Benasquese dialect

Benasquese
Benasqués, patués
Native to	Aragon, Spain
Region	Ribagorza, Campo, Estadilla, Graus
Native speakers	unknown (undated figure of 1,000–2,000)
Language family	Indo-European Italic Romance Western Pyrenean–Mozarabic Ribagorçan Benasquese
Official status
Recognised minority language in	Spain
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
Glottolog	None

Benasquese (autonym: benasqués), often called patués by its speakers, is the native Romance linguistic variety of the Valley of Benasque, in the province of Huesca (Aragon, Spain).

Usually regarded as an Aragonese dialect (a particular variety of Ribagorçan, transitional into Catalan and Gascon), it has also been considered an extreme North-Western Catalan dialect in the past by a few linguists, and more recently, a microlanguage in its own right. Benasquese itself is often divided into two subdialects, Upper Benasquese and Lower Benasquese.

Although still vigorously spoken (when compared to other Aragonese varieties) by some 1,000 to 2,000 speakers, Benasquese is also in fast decline.

References

• A. Ballarín, Diccionario del benasqués, Zaragoza, 2ª ed (1978).
• J.A. Saura, Elementos de fonética y morfosintaxis benasquesas, Zaragoza, Gara d'Edizions-Institución Fernando el Católico (2003).

External links

• Benasqués entry at the Gran Enciclopedia Aragonesa (in Spanish).
• Diccionario Digital del Benasqués An online dictionary.