Catalan is a Romance language, spoken by over 12 million inhabitants from different regions of Europe, which are unofficially called Països Catalans (Catalan Countries) because of their common cultural origins and heritage.
Catalan language appeared during the 10th Century from Vulgar Latin in the vicinity of the Pyrenees Mountains and it has very similar characteristics with the dialects of Western Romance: Spanish, Portuguese, Arpitan, Occitan, Galician, Ligurian, Veneto, Piedmontese, French, Gascon, Franco-Provençal.
During the Reconquista (710 - 1492) - a period of 800 years in which Christian kingdoms from the Iberian Peninsula encountered the Muslim states from those parts - the Catalan language managed to reach different Southern zones: Barcelona and Tarragona, Lleida and Tortosa, Old Kingdom of Valencia, Balearic Islands and Sardinia.
In Andorra, for example, Catalan represents the national and official language of the state. In the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia, Catalan is the co-official language alongside Spanish, while in Aragon (Spain), Catalan language achieved recognition after 1990 in counties like Baixa Ribagorça, Llitera, Baixa Cinca, Matarranya and in Murcia, known as El Carxe. Italians from the Sardinian city Alghero consider Catalan language co-official with Italian and Sardinian language while in France, more exactly in the Northern Catalonia, also known as Roussillon, Catalan is spoken without any official acknowledgment.
Although apparently identical to Spanish in writing, several differences can be found:
Catalan Spanish
Em dic .. - Me llamo ... (My name is ...)
Necessito ajuda - Necesito ayuda (I need help )
Si us plau - Por favor (Please)
Dispensi! Perdoni! - Con permiso (Excuse me)
Gràcies - Gracias (Thank you)
D'on ets ? - De dónde eres? (Where are you from ?)
Dues cerveses, si us plau - Dos cervezas, por favor (Two beers, please)
Em sembla molt divertit - Que parece divertido (That seems like fun)
Em sento com a casa - Me siento como en casa (I feel like home)
Adéu - Adiós (Goodbye)
During the last years there have been many petitions and projects to re-establish the use of this language in Spain, even though Catalan language is often used in schools, media and government.
Adina Baya works for Lingo24 Translation Company UK, a provider of high quality, translation services |
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