14 Ls Mirandeses i la Lhéngua pul mundo / Mirandese people and language around the world

Tal qual cumo quaije todas las tierras rurales de pertual, la Tierra de Miranda ye tierra d’eimigraçon. Zde l fin de l seclo XIX i durante todo l seclo XX, ls mirandeses salírun pul mundo a saber de melhor bida do que aqueilha de tener de sacar l pan de las piedras de l Praino. Purmeiro para l Brasil, apuis para las quelónias africanas de Pertual an África, mormente Angola i Moçambique, i apuis de la II grande guerra para ls países ouropeus an recunstruçon, muito mirandés i sous deçandientes hai strampalhado pul mundo. Paris ye talbeç la cidade adonde hai mais falantes de mirandés an todo l mundo.Tamien muito mirandés scapou para las cidades de grandes de Pertual, mormente Porto i Lisboua.

Like most of rural Portugal, the Land of Miranda has seen many waves of emigration. Since the late 1800s and throughout the 20th century, many Miranese families moved to other countries around the world seeking a better life. The first wave went to Brazil, then to Portugal’s former colonies in Africa, such as Angola or Mozambique, and after World War II, they left Miranda to go to other European countries. It is believed that Paris may be the city with the most speakers of Mirandese in the world!

Of course, there were also many families who moved to Porugal’s cities, usually Porto and Lisbon.

L mais deilhes éran analfabetos, sien saber ler nien screbir, quando salírun de Miranda i la lhéngua mai era l mirandés. Ne ls países de çtino seguírun falando mirandés cula família i cun outros mirandeses s’acauso ls houbira. La lhéngua fidalga falában-la solo cun outros pertueses.Daprendírun a falar las lhénguas de las tierras adonde bibien, mantenendo l mirandés cumo lhéngua de ls suonhos.

Most of the people who migrated were illiterate. When they left Miranda, they didn’t know how to read and write and their only language was Mirandese. They continued to speak it even after they settled in their new homes, especially within the family but also when they came across other Mirandese migrants.

Eventually, they learnt the languages of the places where they lived, but they mantained Mirandese as their “insider” family language.

Muitos desses eimigrantes podemos-los ber hoije an Miranda, ne l berano, quando bénen de bacanças, a “zanferrujar” la lhéngua, falando mirandés cun família i bezinos.Cuidamos pode dezir que ye talbeç un mirandés menos “cuntaminado” pul pertués, por bias de nun haber stado tanto an cuntato cun essa lhéngua.

Nowadays, if you visit Miranda in the summer, you can encounter many of these migrants and their descendants. They come during the summer holidays to visit relatives and you often can hear them dusting off their Mirandese skills.

Some people argue that the way these people speak Mirandese is “purer” or “less contaminated”, because they haven’t had much exposure to Portuguese.

 

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Mirandese Copyright © by Alfredo Cameirão and Gema Zamora. All Rights Reserved.

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