A Fala
Fala
Indo-European
Fala (A Fala de Xálima, "the speech of Xálima", or "the third Spanish language") is an Iberian Romance language of the Galician-Portuguese branch spoken in the Vall de Xálima of northwestern Cáceres province, Extremadura, Spain (the three "Lugares de Fala" villages: San Martín de Trevejo, Eljas, Valverde del Fresno). Fala has a complex genealogical relationship with Galician (gl) and Portuguese (pt), with strong evidence for a 13th-century Leonese reconquista resettlement bringing northwest Iberian Romance varieties to this Extremaduran outpost. Spain recognized Fala as a regional cultural heritage language in 2001. Distinct from Extremaduran (ext) — a Spanish-Asturian transition variety also of Cáceres but in different valleys. Each of the three Fala villages has its own variety: Xalimegu (San Martín), Lagarteiru (Eljas), Mañegu (Valverde del Fresno).
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Fala
Water
augua
/ˈaɡwa/
Fire
lume
/ˈlume/
Sun
sol
/sɔl/
Moon
lúa
/ˈlua/
Star
estrela
/esˈtɾela/
Mother
mai
/mai/
Father
pai
/pai/
I
eu
/ew/
You
tu
/tu/
Name
nome
/ˈnome/
Eye
ollu
/ˈoʎu/
Hand
mau
/mau/
Heart
curaçón
/kuɾaˈsɔn/
Love
amor
/aˈmoɾ/
Tree
arbol
/ˈaɾβol/
House
casa
/ˈkasa/
Dog
can
/kan/
Cat
gatu
/ˈɣatu/
Eat
cumel
/kuˈmel/
Drink
bebel
/beˈβel/
One
un
/un/
Two
dous
/dows/
Hello
salú
/saˈlu/
Thank you
gracias
/ˈɣɾasjas/
Good
bõ
/bõ/
Cuckoo
cucu
/ˈkuku/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European languages
| Meaning | Fala | Extremaduran | Aragonese | Asturian | Old Spanish | Portuguese (Mozambique) | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | augua /ˈaɡwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | augua /ˈawɡwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ | água /ˈaɡwɐ/ | agua /ˈaɣwa/ |
| Fire | lume /ˈlume/ | huegu /ˈweɣu/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fueu /ˈfweu/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ | fogo /ˈfoɡu/ | fuego /ˈfweɣo/ |
| Sun | sol /sɔl/ | sol /sɔl/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sɔl/ | sol /sol/ |
| Moon | lúa /ˈlua/ | luna /ˈluna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | lluna /ˈʎuna/ | luna /ˈluna/ | lua /ˈluɐ/ | luna /ˈluna/ |
| Star | estrela /esˈtɾela/ | estrella /ehˈtɾeʎa/ | estrela /esˈtɾela/ | estrella /esˈtɾeʎa/ | estrella /esˈtɾeʎa/ | estrela /ɨʃˈtɾelɐ/ | estrella /esˈtɾeʎa/ |
| Mother | mai /mai/ | mai /mai/ | mai /maj/ | ma /ma/ | madre /ˈmaðre/ | mãe /mɐ̃j/ | madre /ˈmaðɾe/ |
| Father | pai /pai/ | pairi /ˈpajɾi/ | pai /paj/ | pa /pa/ | padre /ˈpaðre/ | pai /paj/ | padre /ˈpaðɾe/ |
| I | eu /ew/ | yo /ʝo/ | yo /ʝo/ | yo /ʝo/ | yo /jo/ | eu /ew/ | yo /ʝo/ |
| You | tu /tu/ | tú /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tú /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tú /tu/ |
| Name | nome /ˈnome/ | nombri /ˈnombɾi/ | nombre /ˈnombɾe/ | nome /ˈnome/ | nombre /ˈnombɾe/ | nome /ˈnomɨ/ | nombre /ˈnombɾe/ |
| Eye | ollu /ˈoʎu/ | oju /ˈohu/ | güello /ˈɣweʎo/ | güeyu /ˈɡweʝu/ | ojo /ˈoʒo/ | olho /ˈoʎu/ | ojo /ˈoxo/ |
| Hand | mau /mau/ | manu /ˈmanu/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mano /ˈmano/ | mão /mɐ̃w/ | mano /ˈmano/ |
| Heart | curaçón /kuɾaˈsɔn/ | curaçón /kuɾaˈsɔn/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ | coraçón /koɾaˈtson/ | coração /kuɾɐˈsɐ̃w/ | corazón /koɾaˈθon/ |
| Love | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amol /aˈmol/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ | amor /ɐˈmoɾ/ | amor /aˈmoɾ/ |
| Tree | arbol /ˈaɾβol/ | arbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ | árbor /ˈaɾβoɾ/ | árvore /ˈaɾvuɾɨ/ | árbol /ˈaɾβol/ |
| House | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkasa/ | casa /ˈkaza/ | casa /ˈkazɐ/ | casa /ˈkasa/ |
| Dog | can /kan/ | perru /ˈpɛru/ | can /kan/ | perru /ˈperu/ | can /kan/ | cão /kɐ̃w/ | perro /ˈpero/ |
| Cat | gatu /ˈɣatu/ | gatu /ˈɣatu/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gatu /ˈɡatu/ | gato /ˈɡato/ | gato /ɡatu/ | gato /ˈɡato/ |
| Eat | cumel /kuˈmel/ | comel /koˈmel/ | minchar /minˈtʃaɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ | comer /kuˈmeɾ/ | comer /koˈmeɾ/ |
| Drink | bebel /beˈβel/ | bebel /beˈβel/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ | bever /beˈveɾ/ | beber /bɨˈbeɾ/ | beber /beˈβeɾ/ |
| One | un /un/ | un /un/ | un /un/ | ún /un/ | uno /ˈuno/ | um /ũ/ | uno /ˈuno/ |
| Two | dous /dows/ | dos /dos/ | dos /dos/ | dos /dos/ | dos /dos/ | dois /dojʃ/ | dos /dos/ |
| Hello | salú /saˈlu/ | salú /saˈlu/ | hola /ˈola/ | hola /ˈola/ | salud /saˈlud/ | olá /ɔˈla/ | hola /ˈola/ |
| Thank you | gracias /ˈɣɾasjas/ | gracias /ˈɣɾasjas/ | gracias /ˈɡɾaθjas/ | gracies /ˈɡɾaθjes/ | mercedes /meɾˈtseðes/ | obrigado /obɾiˈɡadu/ | gracias /ˈɡɾaθjas/ |
| Good | bõ /bõ/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bonu /ˈbonu/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ | bom /bõ/ | bueno /ˈbweno/ |
| Cuckoo | cucu /ˈkuku/ | — | cuculo /kuˈkulo/ | cuquiellu /kuˈkjeʎu/ | cuco /ˈkuko/ | cuco /ˈkuku/ | cuco /ˈkuko/ |
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