Cantabrian language

Molleda proposed to take the isogloss of the masculine plural gender morphology, which seems to surround a large portion of Eastern Cantabria, running from the mouth of the Besaya River in the North, and along the Pas-Besaya watershed.

The Cantabrian set of consonants is nearly identical to those of its neighbouring languages of the dialectal continuum, the Asturian and the Northern Peninsular Spanish.

However, the Eastern dialects from the Inner Valleys have merged [h] into [x]; moreover, there are older speakers that lack any kind of merger, fully distinguishing the minimal pair /huegu/ - /xuegu/ (fire - game).

[6] The following notes only apply for the Cantabrian derivatives, but might as well occur in other Astur-Leonese varieties: Na, que entornemos, y yo apaecí esturunciau y con unos calambrios que me ḥiendían de temblíos... El rodal quedó allá lantón escascajau del too; las trichorias y estadojos, triscaos... Pero encontó, casi agraecí el testarazu, pues las mis novillucas, que dispués de la estorregá debían haber quedau soterrás, cuasi no se mancaron.

[7] Nada, que volcamos, y yo acabé por los suelos y con unos calambres que me invadían de temblores...El eje quedó allá lejos totalmente despedazado; las estacas quebradas... Pero aún así, casi agradecí el cabezazo, pues mis novillas, que después de la caída deberían haber quedado para enterrar, casi no se lastimaron.

Extent of Asturleonese dialects in Spain
[ image reference needed ]
Dialectal Map of Cantabria according to García Lomas (1999) :
Liébana: Reminiscence of Asturian
Nansa, Saja, Besaya (Nucleus of Cantabrian): Characteristic mountain phonetics, archaisms, influences of Vulgar Latin
Pas: Substrates of Asturian, characteristic phonetics from Pas, archaisms, influences of Vulgar Latin
Trasmiera, Asón: Own dialectal nuances
Western coast: Substrates of Astur-Leonese and Cantabrian
Agüera: Tenuous Basque sediments
Campoo: Old Castilian and Cantabrian reminiscences