LINGUISTICS
LINGUISTICS
there are eight vowels in Occitan, which can be stressed or unstressed.
-[a] is written 'a'
-[e] is written 'e'
-[i] is written 'i'
-[u] is written 'o'
-[ü] is written 'u'
-[è] is written 'è'. This sound exists only as stressed vowel.
If for some reason, the stress changes places, it becomes [e], written
'e'.ex:
'apèla' (he calls) becomes 'apelar' (to call), when adding '-ar'which
bears the stress, to form the infinitive.
-[o] is written 'ò'. This sound exists only as a stressed vowel.
If for some reason, the stress changes places, it becomes [u], written
'o'.ex:
'pòrta' (he carries) becomes 'portar' (to carry), when adding '-ar'which
bears the stress, to form the infinitive.
-there is also an atonic vowel, which is essentially the feminine ending.
This vowel varies. The most common pronunciation is [o], but some areas
in the pyrenees, and near Montpelhièr pronunce it [a], as in the
middle ages, and along the Atlantic coast, it is sounded [ö]. This
sound is written 'a', as it used to be in the middle ages, and as it is
still the case in Catalan.
Occitan has a great number of diphtongs. It is a main difference with
the other romance language, Occitan is one of the most conservative language
on this point.
-[ay] is written 'ai' ex: gaitar: to look
-[aw] is written 'au' ex: aut,naut: high
-[ey] is written 'ei' ex: veire: to see
-[ew] is written 'eu' ex: beure: to drink
-[èy] is written 'èi' ex: lèit: bed
-[èw] is written 'èu' ex: lèu: quick
-[iw] is written 'iu' ex: riu: river
-[òw] is written 'òu' ex: nòu: new
-[òy] is written 'òi' ex: còire: to cook
-[uy] is written 'oi' ex: coire: leather
-[üw] is written 'uu' ex: cuu: bottom(Gascon)
There are three glides:
-[y], written i: ieu=[yew,yu] : I, me
-[w], written o: bois=[bwis, bwish]:box (plant)
-[ÿ], as in french 'lui', is written u: nuèit=[nÿèyt]:
Night. One can notice that this glide tends too disappear in many dialects,
or to be replaced by [y]:
buòu=[bÿòu]>[byòu],nuèit=[nÿèyt]>[nèyt].
We give here the richer consonantic system to be found in Lengadocian
dialects. We then describe how it can be reduced according to various dialects.
[p], written 'p'.
[b] written 'b', if it comes from latin P, written 'v' if it comes from
latin B or V. Note that when it is written 'v', Lemosin and Provençal
pronounce it [v].
[m] is written 'm'
[f] is written 'f', even in greek words.
[v] see before.
[t] is written 't'
[d] is written 'd'
[n] is written 'n'
[s] is written 's','ss' between two vowels if coming from latin S or SS.
It is written 'c' before e and i, and 'ç' before a,o,u, or at the
end of words, if coming from a latin C.
[z] is written 'z','s' between two vowels.
[sh] is written 'sh' in gascon, '-iss' in Lengadocian. When coming from
a latin word ending by -DIU (like PODIUM), it is written -g (PODIUM>pueg=[pÿesh]:
hill
[j] (as English meaSure) is written 'j' before a,o,u and 'g' before e and
i.
[tsh] is written 'ch'
[dj] is written 'tj' before a,o,u and 'tg' before e and i.
[ny] (as French -gn-, Spanish ñ) is written 'nh'
[ly] (as Spanish -ll-) is written 'lh'
[k] is written 'c'before a,o,u and 'qu' before e and i.
[g] is written 'g'before a,o,u and 'gu' before e and i.
[kw] is written 'qu' (exists only before a, only in Gascon and dialects
close to Catalan).
[gw] is written 'gu' (exists only before a, only in Gascon and dialects
close to Catalan).
[l] is written 'l'
[r] is written 'r'. This sound is the same as in spanish or italian (trilled
r, with the tip of the tongue). Under french influence, it tends to be
pronounced as an alveolar r, as in french or german. This phenomenon is
strongest in the east and in the younger generations.
[rr] is written 'rr'.
[ll] is written either 'll' or 'tl' according to writer's taste.('tl' is
the same as in catalan, and makes it easier to come from a language to
the other)
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