Franco-Provençal language

Franco-Provençal (Francoprovençal), Arpitan or Romand (in Switzerland) (Franco-Provençal: francoprovençâl, arpetan, patouès; Italian:francoprovenzale, arpitano; French:francoprovençal, arpitan, patois) is a Gallo-Romance language spoken in east-central France, western Switzerland, northwestern Italy, and in enclaves in the Province of Foggia in Apulia, Italy. Franco-Provençal has several distinct dialects and is separate from but closely related to neighboring Romance languages: Oïl languages, Occitan, Gallo-Italian, and Romansh. The name Franco-Provençal was given to the language by G.I. Ascoli in the 19th century because it shared features with French and Provençal without belonging to either. Arpitan, a neologism, is becoming a popular name for the language and the people who speak it.