Gallo language
| Gallo | |
|---|---|
| Galo | |
| Native to | France |
| Region | Upper Brittany (Côtes-d'Armor, Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique, Morbihan) and parts of Anjou and Maine (Mayenne and Maine-et-Loire) |
Native speakers | from 29,060 (est. 1999) to 200,000 (est. 2008; 2013); 197,000 (est. 2018); 132,000 (est. 2024) |
| Latin script | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| ELP | Gallo |
| Linguasphere | 51-AAA-hb |
| IETF | fr-gallo |
Gallo (endonym galo) is one of the Oïl languages spoken in Upper Brittany, in western France. It is traditionally spoken in Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique, and the eastern parts of Morbihan and Côtes-d'Armor, on the eastern side of the Breton linguistic boundary running roughly from Plouha to the Pénerf river. The eastern limit of Gallo is less clearly defined, owing to the existence of a dialect continuum with neighboring Oïl languages such as Mayennais, Norman, and Angevin. Some linguists therefore consider Gallo to extend into areas adjacent to historic Brittany, particularly within the broader region of the Armorican Massif.
Because there are no universally accepted criteria for distinguishing languages from dialects, there is no full consensus regarding the status of Gallo. Although it is primarily an oral language, it has been the subject of academic research and standardization efforts, and books in Gallo are published on a regular basis. Unlike Breton, however, Gallo does not benefit from a long tradition of political or institutional advocacy. Both languages were nevertheless jointly recognized as "languages of Brittany" by the Regional Council of Brittany in 2004.
As a Romance language, Gallo is very different from Breton, which is a Celtic language. Speakers are referred to as gallésants or Gallo speakers. The term "Gallo" originates from the Breton language; its use by speakers themselves is relatively recent, although it is attested in the press as early as the beginning of the 20th century. Many speakers simply use the term "patois", although this label is often regarded as pejorative.
Despite some initiatives to promote the teaching of Gallo in schools and universities, the language is endangered. Speakers are generally elderly, and intergenerational transmission is very weak. Gallo is classified as seriously endangered by UNESCO. Estimates of the number of speakers vary widely, with between 3 percent and 8 percent of the local population reported as being able to speak the language.