Catalan Language: History, Evolution, and Cultural Impact
The Catalan Language: A Historical Overview
The Catalan language was initially the only language spoken and understood by the people. It wasn’t until the seventeenth century that Spanish began to spread among the higher social classes in cities. This is a brief look at the origins of the Catalan language.
Origins and Early Development
The Catalan language originated from the evolution of Vulgar Latin spoken in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula and southern Gaul (Narbonne). The first manifestations were oral. The use of Catalan in written documents can be traced back through this timeline:
- s. IX-X: Traces of Romance languages in texts written in Latin.
- s. XI: More extensive use of Romance languages in Latin texts.
- s. XII: Documents in Catalan, such as the Homilies d’Organyà.
Expansion and Consolidation
The medieval Catalan literature began and reached its peak in the 15th century. The territorial expansion of the Crown of Aragon led to Catalan being spoken in places like the Balearic Islands, Valencia, the city of Alghero, and the Carxe region of Murcia. This expansion favored the consolidation of Catalan linguistic consciousness.
Fifteenth Century: Crisis and Factors
The 15th century was full of crises and significant factors. On the positive side, Catalan achieved full literary status and was admitted to the court of Naples and the court of Pope Borgia in Rome. However, the link with Castile and the enthronement of a dynasty led to a Castilian Spanish influence at court. The marriage of the Kings initiated a political and cultural subordination of Catalonia to Castile.
The political subordination of the Crown of Aragon to Castile meant that the monarchy sought to reduce the territories within the Hispanic culture and Spanish language.
The Catalan Language Under the Habsburgs
During the reigns of the Habsburgs, the linguistic community of the Crown of Aragon experienced two trends: the maintenance of Catalan in private use and a gradual process of political subordination to Castile, including the introduction of Spanish.
The Catalan Language Under the Bourbons
When Philip IV and V of Aragon ascended to the throne of Castile, the New Ground Decrees were promulgated, suppressing established laws and institutions and implementing Castilian rules and institutions. Spanish became the only official language, with exceptions in Menorca and Andorra (where Catalan is spoken). However, Catalan society largely refused to accept this and continued speaking Catalan in private.
The Catalan Language in the Nineteenth Century
The 19th century was an era of effective prosecution of Catalan by the state. A series of sectoral norms were issued, proscribing Catalan and imposing Spanish in education, notary activities, civil registration, etc. There was also a reaction against the process of Catalan language shift towards Castilian, particularly in the literary sphere. The Renaissance saw a recovery of learned literature in Catalan and its own literary and cultural tradition. In the last quarter of the century, Catalan political ideology advocated autonomy for Catalonia within Spain, seeking to accommodate the national reality of the Catalans.