The Catalan language is one of the romance languages of Europe; like Spanish, French and Italian, the Catalan language is spoken by millions of people. However, the population of Catalan language speakers is not as widespread as Spanish language speakers, and the majority of Catalan language speakers are concentrated in a relatively small area of Europe.
Which Countries Officially Speak the Catalan Language?
The Catalan language is spoken in many areas of Spain and some other parts of Europe; today, the Catalan language is the official language of:
- the Catalonia region of Spain, radiating outwards from Barcelona and including Valencia and part of Aragon
- the Balearic Islands
- Andorra (where it is the only official language)
- the south of France
- Alghero in Italy.
The Origin of the Catalan Language
Like many of the romance languages of Europe, the Catalan language is derived from vulgar Latin, the language spoken by Roman soldiers, traders and peasants. The Catalan language begin its formation between the 8th and 10th centuries and by the 10th century the Catalan language was a separate language to Latin. The Catalan language was first known to appear in written form in the 12th century, most notably in Les Homilies d'Organya.
The Rise in Popularity of the Catalan Language
The Catalan language experienced a rise in popularity throughout the 13th and 14th centuries when it became a common spoken language, through war victories, in many areas of the Mediterranean; at this time, the Catalan language was spoken in Majorca, Sicily, Valencia, Sardinia, Athens, Naples and Neopatria in the Peloponnese region.
The Decline of the Catalan Language
The Catalan language began to decline in popularity in the 15th century when the Castilian and Aragonese crowns merged; furthermore, after the War of Spanish Succession (1705–1715), Spanish laws were imposed and all Catalan government organizations ceased to exist. It wasn't until the late 19th century, during the Catalan renaissance, that the Catalan language once again began to flourish in literary works.
The Catalan Language in the 20th Century
The Catalan language experienced a further rise and fall in popularity and use in the 20th century. The first part of the 20th century saw a growth in use of the Catalan language and during the Second Republic (1931–1939), Catalan became an official language; however, the Civil War and the rule of Franco impacted the development of the Catalan Language.
Using the Catalan language became a matter of persecution, forbidden in public use, and it wasn't until the return of democracy, with the fall of the Franco dictatorship, that the Catalan language could once again be used publicly in literature, education and art.
How to Identify the Catalan Language
The Catalan Language is difficult to classify, having similarities with many of the romance languages of Europe. In Medieval times, the Catalan language was similar to the language of Occitan in Gaul; today, however, the Catalan language is not dissimilar to that of the Castilian and Aragonese regions. There are also two main dialect variations of the spoken Catalan language, Occidental and Oriental, affecting pronunciation, verb conjugation and vocabulary.
The Catalan Language Today
The Catalan language today is taught throughout the education system of Catalonia. It is still spoken in some regions which have a history of Catalan dominance and it is the second official language of Spain; the Catalan language is the only official language of Andorra, a small country squeezed between France and Spain, and bearing the mark of its Catalan past.
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References:
Generalitat de Catalunya
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