Everyone seems to be fluent in both Catalan and Castilian "Spanish" but Catalan is from what I understand the "preferred" language, while Castilian is seen more as a language imposed from outside.
All signs are bilingual. However the two languages sound quite different when spoken. Catalan is spoken by about 11 million people, mostly in the north-east and east of Spain, while Spanish is the official language of 21 countries, it spoken by about million natives, and nearly if we include those who speak it as a foreign language.
Here's some examples that might help you to see the difference Basic Catalan Phrases. Catalan is a Spanish language. Both Spanish and Catalan are an evolution from Latin, brought by the Romans more than years ago.
But it took almost years for Latin to break apart and become the current European Romance languages. And the origins of Castilian Spanish vs Catalan are already diverse. The center of Spain Castilia was more in touch with Iberian and Celtics, whereas Catalonia was more open to the Mediterranean sea and connected to the Occitan world beyond the Pyrenees. Researchers have also found some shorter fragments from a century earlier. Spanish is the second most spoken language by mother tongue after Chinese , with over milion native speakers — 47 milion of which in Spain.
Catalan speakers are bilingual. Catalan is a co-official language in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencia. It is also the sole official language in the tiny country of Andorra.
As for Andorra… people born and raised there are usually trilingual. Being a tiny country located between France and Spain and heavily depending on tourism, speaking both languages is a must for them. One of the main Catalan and Spanish differences are sounds or what linguists call phonemes. This is specially visible when examining vowels.
The close-mid e sounds like the e in dress in British English and the open-mid e sounds more like dress in American English. Same happens with o : there are two phonemes in Catalan for o: the open-mid o like thought in English, and the close-mid o like goat in American English.
In English you find it in words like comma. And sorry! As you know, Spanish or Castellano is from Spain and considered the official language, however Catalan is the second most spoken in the nation. An approximate of 10 million people speak Catalan. Catalan is a romantic language that originated in the northern region of Catalonia between the 8 th and 10 th centuries. After an astonishing expansion of Catalan to the literary world, arts, and politics; it began to decline.
For a variety of reasons, Castellano started to grow in Catalan territories; which started the whole competition of Spanish vs Catalan. The decay of Catalan literature and the different wars and political instability of Spain continued to affect it as well.
Upon the return of democracy in , Catalonia recovered its autonomy, leading to a growth in pride for Catalan identity, traditions, and culture. Today, Catalonia continues to be an autonomous region and a wealthy and resourceful part of Spain.
Irregardless if Catalonia is independent or not from Spain, its strong regional character will prevail, and continues to evolve. Catalan is the official language of majestic cities like Barcelona, Valencia, and Palma de Mallorca.
These cities also have Spanish-speaking populations, so both languages inevitably have and continue to coexist. Catalan and Spanish vocabulary are somewhat similar. Many words in Catalan are familiar to native Spanish-speakers.
Both are languages derived from Latin, so knowing one or the other gives you an advantage when it comes to learning vocabulary. When it comes to Spanish vs Catalan, the pronunciation is similar to a great extent with a few particularities. Some Catalan speakers consider Spanish their first language, and Catalan the second.
In a very small number of cases, Catalan speakers speak no other languages at all, not even Spanish. Because the region of Catalonia has two official languages, you will see Catalan alongside Spanish on road signs, in shop advertisements and in the media. Through education and active promotion Catalan people are encouraged to speak the language in order to keep it alive.
Having said all that, Spanish is also an official language in Catalonia, because, of course, the region is part of Spain. In Barcelona, Spanish and Catalan newspapers, books, television channels, art and culture also exist side by side, so that people can choose the language they prefer.
There is an on-going heated debate happening in Catalonia, because some political agencies and certain factions of the population would like to separate Catalonia from Spain, in order to establish the region as a separate, independent country. Catalan language plays a part in this discussion; sometimes the language is used to make a point, to prove that Catalonia has its own cultural identity.
As a blanket generalisation this is not true. The fact remains that a vast number of Catalans identify themselves as being Spanish, many feel proud to be both Spanish and Catalan at the same time and equally many believe that Catalonia is an integral part of the whole country.
In those cases where people feel strongly about Catalan independence, most are only interested in a pacific, democratic debate, albeit it sometimes a passionate one.
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