Aragonese Alphabet

The Aragonese alphabet has 27 letters from the Latin script^[1]. This includes 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 22 consonants, notably including ñ (n with tilde), which is characteristic of Iberian languages.

The Aragonese alphabet has several distinctive features:

• Uses ñ (n with tilde) for the "ny" sound as in "canyon"

• The letter x represents the "sh" sound, unlike Spanish

• Employs acute accents (á, é, í, ó, ú) to mark stress

• Uses inverted question and exclamation marks (¿, ¡) like Spanish

• Has archaic features preserved from medieval Iberian Romance

Aragonese is spoken in the Pyrenees valleys of northeastern Spain:

• Northern Aragon region - mainly in the Pyrenees valleys

• Valleys like Ansó, Echo, Chistau, Benasque

• 10,000-30,000 native speakers^[3]

• Additional ~20,000 with passive knowledge

• Protected as a regional language of Aragon^[4]

While both are Romance languages, Aragonese has distinct features:

• The letter x sounds like "sh" instead of "ks"

• Preserves Latin f- in words where Spanish uses h-

• Different verb conjugations and grammar

• Retains archaic vocabulary from medieval Romance

• More similar to Catalan in some features

• Has unique Pyrenean vocabulary

Aragonese has some unique pronunciation rules:

• Ñ ñ - pronounced like "ny" in "canyon"

• X x - pronounced like "sh" in "ship" (key feature!)

• J j - pronounced like "h" in "hot"

• R r - trilled or tapped, stronger at word beginnings

• Z z - pronounced like "th" in "thin"

These sounds make Aragonese phonetically distinct!

Several preservation efforts are underway:

• The Academia de l'Aragonés standardizes the language^[2]

• Official recognition by the Aragonese government^[4]

• Educational programs in schools

• Media and publications in Aragonese

• Cultural associations promoting the language

• Digital resources and online communities

These efforts help revitalize this ancient Pyrenean language!