had a dependent of ours meadows. That’s why. The asturian language have more words than other languages in used of grass: Verde, yerba (erba), erbatu, pación, segao, segón, toñada, etc. And any word is synonym of the other. Do you know this term in Castilian language? Equally, the asturian have a great vocabulary for the apples, and this isn’t similar to Castilian or other languages, because the world vision in this aspect have be of great precision: Pernuxina, monxaca, mingana, santillana, melera, carrandona, camuesa, naranxina, montesona, repinalda, canina, calaverina, etc. And all term are different for a “llagareru” (apple-farm), and all apples are equal for a Madrid person, and he told all “apple”. Other case is the different term for “to rain”. In the country where don’t rain much, They don’t need to make a lot of term and specific lexical for to rain. And they said two o three terms. In asturian language said: Orbayar, orpinar, pruar, mugar, xarabatiar, caer un bastiazu, caer un xamuscazu, ect. But, it’s very unusual the substantive: 'lluvia' (to rain). And It’s said ‘agua' (water) ('Va a caer agua'). The asturian language indicates too that asturian people don’t see the same time than Castilian people. The Castilian people have two past times. a) A far past : "siempre quise a mi mujer". b) A near past: "siempre he querido a mi mujer" The asturian people thing that other past is the distance same: "Siempre quixi a la mio muyer" Every nation lives in a different word and their languages show their vision different of world. This expression haven’t translation in Castilian language: The feeling love Quier a Ana Gústa-y Ana Anda enamorusquiáu d'Ana Refresca por Ana Présta-y Ana Exercise: 1/ To order of less to most intensity feeling. 2/ And you can try translate to Castilian language. You can to have great difficult, because some people develop conceptual particular and this is very difficult of translate for other languages. Look!, and translate this phrases in Castilian: ¡Qué rapacín más repunante! Va vagate enantes qu'acabes la carrera La película fue mui prestosa Ya m'aprobez el cursu Conclusion: Peoples, societies, they made to measure languages for satisfaction their need; this needs are made for the environment and cultural reasons. We don’t forget that languages had a rural origin. That language survival is conditioned for the surmounting of asturian people harm, and the asturian people haven’t lost customs, and they accept the new relations of the language, less asturian and more universality. In contras with other languages: Vocal asturian system: French: 28 / English: 12 / German: 9 short and 9 long / Galician: 7 / Catalan: 7 / Basque: 5 /Aragonese: 5 / Gaelic:5 / Castilian: 5 Nasality The Asturian have 5 vocals, Some people think that this is because the near language was the Basque when the Asturian born as the Castilian language. But the true is that these 5 asturian vocals weren’t the equivalent to Basque or Castilian. Even though the asturian people aren’t conscious of it. Our pronunciations are nasal, and this is similarity to Galician or Portuguese language. Colloquial said, the Asturian speak of nose. Distribution: Asturian system vocal aren’t distributions as Galician or Castilian languages. Sometimes, these different are very soft and a lot of people think that said the Castilian word and said the asturian word. (ast) valir/valer (cast) (ast) reñer/reñir (cast) Too, the Asturian have diphthongs where the Castilian or Galician haven’t it: (ast) portiella/portilla (cast)/portela (gall) (ast) Güello/ojo (cast)/ / ollo (gall) - eye In the place name: Sotiello/sotillo/sotelo And too the Castilian have diphthongs where the Asturian haven’t it: (ast) ponte/ (cast) puente - bridge (ast) fonte/(cast) fuente – source Duration: Every vocal don’t last the same to be pronounced. One Asturian characteristic is the last of tonic vocal. (Example: Two women speak in the shop). ¿Entóóós, ne? Hoome, ye que nun me diigas. ¿Pero tu vííísti aqueello muyeer? Sí, fííía, ¿nuun lo diba veer? Other vocal Asturian characteristic is the faint unstressed: It’s quickly pronouncing and the vocal that haven’t stress are lost easy (as the Portuguese language). For example: the centre marine people don’t say 'pescáu' (fish), said 'pscáu'. As said 'zreces' and 'zrezal, not 'cereces' and 'cerezal', etc. Metaphonic is a phenomenon characteristic of Asturian language, but only it’s typical in centre and oriental zone. This product this change: when the word end in -I or -U, the vocal is closed and if this was A then its E, and it was O then It’s U, and if It was E then its I. (only in masculine and feminine form). Examples: Mineru = miniru - miner Zapatu = zapetu - shoe Otru = Utru - other Esi = Isi - this Esi paisanu ye mui puercu = Isi paisenu ye mui puircu (This man is very dirty) Consonant system: The Asturian consonant system is made of 19 phonemes. The consonant system more similar is the Galician. Because Galician and Asturian consonant are the same. The different with the Castilian language is represent with the letter 'X': Ast/Cast/Gal - English xente/gente/senté - people mexar/mear/mexar – to piss trexo/trajo/trouxo - bring It’s very common. English (she), French (cheval), Portuguese, Italian, etc. Varieties: The same that happen in all the languages of the world, some consonant are pronunciation of different form in Asturies. But this happen with Castilian language too, you can think in the pronunciation of 's' or 'll', north of Castilla, Andalusia or Argentina. Asturian have two characteristic consonants: the “che” vaqueira, It’s similarly to Castilian “che” but It isn’t exactly equal. And the “f” pronunciation in East of Asturian, It’s made with breathing in tone (as the English “he”, “honey”, “hungry”). /h/ phonetic. Distribution: The asturian language distributes the consonant phonemes of particular form. The 'f' consonant is different of Castilian but It’s similar to Portuguese, Galician, Catalan, French or Italian languages: (port) fome,fumo (gal) fame,fume (ast) fame,fumu / (cast) Hambre,humo (cat) fam, fum (fren) faim, fumée (ital) fame, fumo (english) hungry, smoke. The 'LL' distribution, at first of word only is similar to Catalan language: (ast) lluna,llechi,llobu (cat) lluna, llet, llop (port y gall) lua,leite,lobo (cast) luna, leche, lobo (fren) lune,lait,loup (ita) luna,latte,lupo (english) moon, milk, wolf Lexicon. Relations: At the usual time, The more elemental words are more similar in universal objects or living beings. (port) mãe, pão, homem, terra, gente, árvore (gall) mai, pan, home, terra, xente, árbore (ast) ma, pan, home, tierra, xente árbol (cast) madre, pan, hombre, gente, tierra, árbol (cat) mare, pan, home, terra, gent, arbre (frenc) mère, pain, homme,tèrre, gens, arbre (ita) mamma, pane, uomo, terra, gente, albero (English) mummy, bread, man, earth, people, tree. Peculiar word in Asturian language: Ast/cas/gall - English llimir/varear/xabrear – to knock down sallar/escardar/deluvar ñocla/buey/boi - ox bugre/bogavante/lubrigante - lobster furagaña/lubina/róbalo - sea bass pixín/rape/peixesapo - monkfish ferre/gavilán/vexato – sparrow hawk utre (la)/buitre/voitre - vulture fuina/comadreja/denociña - weasel melandru/tejón/teixugo,teixo. - badger carrascu/acebo/acivro - holly arbeyu/guisante/chícharo, etc. - pea Articles, names and adjectives: The number; general norm: Singular feminine -a Plural feminine -es Singular masculine -u Plural masculine -os The type: Asturian as Latin have a neuter gender, this is lost in other Romance language. The neuter end of word in -o and It haven’t plural form. Masculine 'el gatu puercu' / 'el neñu ta altu' Feminine 'la gata puerca' / 'la neña ta alta' Neuter 'la ropa puerco' / 'el maíz ta alto' Words that aren’t individualized have adjective with neuter gender. This substantive have neuter adjectives, with end in -o: Arena seco Xarru asqueroso Lleche preso Fumu negro Galipote pegañoso Sidra novo, etc. The Asturian have some names different with the Castilian gender: Ast / cast El gripe (masculine) / la gripe (feminine) El sal / la sal El zúcare / (la) azucar El miel / la miel Les cacagüeses (feminine) / los cacahuetes (masculine) Les percebes / los percebes La castañal / el castaño La nozal / el nogal La manzanal / el manzano In general, all Asturian names for fruit-tree are feminine (as Latin language) and It’s masculine in Castilian language. Canonical order: In Asturian, the form is: "article + name + adjective". It’s more rigorous them Castilian. If the order is to mix up, for example, article + adjective + name, it loses the meaning. Peculiarity Asturian verb: Subjunctive pluperfect and compound conditional are impossible in Asturian language, because this forms don’t exits in our language. Example (Castilian): 'hubiera sido yo, y habría aceptado' We can look of a identical, but with other forms: Yera yo, y aceptaba (imperfect and present) Soi yo, y acepto (present and present) Llego a ser yo y acepto (circumlocutory and present) In this example we can see, even similar words, verbs relations are very different. The Asturian have a particular verb system and different of Castilian language. The Simple Present in asturian only is used for circumstances not specific in the time. 'El mio primu toca la gaita' 'Les muyeres trabayen más que los paisanos'. The verbal system haven’t use of verb “haber”. 'Hoy hemos comido alubias'/Ayer comimos alubias.' 'Güey xintamos fabes/Anuechi xintamos fabes' This peculiarity is present in Galician too. We said that the language hasn’t phrasal verbs with “haber” verb. But if typical the use with “tener” verb (as Galician and Portuguese language), and with “llevar” verb. They does reference to past, acts and facts of past time. The sketch of this builders is: present 'tener/llevar' + masculine verb participle singular Example: Los tos hermanos tiénme llamao coses mui fees. In referent to future forms: Some that happen firmly sure, the Asturian don’t use the Castilian future, It use a group of verbs (circumlocutory building). Present verb DIR + infinitive verb Example: 'Va casase pal hibiernu' Referent to past actions, the asturian uses the Castilian conditional. ¿Llegó'l neñu de Viesques? Llegaría anuechi Orders: The Asturian have some verb forms that can call imperative verbs, as the Castilian: Singular / plural canta / cantai bebi / bebéi durmi / durmíi The pronouns: As portuguese and Galician, the pronouns are behind verb. It has a function of direct complement: lu, la, los, les, lo It has a function of indirect complement: -y, -yos Exceptions: If the simple sentence is of negation, the pronouns are in front of verb. llámalu, que va / Nun lu llames, que nun va When It’s in a subordinate sentence. The pronouns atone are some. Diéron-yoslos Prepositions: The Asturian prepositions are some different of Castilian, in use and relations. a, cabu, con, contra, de, dende, en, ensin, ente, hacia, hasta, pa, per, por, según, so, sobre, tres. Peculiarities: Contra: many people confuse this preposition with “(pa) escontra” adverb. But this adverb does referent to direction, metaphorical or real. De: Preposition has a lot of referent to 'dende'. 'Dende la mio casa acolúmbrase la mar = De mio casa acolúmbrase la mar, ect' En: Sometimes, It’s used in front of masculine name, It don’t take any article. Les ablanes tan en corredor ( y no "nel corredor"). This doesn’t happen with feminine name. Pa y Hacia: The 'pa' preposition show direction and 'hacia' localization. Camina pal norte, y llegues (dirección). Eso cai hacia Galicia (llocalización) But the 'pa' show localization too. Per y por: different to Castilian language. “Per” show localization in the space and time. “Por” show cause. Vieni per Tarna Eso fue pel antroxu Morrió por nun correr, etc So: latin term, equivalent to “embaxo de” .(Below, under). El carru ta en so l'horru.

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