Catalán

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A language of Spain

ISO 639-3
cat
Alternate Names
Català, Catalan-Valencian-Balear, Catalonian
Population

6,890,000 in Spain (2010). Population total all countries: 7,220,420.

Location

Northeast, Barcelona area; Catalonia, Valencia provinces, Balearic Islands; Carche region, Murcia Province. Also in Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Language Maps
Language Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Valencia AC (1982, Autonomy Act, No. 9/1982, Article 7), Valencian in local laws. Statutory provincial language in Catalonia AC (1979, Autonomy Act, No. 4/1979, Article 3(2,5)).

Classification
Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, East Iberian
Dialects

Algherese, Balearic (Balear, Eivissenc, Insular Catalan, Mallorqui, Menorqui, Menorquin), Catalan-Rousillonese (Northern Catalán), Central Catalan, Northwestern Catalan (Aiguavivan, Lleidatà, Pallarese, Ribagorçan), Valencian (Valencià, Valenciano). Standardized variety is a literary composite of several dialects and written form is most similar to Barcelona speech. Pallarese and Ribogorçan dialects less similar to standard Catalan. Benasquese and Aiguavivan people live in isolated valleys and have distinct phonology from their neighbors. Tortosin may be more similar to Valencian. Central Catalan has 90% to 95% inherent intelligibility for speakers of Valencian (1989 R. Hall, Jr.). Lexical similarity: 87% with Italian [ita], 85% with Portuguese [por] and Spanish [spa], 76% with Ladin [lld], 75% with Sardinian [src], 73% with Romanian [ron].

Language Use

5,000,000 L2 speakers (1994 La Generalitat de Catalunya). All domains. All ages. Also use Spanish [spa], French [fra], Italian [ita], Logudorese Sardinian [src] or Occitan [oci].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 60%. Literacy rate in L2: 96%. High literacy in Catalán (60%) is recent. Pallarese and Ribogorçan speakers have less education, less contact with the standard, and live in high valleys of the Pyrenees. Some Valencian desire separate literature. Radio programs. TV. Grammar. Bible: 1478–1993.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Catalán
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Christian.

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