Mirandês

Mirandês is an Asturian dialect, spoken in the councils of Miranda do Douro and Vimioso (a total area of nearly 500 sq kms), the province of Tras os Montes in the North-Eastern corner of Portugal.

The dialects is written according to the norms of the Portuguese writing system (see the Portuguese Alphabet and the Portuguese Spelling and Pronunciation).

The first serious literary attempts in Mirandês are dated in the second half of the 19th century. In 1882 José Leite de Vasconcelos published his remarkable book "Dialecto Mirandês".

At present, Mirandês is spoken by some 10,000 people, almost entirely in the rural area. The population is effectively bilingual (people speak also the official Portuguese language), but it shows a deep affection for Mirandês which enjoys a higher prestige in the social contacts and is taught at the local schools.

We illustrate the Mirandês dialect by some text examples of ethnographic value:
 
 

Joke

Kids' Songs

Songs

Riddles

Proverbs

Tale

Poem