Limousin (province)

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This article is about the historical province and cultural area of Limousin. For the modern région of Limousin, see Limousin (région).

Coat of arms of the lordship of Limousin

Limousin (Occitan: Lemosin) is a former province of France around the city of Limoges in central France. The province of Limousin lies in the foothills of the Massif Central, with cold weather in the winter. Its name is derived from the name of a Celtic tribe, the Lemovices.

The limousine car is named after the region because the inhabitants wore a hood with a profile perceived to be similar to that of the car.

[edit] Culture

The Limousin language is a dialect of Occitan language.

Perhaps due to its rural character, Limousin has maintained a strong tradition of traditional music, with ancient instruments such as the bagpipe (called chabrette) and hurdy-gurdy remaining popular.[1][2]

[edit] Language

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Occitan, especially in Limousin/Lemosi dialect, was, until the 70's, the maternal language of rural areas.

There are several different dialects of Occitan in Limousin:

Lemosi/Limousin
Languedocien (Quercynois)
Auvergnat
Marchois, an often overlooked dialect of Occitan.

Limousin is not the only Occitan dialect of the region, and Limousin is spoken in other regions in France.

The Limousin dialect is spoken in Dordogne (over the Dordogne river), Limousin (with the dialect of marche and Languedocien and Auvergnat dialect for Corrèze), Vienne, Charente and Indre. It was the most important language for middle age literature in Europe,^{[citation needed]} associated with a culture: the troubadours were chevaliers of refined love, most writers were from Corrèze and Dordogne and from different countries in Europe (like Dante Aligheri). This culture declined after the Villiers-Cotterêt Edict (1539) which made French the official and single language in territory of the king, area of French dialect (langues d'oïl) or oc dialect (Occitan or Lenga d'oc). This civilisation survived in Germany and especially in Catalunya and Portugal (and after in Brazil).