Gallo Alphabet

The Gallo alphabet has 25 letters from the Latin script ^[1]. This includes 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 20 consonants, with the distinctive letter ç (c with cedilla).

The Gallo alphabet has several distinctive features:

• Uses ç (c with cedilla) to represent the "ch" sound

• Employs grave accents (à, è, ì, ò, ù) to mark stress and pronunciation

• The letter j is pronounced like "y" in English

• Has a trilled "r" sound like other Romance languages

Gallo is primarily spoken in:

• Brittany region of northwestern France

• Particularly in the eastern and southern parts of Brittany

• Approximately 200,000 speakers

• The language is recognized as a regional language of France

While Gallo and Italian are both Romance languages, they are quite different:

• Gallo is a Rhaeto-Romance language, not an Italian dialect

• It has distinct grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation

• More closely related to Romansh (Switzerland) and Ladin (northern Italy)

• Has Celtic and Germanic influences not found in Italian

Gallo uses grave accents to indicate stress and open vowel sounds:

• à - open "a" sound, stressed

• è - open "e" sound (like "bet"), stressed

• ì - stressed "i" sound (like "see")

• ò - open "o" sound, stressed

• ù - stressed "u" sound (like "food")

These accents help distinguish word meanings and proper pronunciation!

Gallo has deep cultural importance:

• Rich literary tradition dating back to the 13th century

• Has ongoing preservation efforts in Brittany region

• Used in cultural activities and community events

• Recognized by UNESCO as a language worthy of preservation ^[2]

• Strong cultural identity for the Gallo people!