Leonese language

Leonese language (Lliones in Leonese) is the language of Leon and Zamora, both in Spain, and Braganca, in Portugal. A Romance language, Leonese was the language of the Kingdom of Leon in the Middle Ages.
Leonese is recognised by the UN as "seriously endangered" and is officially recognised by Castile and Leon.
Education
Leonese is taught in sixteen schools in the cirt of Leon, and there are lessons for adults in several villages in the provinces of Leon and Zamora.
For approximately fifteen years, some cultural associations have offered courses in Leonese, sometimes with the support or collaboration of local administrations in the provinces of Leon and Zamora. There was never collaboration by Castile and Leon. The courses have taken place mostly with difficulty, without continuity or by unqualified teachers and very often, far from where Leonese is spoken.
Pronunciation
The language has five vowels in a stressed position, represented by a, e, i, o and u, and three (two archiphonemes /I/, /U/ and one phoneme /a/) in a nonstressed position, represented by e, u, and a at the end of word.
Endangered language
UNESCO, in its Atlas of Languages in Danger in the World, places Leonese among languages in danger.
Leonese is classified in the worst of the possible situations whose characteristics are:
Non-official language.
No presence in the means of communication.
Low level of knowledge and use.
Low social consideration of the language.
Absence of the language in the school.
Toponymy without normalizing.
Leonese and other Romance languages
English and Leonese words
Literature
Literature written in Leonese started in the Middle Ages and is still written today. The first written text in Leonese is the Nodicia of Kesos (959 or 974), found in Ardon. Other works in Leonese include the Fueru de Llion, Fueru de Salamanca, Fueru Xulgu, Codice d'Alfonsu XI, Disputa d'Elena y Maria and Llibru d'Alixandre.
Important writers are Torres Naharro, Juan del Encina, and Lucas Fernandez. Some writers like Caitano Bardon (Cuentos en Dialecto Leones), Luis Maldonado or Aragon Escacena (Entre brumas) restarted the Leonese literature in the early 20th century. Today, important writers include Eva Gonzalez in the last 20th century or Abel Pardo, Xuasus Gonzalez, Adrianu Martin or Felix Llopez.
References
Sources
Menendez Pidal, R.: "El dialecto Leones". Revista de Archivos, Bibliotecas y Museos, 14. 1906.
Linguasphere Register. 1999/2000 Edition. pp. 392. 1999.
Garcia Gil, Hector (2010). "El asturiano-leones: aspectos linguisticos, sociolinguisticos y legislacion". Working Papers Collection. Mercator Legislation, Dret i legislacio linguistics. (25). ISSN 2013-102X.
Academia de la Lengua Asturiana"Normes ortografiques". 2005. .
Garcia Arias, Xose Lluis (2003). Gramatica historica de la lengua asturiana: Fonetica, fonologia e introduccion a la morfosintaxis historica. Academia de la Llingua Asturiana. .
Gonzalez Riano, Xose Anton; Garcia Arias, Xose Lluis (2008). II Estudiu sociollinguisticu de Lleon (Identida, conciencia d'usu y actitues llinguistiques de la poblacion lleonesa). Academia de la Llingua Asturiana. .
Galmes de Fuentes, Alvaro; Catalan, Diego (1960). Trabajos sobre el dominio romanico leones. Editorial Gredos. .
Linguasphere Register. 1999/2000 Edition. pp. 392. 1999.
Lopez-Morales, H.: "Elementos leoneses en la lengua del teatro pastoril de los siglos XV y XVI". Actas del II Congreso Internacional de Hispanistas. Instituto Espanol de la Universidad de Nimega. Holanda. 1967.
Staff, E. : "Etude sur l'ancien dialecte leonnais d'apres les chartes du XIIIe siecle", Uppsala. 1907.
Gessner, Emil. "Das Altleonesische: Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis des Altspanischen".
Hanssen, Friedrich Ludwig Christian (1896). Estudios sobre la conjugacion Leonesa. Impr. Cervantes.
Hanssen, Friedrich Ludwig Christian (1910). "Los infinitivos leoneses del Poema de Alexandre". Bulletin Hispanique (12).
Kruger, Fritz. El dialecto de San Ciprian de Sanabria. Anejo IV de la RFE. Madrid.
Morala Rodriguez, Jose Ramon; Gonzalez-Quevedo, Roberto; Herreras, Jose Carlos; Borrego, Julio; Egido, Maria Cristina (2009). El Leones en el Siglo XXI (Un Romance Milenario ante el Reto de su Normalizacion). Instituto De La Lengua Castellano Y Leones. .
Other websites in Leonese language
Hector Garcia Gil. Asturian-leonese: Linguistic, Sociolinguistic and Legal Aspects
Asturian Language Academy
Gonzalez i Planas, Francesc. Institutum Studiorum Romanicorum "Romania Minor". The Asturleonese Dialects.
La Caleya Cultural Association.
Furmientu Cultural Association.
Faceira Cultural Association.
El Teixu Cultural Association.