VivaroAlpine

VivaroAlpine, also written Vivaro-Alpin, is a sub-branch of the Occitan language within the Romance family. It comprises the Alpine varieties of Occitan spoken in the Alpine region of southeastern France and in parts of northern Italy. The name reflects the Alpine distribution of its dialects rather than a single political region. Like the broader Occitan language, VivaroAlpine is part of the Languedocian group and shares prominent features with other Occitan varieties, while showing distinctive phonological and lexical traits.

Geographic distribution: In France, it has historically been spoken in the Alpine valleys near the French-Italian border. In Italy, Alpine Occitan varieties are present in certain valleys of Piedmont and neighboring areas. The status and number of speakers vary by location and community, with multilingual contexts involving French or Italian.

Linguistic status and culture: VivaroAlpine today is generally considered a minority language with a declining speaker base in many areas due to language shift toward dominant regional languages. Nonetheless it remains an element of regional cultural heritage, with documentation efforts, local associations, and some educational initiatives to preserve and revive varieties.

Linguistic features: As part of Occitan, VivaroAlpine shares core Occitan grammar and vocabulary, but it features regional phonological patterns and lexical items resulting from contact with French and Italian. The varieties within the umbrella show internal diversity, and there is no single standardized form. The dialects are often described collectively as an Occitan macrolanguage by scholars.