Classical Spelling

Foundations

The classical spelling gives Occitan one written form for all its varieties.

How It Works

The classical spelling (grafia classica) is the common spelling of the Institut d'Estudis Occitans and of lo Congrès permanent de la lenga occitana. It does not follow the sounds of one region. It follows the shared history of the words, so a speaker of any variety can read the same page.

Most words are written the same way everywhere, aiga and pan for example. Where the words themselves differ, each variety writes its own form under the same rules, such as Languedocien ostal and Provençal ostau.

This is why spelling and sound sometimes differ. In Languedocien:

WrittenLanguedocien sound
v in vin (wine)sounds like b
final n in pan (bread)usually silent
final a in femna (woman)sounds close to o

Speakers of other varieties pronounce some of these words differently. For example, the v of vin sounds like v in Provençal. Provençal is also written in another spelling, the Mistralian one. This course teaches only the classical spelling.

Accents are part of the spelling. A missing accent is a spelling mistake.

Examples (5)

  1. aiga

    water

    Written the same way in every variety, whatever the sound.

  2. ostal

    house

    The Languedocien spelling; Provençal writes ostau.

  3. pan

    bread

    The n is always written, even where it is silent.

  4. vin

    wine

    The v sounds like b in Languedocien.

  5. femna

    woman

    The final a sounds close to o.

How It Connects

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Classical SpellingFoundations

Learn This First

The classical spelling is the writing that all the varieties share, so it follows the overview of the varieties.

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Patterns that build on this one.