Asturianu
Asturian
Indo-European (Romance, Ibero-Romance, Astur-Leonese)
Asturian (asturianu, also bable) is a Romance language of the Astur-Leonese branch (sister to Spanish and Portuguese, descending separately from medieval Leonese), spoken in the autonomous community of Asturias in northern Spain plus parts of León and Cantabria, by 100K-450K speakers (estimates vary). The Mirandese variety in Portugal (mwl) is co-official there. Despite a millennium of literary tradition (medieval scriptoria), Spain's 1978 constitution did not grant Asturian co-official status; it has only "special protection" via Asturias's 1998 Law of Linguistic Use. The Academia de la Llingua Asturiana (1980) standardizes the modern orthography.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Asturian
Water
agua
/ˈaɣwa/
Fire
fueu
/ˈfweu/
Sun
sol
/sol/
Moon
lluna
/ˈʎuna/
Mother
ma
/ma/
Father
pa
/pa/
Eat
comer
/koˈmeɾ/
Drink
beber
/beˈβeɾ/
Love
amor
/aˈmoɾ/
Heart
corazón
/koɾaˈθon/
Tree
árbol
/ˈaɾβol/
House
casa
/ˈkasa/
Dog
perru
/ˈperu/
Cat
gatu
/ˈɡatu/
Hand
mano
/ˈmano/
Eye
güeyu
/ˈɡweʝu/
Hello
hola
/ˈola/
Thank you
gracies
/ˈɡɾaθjes/
One
ún
/un/
Good
bonu
/ˈbonu/
Sources
- Ethnologue: ast
- Academia de la Llingua Asturiana (1998) Gramática
- Glottolog: astu1245
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Romance, Ibero-Romance, Astur-Leonese) languages
| Meaning | Asturian | Aragonese | Spanish (Europe) | Golden Age Spanish (Siglo de Oro) | Extremaduran | Mirandese | Old Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | augua /ˈawɡwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | auga /ˈawɣa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ |
| Fire | fueu /ˈfweu/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | huegu /ˈweɣu/ | fuogo /ˈfwoɣu/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ |
| Sun | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sɔl/ | sol /sɔl/ | sol /sol/ |
| Moon | lluna /ˈʎuna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ |
| Mother | ma /ma/ | mai /maj/ | madre /ˈmaðɾe/ | madre /ˈmadɾe/ | mai /mai/ | mai /maj/ | madre /ˈmaðre/ |
| Father | pa /pa/ | pai /paj/ | padre /ˈpaðɾe/ | padre /ˈpadɾe/ | pai /pai/ | pai /paj/ | padre /ˈpaðre/ |
| Eat | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | minchar /minˈt͡ʃaɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comel /koˈmel/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ |
| Drink | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | beuer /beˈβeɾ/ | bebel /beˈβel/ | bubir /buˈβiɾ/ | bever /beˈveɾ/ |
| Love | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amol /aˈmol/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ |
| Heart | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | coraçón /koɾaˈt͡son/ | curaçón /kuɾaˈsɔn/ | coraçon /koɾaˈt͡soŋ/ | coraçón /koɾaˈt͡son/ |
| Tree | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | arbol /ˈaɾβol/ | arble /ˈaɾβle/ | árbor /ˈaɾβoɾ/ |
| House | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkaza/ | casa /ˈkaza/ |
| Dog | perru /ˈperu/ | can /kan/ | perro /ˈpero/ | perro /ˈpero/ | perru /ˈpɛru/ | perro /ˈperu/ | can /kan/ |
| Cat | gatu /ˈɡatu/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gatu /ˈɣatu/ | gato /ˈɡatu/ | gato /ˈɡato/ |
| Hand | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | manu /ˈmanu/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ |
| Eye | güeyu /ˈɡweʝu/ | güello /ˈɣweʎo/ | ojo /ˈoxo/ | ojo /ˈoʃo/ | oju /ˈohu/ | uolho /ˈuoʎu/ | ojo /ˈoʒo/ |
| Hello | hola /ˈola/ | hola /ˈola/ | hola /ˈola/ | Dios os guarde /djos os ˈɡwaɾde/ | salú /saˈlu/ | olá /oˈla/ | salud /saˈlud/ |
| Thank you | gracies /ˈɡɾaθjes/ | gracias /ˈɡɾaθjas/ | gracias /ˈɡɾaθjas/ | gracias /ˈɡɾat͡sjas/ | gracias /ˈɣɾasjas/ | oubrigado /owβɾiˈɣadu/ | mercedes /meɾˈt͡seðes/ |
| One | ún /un/ | un /un/ | uno /ˈuno/ | uno /ˈuno/ | un /un/ | un /uŋ/ | uno /ˈuno/ |
| Good | bonu /ˈbonu/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | buono /ˈbwonu/ | bono /ˈbono/ |
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