Rihonor de Castilla - Rio de Onor : un poble migpartit per la frontera hispanolusa

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe the present sociolinguistic situation of the villages of Rio de Onor and Rihonor de Castilla. The first village is situated in territory under Portuguese administration, in the Province of Trás-os-Montes, while the second one is on Spanish soil in the Province of Zamora. My interest in these places stems from their unique geographical, social and linguistic situation. Their uniqueness resides firstly in their spatial contiguity: they stand side by side, separated only by a political frontier, which does not prevent them from forming a single settlement with its corresponding internal social relations, especially in view of the fact that they are some distance from other population centres. Secondly, the linguistic varieties they use to communicate among themselves and with people in the surrounding area are also of special interest.