Catalan Language: Origins and Linguistic Evolution
Pre-Roman and Roman Influences
- Substrate: Pre-Roman linguistic elements that influenced Latin and were conserved in Catalan.
- Superstrate: Linguistic elements incorporated into the Catalan language after the Roman period.
- Adstrate: Influence of two or more languages due to border contact.
Indo-European Peoples
Indo-European peoples who spoke different languages:
- Sorotaptes: Words like “sostre” (ceiling), “clenxa” (hair parting), “galta” (cheek).
- Celts: “Balma” (cave), “banya” (horn), “blat” (wheat), “camí” (road).
- Phoenicians: Place names like “Eivissa” (Ibiza), “Maó” (Mahon).
- Greek: Introduction of the wheel, vineyards, and olive groves. The Greeks also introduced coinage to the Catalan continent. Examples include “Roses” (place name).
- Ibero-Basque: Introduction of the alphabet. Words like “estany” (pond), “carabassa” (pumpkin), “esquerra” (left), “estalviar” (to save).
Romanization and the Shift to Latin
Different territories experienced varying degrees of Romanization:
- Areas of deep Romanization
- Areas of less intense Romanization
- Non-Romanized zones
Sources for Understanding Vulgar Latin
- Vulgarized literary texts: Use of colloquial Latin and vulgarisms.
- Technical treatises: Written by craftsmen.
- Inscriptions with vulgarisms: Written by people who did not fully master written Latin.
- Grammatical texts: Corrected forms considered incorrect.
- Christian religious texts: Notes on the popular use of language in Christian texts.
- Late Latin glossaries: Explained colloquial words that had become widespread and were no longer unusual.
Latin: The Lexical Basis of Catalan
- Popular words: Underwent complete phonetic evolution.
- Learned words: Did not undergo the usual laws of phonetic evolution.
- Semi-learned words: Phonetic evolution was halted at some point.
- Doublets: A single Latin etymon yields two or more words in Catalan.
Toponymy and Anthroponymy
- Anthroponyms: Personal names.
- Toponyms: Geographic names.
- Hagiotoponyms: Sacred place names.
Catalan Among the Romance Languages
Factors that led to the diversification of Latin:
- Substrate
- Origin
- Superstrate
- Intensity of Romanization
- Political life
Romance languages today:
- Galician-Portuguese
- Spanish
- Catalan
- French
- Occitan
- Sardinian
- Italian
- Romanian
- Rhaeto-Romance
The Romanian Language and its Influence
It is divided into two major groups: Eastern and Western. Western Romance languages voiced intervocalic voiceless stops, while Eastern Romance languages retained them. Within Western Romance, two subgroups can be distinguished: Gallo-Romance and Ibero-Romance.
The Dissolution of the Roman Empire and the Emergence of Catalan
The Roman Empire decomposed due to the pressure of Germanic peoples. This led to the divergence of Latin on the Iberian Peninsula, to the extent that the language spoken in Catalonia evolved into Catalan. Catalan dialects that derive from the evolution of Vulgar Latin spoken in Old Catalonia are called constitutive, and those derived from the evolution of the language transplanted to another territory through repopulation are called consecutive.
Germanic Invasions
Catalonia was no longer under Roman rule but under Germanic domination. The Visigoths, who controlled the territory, initially destroyed Latino culture but later imitated it. The Visigoths’ greatest influence was in the political, cultural, and military spheres.
The Germanic Contribution to Catalan
Germanic influence occurred in several ways:
- Before the Germanic invasions, through Vulgar Latin.
- During the Germanic invasions.
- After Germanic domination.
The content of Germanic words is notable in many semantic fields: military, domestic life, clothing, animals and hunting, rural life, body parts, colors, music, feelings, names, and various adjectives.
Muslim Invasion
After the Germanic peoples came the Muslims. The reconquest of the territories: Mallorca (1229), Ibiza (1235), and Menorca (1287). Although no longer under Muslim rule, their cultural and scientific ideas were continually esteemed.
Carolingian Renovatio
The Carolingian Renovatio aimed to restore the cultivated Latin of Christian culture. The lack of understanding of cultivated Latin by the largely illiterate population led the Church to reconsider how to preach. The Council of Tours (813) decided that each priest should preach in the language of his people.
Theories on the Nascent Constitutive Dialects of Catalan
- The Pre-Roman Substrate Theory: Proposed by Sanchis Guarner, it posited that the Eastern dialect coincided with Indo-European peoples. However, it was dismantled by Miquel Tarradell, who found evidence of diverse peoples throughout the territory.
- The Strength of Romanization Theory: Proposed by Badia i Margarit, it corrected errors in Sanchis Guarner’s theory, although some linguists are hesitant to fully accept it.