Poitevin–Saintongeais

Poitevin–Saintongeais
poetevin–séntunjhaes
Native toFrance
RegionPays de la Loire
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Native speakers
200,000–300,000 (2017)
Early forms
Dialects
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottologpoit1240  Poitevin
sant1407  Santongeais
Linguasphere51-AAA-ha
The Poitevin-Saintongeais-speaking area

Poitevin–Saintongeais (French pronunciation: [pwatvɛ̃ sɛ̃tɔ̃ʒɛ]; endonym: poetevin-séntunjhaes; also called Parlanjhe, Aguiain or Aguiainais in French) is a language spoken in the regions of the Pays de la Loire and Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Poitevin–Saintongeais is officially recognised by the French Ministry of Culture as a language with two dialects: Poitevin and Saintongeais. The language belongs to the langues d'oïl subbranch of the Gallo-Romance languages.

Some descendants of Poitevin–Saintongeais speakers became the Acadian people of Atlantic Canada as well as the Cajun people of Louisiana.

The dialects of this language are peculiar to the historical regions and provinces of Poitou and Saintonge. It is classified as severely endangered by UNESCO.