El dialecto catalán es una mezcla de provenzal arcaico y lengua valenciana clásica

Fayostrosss

3 Oct 201115:23

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses the complex linguistic history of Catalonia, debunking the myth that Catalan was the sole language of the region. It explains that Catalonia has always been multilingual, with Mozarabic, Occitan, and even Italian and Hebrew spoken alongside Catalan. The script also explores the rise of Spanish (Castilian) as a lingua franca in the 12th century, facilitated by its simplicity and utility for communication among diverse Romance languages. The Valencian language is highlighted as distinct from Catalan, with its own development and historical recognition, contrary to the notion that it is merely a dialect of Catalan.

Takeaways

🗣️ The script discusses the linguistic history of Catalonia, emphasizing the region's multilingualism and the evolution of the Catalan and Spanish languages.
🏰 From the 8th to the 11th century, southern Catalonia was influenced by the Carolingian Empire, speaking a dialect of Provencal, while the north was more influenced by Mozarabic language.
📚 During the 12th century, Catalonia was already multilingual, with Occitan being the preferred language for poetry among the cultured class, despite the majority of the population being illiterate.
🎭 The script mentions that Catalan poets of the time preferred to write in Occitan, considering it more cultured and beautiful than Catalan.
🤴 Alfonso X, known as 'The Wise', played a significant role in the creation of modern Spanish, but in poetry, he used Galician, which was considered more prestigious at the time.
🌐 Castilian Spanish started to gain ground in Catalonia not due to imposition but because it served as a common language that different Romance language speakers could understand.
📜 The script highlights that in the 12th century, documents in the Crown of Aragon were in various languages, with a significant number in Castilian, indicating its use as a lingua franca.
👑 Jaime I, also known as James the Conqueror, helped Catalan gain more prestige in the court, but Castilian continued to be the common language for understanding among diverse inhabitants of Catalonia.
📖 The Valencian language is not a dialect of Catalan but has its own distinct history, evolving from the Romance language spoken in the Valencia region during the Reconquista.
📘 The script points out that there were instances of translating works from one Romance language to another, such as from Majorcan to Valencian, indicating they were considered separate languages.
👨‍🏫 Pompeu Fabra's standardization of the Barcelona dialect of Catalan in the early 20th century has led to its widespread use and imposition in education and public life, which is not representative of all Catalan dialects.

Q & A

What is the main topic of discussion in the transcript?
-The main topic of the transcript is the linguistic history and evolution of the Catalan and Valencian languages in Spain, as well as the historical context of their usage and the debate surrounding their relationship.
Why does the speaker mention the year 1594 in Girona?
-The year 1594 in Girona is mentioned as an example of the historical preference for the Spanish language over Catalan, where disturbances occurred because the faithful wanted to hear the liturgy in Spanish, not Catalan.
What does the speaker say about the idea that Catalan was the only language spoken in Catalonia?
-The speaker refutes the idea that Catalan was the only language spoken in Catalonia, stating that the region has always been multilingual, with various languages spoken in different areas and periods.
What is the significance of the Mozarabic language mentioned in the transcript?
-The Mozarabic language is significant because it was spoken in the southern part of Catalonia during the 8th to 11th centuries, indicating the region's linguistic diversity and the influence of the Muslim presence.
Why does the speaker mention Alfonso X the Wise in the context of the Spanish language?
-Alfonso X the Wise is mentioned because he is credited with creating modern Spanish with a university-level capacity for reading and writing, although he also used Galician in poetry due to its prestige at the time.
What is the historical context of the Valencian language according to the transcript?
-The Valencian language is described as having evolved from a Romance language spoken in the Valencia region during the period of the Reconquista, with evidence from Arab grammarians and legal documents indicating its continuous use.
What does the speaker suggest about the relationship between Catalan and Valencian?
-The speaker suggests that Valencian is not a dialect of Catalan but a distinct language with its own historical development and usage, despite strong linguistic ties due to their common Latin roots.
Why does the speaker mention the figure of Pompeu Fabra in the context of the Catalan language?
-Pompeu Fabra is mentioned as the individual who standardized the Barcelona dialect of Catalan, which later became the model for the standardized Catalan language taught in schools and imposed in various regions, despite not being representative of all Catalan dialects.
What is the speaker's view on the imposition of a standardized language on different regions?
-The speaker criticizes the imposition of a standardized language, such as the Barcelona dialect of Catalan, on regions where different dialects were traditionally spoken, considering it an act of cultural manipulation and a crime against linguistic diversity.
What historical event is used to illustrate the preference for Spanish over Catalan in the transcript?
-The disturbances in Girona in 1594, where the faithful wanted the liturgy in Spanish instead of Catalan, are used to illustrate the historical preference for Spanish in certain contexts.
How does the speaker describe the linguistic situation in Catalonia during the 12th century?
-The speaker describes the linguistic situation in 12th-century Catalonia as highly multilingual, with Catalan spoken in the north, Mozarabic in the south, Italian, Hebrew, and Castilian being used by various communities, and Castilian emerging as a lingua franca.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Language Diversity in Catalonia

This paragraph discusses the multilingual history of Catalonia, challenging the notion that Catalan was the sole language of the region. It explains that from the 8th to the 11th century, Mozarabic was spoken in the south, while the north was influenced by the Carolingian Empire and spoke a Provençal dialect. The paragraph also highlights the cultural significance of Occitan in the 12th century, as well as the rise of Spanish (Castilian) as a lingua franca due to its simplicity and utility for communication among diverse Romance language speakers.

05:01

📜 The Emergence of Spanish in Catalonia

This section delves into how Spanish (Castilian) became prevalent in Catalonia during the 12th century, not due to imposition but as a practical language for mutual understanding. It mentions that documents from the Crown of Aragon were not exclusively in Catalan, but also in Latin, Aragonese, Hebrew, and predominantly in Castilian. The paragraph emphasizes the organic growth of Castilian as a common language, even among the nobility, and recounts an anecdote from 1594 where the people of Girona demanded the liturgy be in Castilian, not Catalan, leading to public disturbances.

10:01

📚 The Valencian Language and Its Distinct Identity

The paragraph explores the origins and development of the Valencian language, which is distinct from Catalan. It discusses the presence of Romance languages in the Valencia region during the Reconquista period, as documented by Arab scholars and legal codes. The text also highlights the recognition of Valencian as a separate language in the 16th century, evidenced by the translation of works from Mallorquín to Valencian, and the acknowledgment of Valencian's unique linguistic features and history.

15:03

🌐 The Standardization and Politics of Language

This final paragraph addresses the issue of language standardization, particularly the work of Pompeu Fabra, who unified the Barcelona dialect as the standard Catalan. It criticizes the imposition of this standardized language in regions where it was not traditionally spoken, such as the Balearic Islands and Valencia, and contrasts the situation with the natural evolution of languages like Spanish, which was shaped by historical figures like Nebrija. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the manipulation of language for political purposes and the importance of respecting linguistic diversity.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Catalan

Catalan is a Romance language spoken in the Catalonia region of Spain, as well as in the Balearic Islands and Valencia. In the video script, it is discussed in the context of its historical presence in Catalonia and its relationship with other languages like Spanish and Valencian. The script mentions that Catalan has been historically misconstrued as the sole language of Catalonia, which is not accurate given the region's multilingual history.

💡Multilingualism

Multilingualism refers to the use of more than one language, typically in a region or by an individual. The script emphasizes that Catalonia has always been a multilingual region, with various languages spoken over the centuries, including Mozarabic, Occitan, Italian, Hebrew, and Castilian Spanish, showcasing the linguistic diversity that has been a part of its cultural fabric.

💡Mozarabic

Mozarabic is an old Romance language that was spoken by the Christian population in Muslim-controlled areas of Spain. The script mentions that Mozarabic was spoken in the southern part of what is now Catalonia during the 8th to 11th centuries, highlighting the historical linguistic diversity of the region.

💡Occitan

Occitan, also known as Provençal, is a Romance language spoken in southern France and parts of Italy. In the script, Occitan is noted as a prestigious language during the 12th century, with even Catalan poets preferring to write in Occitan due to its perceived cultural and artistic value.

💡Castilian Spanish

Castilian Spanish, or simply Spanish, is the standard form of the Spanish language. The script discusses the historical spread of Spanish in Catalonia, not as an imposed language, but as a lingua franca that facilitated communication among the diverse linguistic communities of the region.

💡Alfonso X the Wise

Alfonso X, also known as Alfonso the Wise, was a 13th-century king of Castile who is credited with the creation of modern Spanish. The script points out that while Alfonso X established Spanish as a language of academic and literary significance, he also used other languages such as Galician in his poetry, reflecting the multilingual context of the time.

💡Linguistic Prestige

Linguistic prestige refers to the perceived status or value of a language within a society. The script discusses how certain languages, such as Occitan and Galician, were considered more prestigious during certain historical periods, influencing the language choices of poets and writers.

💡Valencian

Valencian is a Romance language spoken in the Valencian Community of Spain. The script differentiates Valencian from Catalan, arguing that it is not a dialect of Catalan but a distinct language with its own historical development and linguistic features.

💡Pompeu Fabra

Pompeu Fabra was a Catalan linguist who standardized the Catalan language in the early 20th century. The script criticizes the imposition of his standardized version of the Barcelona dialect as the norm across different Catalan-speaking regions, arguing that it disregards the linguistic diversity and historical linguistic practices of those areas.

💡Linguistic Imposition

Linguistic imposition refers to the forced adoption of a particular language or dialect as the standard in a region, often at the expense of local linguistic traditions. The script discusses the imposition of the standardized Barcelona dialect of Catalan in areas like the Balearic Islands and Valencia, which historically spoke different dialects.

💡Historical Manipulation

Historical manipulation involves the distortion or misrepresentation of historical facts to serve a particular narrative or agenda. The script accuses certain parties of manipulating the historical understanding of the linguistic landscape of Catalonia and Valencia to fit a modern political or cultural narrative, at the expense of the true linguistic diversity and evolution of these regions.

Highlights

The Catalan language has been a subject of debate for 30 years, with some feeling alienated for speaking Spanish in Catalonia.

Catalonia has historically been multilingual, with Mozarabic spoken in the south and a mix of languages in the north.

Catalan is derived from Provençal, a dialect of the Carolingian Empire, and not the original language of Catalonia.

In the 12th century, Catalonia was already multilingual, with Occitan being preferred by poets over Catalan.

Alfonso X the Wise contributed to the development of modern Spanish but used Gallego in poetry due to its prestige.

Castilian Spanish became a lingua franca in 12th-century Catalonia due to its utility for communication among diverse speakers.

The Archives of the Crown of Aragon contain few documents in Catalan, indicating the prevalence of Castilian Spanish.

The Valencian language is not a dialect of Catalan but a distinct Romance language with its own historical development.

Valencian has historical roots in the Romance language spoken in the Valencia region during the Reconquista period.

A 16th-century Mallorcan priest complained about the lack of a Valencian translation of a work originally in Mallorquín, highlighting the distinction between the languages.

Pompeu Fabra's standardization of Catalan, based on the Barcelona dialect, has been imposed on other regions, causing controversy.

The historical manipulation of language in Catalonia and Valencia has been significant, with political implications.

The linguistic diversity of Catalonia is underscored by the use of multiple languages by King James II for his children.

In 1594, disturbances in Girona occurred because the faithful wanted to hear the liturgy in Spanish, not Catalan.

The historical preference for Spanish over Catalan in religious services contradicts the narrative of Spanish imposition.

The comparison of Valencian and Catalan to Galician and Portuguese is highlighted as misleading, with the former pair being less similar.