FrancoProvençalspeaking

Franco-Provençal, also known as Arpitan, is a Romance language traditionally spoken in parts of France, Switzerland, and Italy. It forms a distinct group within the Gallo-Romance languages, and is not a variety of standard French or Occitan. The language has historically been centered in the Alpine regions around Lyon and the western Alps, with communities in the Ain, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Bugey, and the Dauphiné in France; in the cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel, Geneva, Jura, and Fribourg in Switzerland; and in the Aosta Valley in Italy. Its dialects include Lyonnais, Savoyard, Vaudois, Francoprovençal of Valais and Bresse, among others. Because of this regional diversity, there is no single standardized form of the language, and orthographies have varied according to local influence from French, Italian, or Occitan traditions.

Current status is that Franco-Provençal is endangered in many areas, with intergenerational transmission in decline as speakers shift to dominant national languages. Revival efforts exist, led by cultural associations, regional media, literature, and some educational initiatives aimed at language preservation and transmission in communities.

Cultural and historical context: the language developed from Vulgar Latin in the Alps during the Middle Ages and played a role in local literature and administration before social and political changes favored national languages. In contemporary policy, recognition and support vary by country and region, with Switzerland offering some protection for regional languages, while France and Italy implement different degrees of support and promotion for minority language activities.