PoitevinSaintongeais

Poitevin-Saintongeais is a Romance language variety spoken in western France in the historic regions of Poitou and Saintonge, now part of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It belongs to the Langues d'oïl subgroup of the Gallo-Romance language family and is closely related to French, sharing much of its basic grammar and core lexicon. The speech forms are commonly divided into two main dialects, Poitevin in Poitou and Saintongeais in Saintonge, with a number of local subdialects.

Geographic distribution and status: The language developed from Gallo-Romance in the western Oïl area and has experienced language shift toward French since the 19th century. Today, most speakers are older and intergenerational transmission is limited. Poitevin-Saintongeais is generally regarded as endangered in contemporary linguistic literature.

Linguistic profile: It exhibits phonological and lexical distinctions from standard French, though mutual intelligibility with French varies. It preserves certain archaisms and regional vocabulary that have disappeared from French, while its syntax is broadly similar to that of other Oïl languages. The degree of variation between Poitevin and Saintongeais reflects strong regional identity and localized speech communities.

Cultural context: Poitevin-Saintongeais forms part of the regional cultural heritage, appearing in traditional songs, folklore, and local place names. Revival and documentation efforts by community groups and researchers aim to preserve and promote the language, including the creation of dictionaries, teaching materials, and cultural programs.