ABSTRACT
The present-day linguistic situation has arisen from a process of continuous change which has affected not only the language itself, but also the different varieties of the language and the prestige attached to them, as well as to the dialects themselves. There has been strong influence from extra- linguistic factors, these being in part the product of economic and social changes which have occurred in all regions. Since, however, such factors have been of primary importance at the district and local level in producing language profiles, the following section will deal briefly with characteristics of the region.
