Catalan Dialects: A Linguistic Journey
Catalan Language and Dialects
Geographic Distribution
Catalan is spoken across four European countries:
- Spain: Principality of Catalonia (except Aran Valley, where Aranese is official).
- France: Vallespir, Roussillon, Conflent, Cerdanya, and Capcir (integrated into Pyrénées-Orientales).
- Italy: Alghero (a town in Sardinia).
- Andorra: Catalan is the sole official language.
Dialect Characterization
Catalan dialects are categorized as constitutive (originating from Old Catalonia) and consecutive (resulting from conquests).
Northern Catalan (Roussillon, France)
Phonetics
- Vocals: Closing keynote at [u] (e.g., flower – fl[u]).
- Consonants: Uvular articulation [r] for phonemes /r/ and /l/, influenced by French.
Morphology and Syntax
- Possessives: Frequent use, incorporating female forms (e.g., their/theirs).
- Verbs: Use of desinence “-i” in the first person present indicative (e.g., I sing).
- Syntax: Negation constructed as “step” instead of “no” (e.g., Step will come tomorrow).
Central Catalan (Tarragona)
Persistence of [v] and preservation of plural “-s” (e.g., homens).
Phonetics
- Vocals: Seven-vowel tonic system.
- Consonants: Silent grouped stops at word endings (e.g., field / en[m]) and in specific positions (e.g., straw / pa[j]a; eye / u[j]).
Morphology and Syntax
- Article: Derived from Latin (e.g., the, the, the, the).
- Verbs: Desinence “-o” pronounced [u] in the first person present tense.
- Pronouns: Reinforced pronouns before verb forms (e.g., I am, I hate you).
Insular Catalan (Balearic Islands)
Isolation contributed to the survival of archaisms.
Phonetics
- Vocals: Eight-vowel tonic system, retaining “e” in neutral tonic positions.
- Consonants: Palatal iodisation [] from specific Latin consonant clusters.
Morphology and Syntax
- Article: Derived from Latin ipsu.
- Verbs: First person present indicative without desinence (e.g., I open, I think).
Alguer Catalan (Sardinia)
Resettled by people from Camp de Tarragona and Penedès.
Morphology
- Retention of desinence “-o” (nothing) for the first person present indicative (e.g., I sing, I move).
Lexicon
- Archaisms, Sardisms, and Italianisms.
Northwestern Catalan
Covers Segre and Ebro river counties, including Ribagorçan, Pallars, and Aranese (Aran Valley).
Phonetics
- Vocals: Seven tonic vowels. Five in coastal areas, expanding to six in Segrià, Garrigues, and Noguera. Diphthongization of initial “au” (e.g., oil / aulivia).
- Consonants: Complete lack of iodisation.
Morphology and Syntax
- Article: Archaic masculine forms (e.g., it, them).
- Nouns: Nasal retention in former proparoxytones with plural “-n” (e.g., young / juveniles).
- Verbs: Desinence “-o” pronounced [o] in the first person present indicative (e.g., I sing[o]).
Valencian Catalan
Inland areas speak Spanish due to Aragonese repopulation. Coastal cities are more populated.
Phonetics
- Vocals: Seven-vowel tonic system.
- Consonants: Pronunciation of final “-r” (e.g., speaking[r]). Affricate sounds [] [] in initial or post-consonantal positions (e.g., explore [d]ent; belly / bread[t]a).
Morphology and Syntax
- Article: Forms like “the, the, the, the.”
- Demonstratives: Three degrees of localization, coinciding with neutral pronouns and adverbs of place.
- Possessives: Feminine forms by adding “-a” to masculine (e.g., my / my).
- Verbs: Endings “-ava”, “-ies”, “-ira” in the imperfect subjunctive (e.g., I would sing, you would lose, it would gather).