Asturian-American Migration Forum

muitu/muncho: pronounced MOUY-too or MOON-cho, axetivu (adjective). Also pronounced as mutsu (MOOT-soo) in counties of south-central Asturias like Teberga and Quirós. Many (a large indefinite number). Much (great in quantity, degree or extent). Synonyms: a lot, lots, abundant, plenty, plentiful, abundant, abounding, bounteous, numerous, profuse, rife, sundry, copious, galore, voluminous.

West Asturian: muitu, muita, muitos, muitas.
Central Asturian: muncho, muncha, munchos, munches.

Usage examples:
Nos ríos del Conceyu de Cangas hai muitas truitas. (There is a lot of trout in the rivers of County Cangas.)
Nun vei muitu tiempu tuve con Fonsu en Maryland. (I was in Maryland with Fonsu just recently; literally "not a long time ago.")
Ya muitu bonu esti compangu. (This meat side dish is very good.)
Nolo ta muncho bien en Bimenes en casa’l xenru. (Nolo is very comfortable at his son-in-law’s in County Bimenes.)

Idiomatic use:
Ser tocín de munches olles. (To be a yes-man, never outspoken about anyone; literally "to be the lard of lots of different pots.")

Folk wisdom:
Añu de munches rosaes, añu de munches goxaes. (Many days of dew a year means a year of plentiful food; literally "a year of lots of full baskets.")
Añu de muitas ablanas, añu de muitas nevadonas. (A year of bountiful hazelnuts is a year of heavy snowfall.)

In the West Asturian back country, roughly beyond the linguistic transition starting in Cuideiru (Cudillero) and Grau (Grado), usage of the word muitu, muita, muitos, muitas is very extended and blurs into Galician. Muncho, muncha, munchos, munches is strictly Central Asturian.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI9ktgmFNdM

Click on the utube link above and fast-forward to 03:28 to listen to Maria Gonzalez, 74, and her usage of the word 'muitos'. Maria Gonzalez and her sister Arcides are from the village of Trabau (Tablado) in the County of Degaña, in southwestern Asturias. She is being interviewed by Xose Anton Ambas for his folk music show on Asturian television. Here is a transcribed excerpt:

Maria: Cuando venía un gaiteiru, bueno, bueno...yara l'alegria.

Ambas: Onde faian el baile?

Maria: El baile, mira, faianlo na tabierna qu'habia ehi ya eiqui nesta casa, qu'era tabierna, faian el baile. Ya cuando taba bono, no, afuora tampouco lu faian, pero eiqui, mira, eiqui era calel.la...

Arcides: Home, eiqui na calel.la, si, cuando taba bon tiempu...

Maria: Eiqui era calel.la. Y eiqui onde xugabamos a tolos xogos que nos sabiamos. Xugabamos a carceleiros, xugabamos a pagas, al alza la gorra...bono...ya a muitas cousas mas!