Mirandese - the forgotten language in Northern Portugal

Introduction

Greetings! Today we’ll talk about the Mirandese language - a language spoken in the Northern part of Portugal. Mirandese is a Romance language, closely related to Portuguese and as I mentioned before, this language is spoken in Portugal. For today’s article I contacted a Mirandese activist who gladly agreed to answer the questions regarding his activity and language in general. He decided to answer our questions under the MdMV/Emdy nickname. So, let’s begin!

Interview with MdMV

Before diving into questions, I’ve asked MdMV to briefly introduce himself:

Well, I’m MdMV/Emdy, I do a lot of linguistic activism online and irl, but most of my contributions have been in the digital world to be available to as many people as possible. In online linguistic spaces, I’m informally known as the “The Mirandese Guy”. I hold various oddly specific records, like first social media translated to Mirandese, first Mirandese course for English speakers, first English song covered to Mirandese (although still unreleased), and more! I do my best to make Mirandese as accessible to the people as possible, given the school system kinda sucks regarding Mirandese. If you see any sticker in Mirandese in New York City, Lisbon or anywhere across Miranda, it’s likely my doing :))

Since we met MdMV, let’s move directly to our interview

How many people speak Mirandese today?

According to a study from 2021 made by the university of Vigo in Galicia, Spain, 3500 people know the language, 1500 of which speak it daily.

Does the language have any official status in the country?

It’s recognised as a language in the country, and given special rights in the municipality of Miranda de l Douro only

How often can one hear Mirandese in daily life on the streets, at school, at work?

Really depends on where you go, in the northern villages you hear it basically always, in the centre/south it’s 70/30, and in the city of Miranda de l Douro you won’t hear it at all

How do local people feel about their language? Do they take pride in it, or see it as something old-fashioned?

Few people see it as something old-fashioned/hold resentment towards it. The ones who don’t speak it just don’t bother to learn it, and the people who do speak it take pride in it

Are there any dialects or regional varieties of Mirandese?

Mirandese has 3 dialects, Raiano, Central and Sendinese

How would you describe the current state of the language is it endangered, or is there hope for revival?

It’s definitely endangered, there is some hope for revival but we’d need to be doing much more than we are today

How did you first get interested in the Mirandese language?

I spoke it alongside Portuguese throughout my childhood

Did anyone in your family speak Mirandese?

Basically everyone in my close family, but that’s not the case for EVERYONE in Miranda

What inspired you to get involved in supporting the language?

As I grew up I realised the reality of the situation, and felt like action needed to be taken immediately

What challenges did you face while learning it?

I didn’t learn it per se, soooo… but for people that do learn it, there is definitely a lack of content

What does speaking Mirandese mean to you personally emotionally, culturally, or spiritually?

it’s a symbol of the Mirandese people and culture, which are a separate group from the rest of Portugal, it has emotional and cultural value to me

How do you support and promote the Mirandese language?

oh I do a LOT, I’ve done courses, social media pages, videos, practically everything you can do

Are there any projects or initiatives you’re especially proud of?

my Duostories course, my instagram Mirandese dictionary page and my community page on Reddit

Is Mirandese used online - for example, on social media, YouTube, or Wikipedia?

there is a Mirandese side of Facebook and Instagram, and there is the (terrible) Mirandese Wikipedia

Do you collaborate with other activists or organizations working to preserve endangered languages?

I’m an associate of the ALCM (Association of the Mirandese Language and Culture), but I basically do everything independently

How do people react to your work - do you feel support, interest, or maybe skepticism?

Most people are supportive online! There’s always the one exception though

How do you see the future of the Mirandese language in 10-20 years?

If it keeps going how it’s going down now, I’d say it’d be in the brink of death but still holding on (barely)

Can schools or the government play a bigger role in preserving the language?

Totally

Do you think Mirandese could ever become “trendy” among young people?

Maybe, but honestly I don’t know

What would you say to people who want to help endangered languages but don’t know where to start?

First learn it to an advanced level, then you can start with courses and activism and whatnot, the last thing we want is misinformation being spread

Do you have a favorite word or expression in Mirandese? What does it mean?

Proua, it means pride in mirandese and is unique in Iberia, all other languages of Iberia have a term akin to Orgullo/Arguyu/Orgulho or others

How do you feel when you hear people speaking Mirandese?

It makes me happy

Has there been a particularly touching or meaningful moment connected to the language for you?

Seeing kids playing in the village of San Martino, both speaking in mirandese, which is a rare sight

What advice would you give to someone who wants to learn or revive their own regional or minority language?

Patience, it takes a long time to achieve anything regional-language wise

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I hope you enjoyed reading this article and we did enlighten you about the lovely Mirandese language. See you next time!