O Prenzipet — in Aragonese.
Aragonese is a Romance language spoken primarily in the autonomous community of Aragon in northeastern Spain. It is one of the languages of Spain and has a recognised regional status within Aragon. It is spoken in several dialects by 10,000 to 30,000 people in the Pyrenees valleys of Aragon, Spain, primarily in the comarcas of Somontano de Barbastro, Jacetania, Alto Gállego, Sobrarbe, and Ribagorza/Ribagorça. It is the only modern language which survived from medieval Navarro-Aragonese in a form distinctly different from Spanish.
Aragonese as a distinct language began to emerge during the Middle Ages, around the 9th and 10th centuries, as a result of the evolution of Vulgar Latin in the region. During this period, the Kingdom of Aragon was established, and the Aragonese language played a significant role in the cultural and administrative life of the kingdom. During the medieval period, the Kingdom of Aragon expanded its territories through conquests and alliances. This led to the spread of the Aragonese language to new regions, contributing to its influence and use in areas beyond the original kingdom.
The decline of Aragonese as a dominant language began in the early modern period with the expansion of Castilian (Spanish) influence. As Castilian gained political and administrative importance in Spain, it gradually supplanted Aragonese in official domains and education. Language policies implemented during the modern period in Spain favored the use of Castilian over regional languages, including Aragonese. As a result, the use of Aragonese declined further, with speakers switching to Castilian for official and formal purposes.
