Estremenho dialect
# Estremenho dialect

Estremenho is a dialect of European Portuguese spoken in the former provinces of Estremadura and Beira Litoral and is part of the central-southern dialects.

The variety of Lisbon, which is used to form the basis for the pattern of European Portuguese, is within this dialect.

## Characteristics

The Estremenhan dialects present the following characteristics:

* A generalized monophthongization of the diphthong [ow]. For example, "touro" (bull) and "roupa" (clothes) passes to "tôro" and "rôpa".
* In certain subregions, such as saloia (the outskirts of Lisbon), a monophthongization of the diphthong [ej] occurs. For example, "manêra" instead of "maneira" (manner), although this has evolved into [ɐj] in the Lisbon dialect ("manâira").
* The predorsodental sibilants, that is, /s/ and /z/, are pronounced as in the European pattern and are well distinguished from the lower x and the j, contrary to what happens with the northern dialects.
