Languedocian dialect

Languedocian (French: Languedocien [lɑ̃ɡdɔsjɛ̃] ) or Lengadocian (Occitan pronunciation: [ˌleŋɡɔðuˈsja]) is an Occitan dialect spoken in rural parts of southern France such as Languedoc, Rouergue, Quercy, Agenais and southern Périgord. It is sometimes also called Languedocien-Guyennais. Owing to its central position among the dialects of Occitan, it is often used as a basis for a Standard Occitan. About 10% of the population of Languedoc are fluent in the language (about 300,000), and another 20% (600,000) "have some understanding" of the language. All speak French as their first or second language. Languedocian is spoken in certain parts of three French regions. Other dialects spoken in these areas include: Gascon, Catalan, Limousin, and Auvergnat, as well as the unrelated Basque language. The following are the main characteristics of the Languedocian dialect: None of these characteristics are unique to Languedocian; many are shared with one or more other Occitan dialects. Languedocian is both a central and conservative dialect. For these reasons, certain linguists are in favour of a standardisation of Occitan using Languedocian as a basis for this.