Leonese

Also known as Leonese language

set of certain vernacular Romance language varieties spoken in León and Zamora (Spain)

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Leonese is a group of Romance language varieties spoken in the León and Zamora regions of Spain that developed distinctly from Latin, similar to how Spanish, Portuguese, and other Romance languages did. It matters because it represents an important part of Spain's linguistic diversity and cultural heritage, distinct from the more widely spoken Spanish language.

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Article

Leonese (llionés, ḷḷionés, lionés) is a set of vernacular Romance language varieties spoken in northern and western portions of the historical region of León in Spain (the modern provinces of León, Zamora, and Salamanca), the village of Riudenore (in both Spain and Portugal) and Guadramil in Portugal, sometimes considered another language. In the past, it was spoken in a wider area, including most of the historical region of Leon. The current number of Leonese speakers is estimated at 20,000 to 50,000. Spanish is now the predominant language in the area.

Leonese forms part of the Asturleonese linguistic group along with dialects of Asturian. The division between Asturian and Leonese is extra-linguistic, as the main divisions within the Asturleonese complex are between eastern and western varieties, rather than between varieties spoken in Asturias and Leon.