[Stanpolitan]

It is a lovely town . Keep posting more about this Gascon town. Also tell me ... How alive is gascon language in this town & around it?

 

[Stanpolitan]

The language is dead. It can't even be heard anymore in markets. The town even has a policy to ban the Gascon language from street names prefering commonplace Rue Victor Hugo to more typical names.

As for the surrounding countryside, it's suffering from rurbanization. The language is also virtually dead. In my housing estate some 15km North of the town, out of 7 families, only two of them are "autochtonous" (including mine) and both of them can't speak a word of Gascon. Within two decades, 1500 years of history will be over. My opinion is that it's not really the fault of the French State : the way of History dictates this sad ending for the language of my ancestors.

Banning the Gascon language is so unacceptable & so ill-intended to an endangered language ; it's like a dagger stabbed into its back , while it was already bed-ridden . Since major settlements create the inspiration about a language & culture , then the villages & smaller places do follow their lead. Pau can be small & does not have to have major Gascon population , still should have been aware of that it is in ancient Gascon hinterland.

If it feels that down-ridden to speak this beautiful ancient latin Bask language ( I call Gascon like that ) , for the expense of some northern alien province's tongue ... then they can be glad , their town has no distinction , no profile , just another protypical french town in southern France , like any other . Mission accomplished. Fait accompli...hno: