|
The BretonLanguage is a BrythonicLanguage of France. SIL code: BRT. ISO 639-1: br. ISO 639-2: bre. Population: 500,000 speakers for whom it is the daily language in France (1989 ICDBL). 1,200,000 know Breton who do not regularly use it. Population total both countries 500,000. Region: Western Brittany, and dispersed in Eastern Brittany and Breton emigrant communities throughout the world. Also spoken in USA. Alternate names: BREZHONEG. Dialects: LEONAIS, TREGORROIS, VANNETAIS, CORNOUAILLAIS. Comments: Some claim to be monolingual in Breton. 18,000 speakers are children under 14 years, 56,250 between 15 and 24, 423,000 between 25 and 64, 168,000 over 65 (1974). No official status. Strong nationalistic movement demanding recognition, a place in the schools, media, and public life. VSO, prepositions, genitives, adjectives, relatives after noun heads, articles, numerals before noun heads, question word initial, probably 2 prefixes, 2 or 3 suffixes on a word, topic or focus first, verb second, verb affixes mark person, number of subject, passives, causatives and comparatives shown lexically, up to 3 consonants syllable initially, and 3 finally, one vowel, nontonal. Literacy rate in first language: 25% can read and write Breton. Radio programs, TV. Bible 1866-1985.(extract from http://www.ethnologue.com/)
|