Other Languages of Spain - Catalan, Basque, Galician - aboutspanishimmersion.com Other Languages of Spain - Catalan, Basque, Galician Catalan Spoken throughout Valencia and Catalonia as well as in parts of Southern France, Catalan is the second most widely spoken language across Spain. It is recognised as the only official language of Andorra and is a co-official language in Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands . Although Castilian and Catalan resemble each other slightly on paper, when spoken they are highly distinguishable, and in many parts of Catalonia, Barcelona included Catalan is the principle language spoken in public. The language spoken in Catalonia and Valencia is also distinguishable; there are a number of significant differences in vocabulary as well as grammar. Following repression under the Franco regime, Catalan grew and developed as a significant Spanish language and there are now many official newspapers, TV channels and radio stations which operate only in Catalan. Basque The Basque language, or Euskara, is a recognised language of Spain and is spoken throughout the Basque country which covers north-east Spain and south-west France and whose capital is the beautiful city of Bilbao .

Across this area approximately 25% of the population speaks Basque, the majority of these living in the Spanish area of the region. Although an exceedingly difficult language to learn, it is promoted and taught in many areas of the region and there are a number of schools which are conducted solely in Basque. Unlike Castilian and Catalan, Euskara bears no relation to other European languages derived from Latin sparking confusion as to its roots. Its word structure, syntax and vocabulary are completely different to any other language spoken in the country. Not only does this make it particularly difficult for visitors to the region but also for those who wish to learn it to any level. Galician The Galician language is co-official with Castilian in the north-west region of Galicia and is spoken by around 3 million people. The language plays a prominent role in bilingual schools throughout the region and is used in its three universities. Galician bears a number of resemblances to Portuguese due to its close proximity to the country and much controversy surrounds the distinguishing between the two languages. Which Languages Are Spoken in Spain? Which Languages are Spoken in Spain? Which Languages are Spoken in Spain? Spanish, Catalan and Basque are the famous ones, but there are more!

Catalan and Spanish are both official languages of Catalonia in Spain. Neurock/Creative Commons By Damian Corrigan Updated March 07, 2016. ¿Hablas Español? If you do, good, that'll get you far, but you may still find yourself at a loss when reading some signs and menus as there are several other popular languages in Spain. The web is full of misinformation on the languages spoken in Spain, read on for the definitive answer. See also: Spain's Official Language Spanish, also known as Castilian Spanish or just Castilian, is the official national language in Spain. The Spanish spoken in Spain is largely the same as that spoken in Latin America. The main difference is accent, although there are some differences of vocabulary and grammar usage. Spain is a great place to learn Spanish that can be used with any Spanish speakers around the world. Read more about Learning Spanish in Spain . See also: The autonomous community system allows each of Spain's regions to elect a co-language. continue reading below our video Before Your Road Trip, Watch This Six regions have taken up this option. Catalonia and the Balearic Islands have Catalan. This is the most widely spoken of all the minority languages in Spain.

Catalonia is where you will most often see a menu written in a language other than Spanish. In Valencia some people speak Valencian (viewed by many as a dialect of Catalan), though they are far less militant about it than the Catalans. About seven million people speak Catalan/Valencian. Catalan is intelligible when written down if you speak Spanish (and/or French) but the pronunciation is quite different. The Basque Country and Navarra have Basque, a complex language often dubbed the most unique in Europe. Despite the infamous ETA terrorist group being based in the Basque Country, the Basques are generally more happy about speaking Spanish than the Catalans are. In Galicia many people speak Galician, with a variant called Eonavian spoken in Asturias. Approximately three million people speak the language. It is the closest to Spanish of the three regional languages in Spain - if you also speak a little Portuguese, you should have no problem understanding the language. Portuguese actually grew out of Galician. See some common phrases in these languages at the bottom of the page.

Attitudes Towards (Castillian) Spanish in Catalan, Basque & Galician Regions Genuine hostility to Spanish speakers is rare and even rarer when it is a tourist who is genuinely trying to speak the language, but mild animosity is not unheard of. It is often said that a Basque or Catalan would rather you spoke English to them than Spanish. If you meet such a hostile person, you have to ask yourself if you really want to be speaking to them at all! Despite the notoriety of Basque separatists and the violent means they take to make their point, I've always found the Catalans to be the most fervently nationalist of the Spanish regions . Street names are written in both Spanish and Basque in the Basque country, whereas in Catalonia they are only in Catalan. Confusingly, Spanish speakers in Catalonia will often call Catalan street names by their Spanish equivalent, which can be quite frustrating when you're searching for it on a map! It is pretty much unheard of for Galicians to resent the use of Castillian Spanish in Galicia. Spanish (or Castillian, as purists call it) is spoken in all but the most remote villages in these regions.

You don't need to learn any of these languages, but learning the phrases on the following page will definitely be appreciated. Smaller Languages in Spain Aranese (a dialect of Gascon, itself a variant of Occitan) is an official language in the tiny Val d'Aran, in north-west Catalonia, though it is not recognized in the rest of Catalonia. Valencian is recognized as a dialect of Catalan by most authorities, though in Valencia it is seen as a separate language. This means that there are four, five or six official languages in Spain, depending on your stance on Valencian and whether you want to include Aranese. In addition to these official languages, there are a number of unofficial languages in Spain. Asturian and its Leonese variant are understood to an extent in the Asturias and Leon regions respectively, but they are generally considered to be dead languages. Aragonese is spoken around the Aragon river and the province of Huesca in Aragon. It said that these languages form a continuum - Portuguese, Galician, Asturian/Leonese, Spanish, Aragonese, Catalan, Aranese/Gascon/Occitan to Italian.

It is difficult to say where one ends and the next begins. In Extremadura, a region to the south-west of Madrid, you will also find Extremaduran (considered by some to be a dialect of Spanish) and Fala, a variant of Portuguese. Finally, there are large immigrant communities of English and Arabic speakers in Spain. Some estimates claim there are one million native English speakers living in Spain - making English as widely spoken in Spain as the Basque language is. In some parts of Andalusia, road signs appear in English and some (around Almeria) are in Arabic. Thanks to Tim Barton of for helping me with this page. The Languages spoken in Spain locations The Languages spoken in Spain The languages of Spain, or Spanish languages (lenguas españolas or lenguas hispánicas), are those languages that are either currently or were once spoken in Spain. The main languages of Spain fall into the category of Romance languages, of which Spanish—the Castilian variety of Spanish—is the sole official language for the whole of the country.

Additionally, there are a number of other languages and variants with co-official or regionally-recognized status in specific territories and regions of the country, as well as several unofficial languages and dialects that can be heard in certain localities within the Spanish borders. This linguistic diversity and freedom in Spain is guaranteed by the Spanish Constitution, which establishes that the nation will protect “all Spaniards and the peoples of Spain in the exercise of human rights, their cultures and traditions, languages and institutions.” Spanish Languages of Today Official Language of Spain Spanish (Español)—officially recognized in the Constitution as Castilian (Castellano)—is the official language of the entire country of Spain. It is also the most predominant and most widely spoken language in the country; a language which nearly all Spaniards can speak as either a first or second language. In fact, the Spanish Constitution of 1978 requires that all citizens be familiar with the language, specifically saying that “it is the right and duty of every Spaniard to know the Spanish (Castilian) language.” According to the latest available information, 89 percent of the Spanish people speak Spanish as their native language. RAE oversees the Spanish language and its constant adaptations to the needs of its speakers.

Co-official and Regionally Recognized Languages of Spain In addition to naming Castilian as the official language of Spain, the Spanish Constitution also states that “all other Spanish languages”—that is, all other languages of Spain—will also be official in their respective autonomous communities in accordance with their laws and statutes and their organic regional legislations, and that the “richness of the distinct linguistic modalities of Spain represents a patrimony which will be the object of special respect and protection.” In the same poll mentioned above, Catalan/Valencian is listed as the second-most widely spoken language in Spain, spoken as a first language by approximately 9 percent of the population. This language is followed by Galician, spoken by 5 percent of the population; Basque, spoken by 1 percent of the population; and other native languages, spoken by 3 percent of the population. In addition, there are a number of regional languages that, although not deemed co-official, are spoken widely in certain Spanish territories. The languages that have co-official status in the country of Spain are as follows: Catalan. Catalan (Català) is the co-official language in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.

Additionally, a distinct variant of Catalan known as Valencian is co-official in the Valencian Autonomous Community. Galician. The Galician (Galegos) language is co-official in Galicia. It can also be heard in the nearby western portions of the Principality of Asturias and Castile and Leon, although it is not officially recognized in these areas. Basque. The Basque (Euskara) language is co-official in the Basque Country and Navarre. Interestingly, it is the only non-Romance language granted co-official status by the Spanish Constitution. Aranese. Like Catalan, Aranese is also co-official in Catalonia. This language is spoken sparsely in the Pyrenean comarca of the Aran Valley (Val d’Aran), located in the northwestern portion of Catalonia. Aranese is a variety of Gascon, which in turn is a variety of the Occitan language. Castilian Spanish is the official language throughout the country of Spain. It is the language used officially by the national government and the language used in education in those autonomous communities where it is the only language with official or co-official status.

The languages listed above, however, are granted co-official status in their respective communities, and each of them, except for Aranese, is “sufficiently widespread as to have daily newspapers and significant book publishing and media presence in those communities.” In Catalonia and Galicia, the respective co-official languages of Catalan and Galician are used by the regional governments and local administrations there. Many of those living in these regions deem their regional language as their primary language and Spanish/Castilian as their secondary language. In addition to the official language of Spain (Castilian) and those granted co-official status (Catalan, Galician, Basque and Aranese), there are also a number of languages that are recognized regionally throughout the country, though these languages are seen as endangered due to the miniscule percentage of speakers in present-day Spain. These regionally recognized languages include: Aragonese. Aragonese is recognized regionally, although not officially, in Aragon. Asturian. Asturian is recognized regionally, although not officially in Asturias. Leonese. Leonese is spoken by a very small percentage of the population of Castile and Leon, specifically in the provinces of Leon and Zamora.

Like Aragonese and Asturian, it is recognized regionally in these areas, although not officially. Spanish Dialects The Spanish or Castilian language itself has a number of distinct dialects used around the country. The Andalusian or Canarian dialects, for example, each have their own sub-varieties, some of which are associated with the Spanish spoken in the Americas. These, and other dialects like them, have traditionally been influenced, in various ways, depending on the regions and/or period, and according to different and non-homogenous migrating or the processes of colonization. Spain is home to five localized dialects of different affiliation: Fala, an unofficial, unrecognized and nearly extinct dialect, mostly ascribed to the Galician-Portuguese group of languages; Cantabrian and Extremaduran, Spanish dialects that are also regarded as Astur-Leonese dialects; Eonavian, a dialect sounding like a cross between Asturian and Galician, although closer to the latter according to experts; and Benasquese, a Ribagorcan dialect that was once categorized as Catalan, later Aragonese, and which is currently regarded as a traditional language of its own.

The regional languages Asturian and Leonese are closely akin to the local Mirandese dialect, which is spoken on an adjacent territory, one that spills over into Portugal. Mirandese is, however, recognized there and has some official status at the local level. Save for Basque, all of the languages spoken within the mainland borders of Spain are Indo-European languages, specifically Romance languages. Outside of the mainland borders, Afro-Asiatic languages, such as Arabic (including Ceutra Darija) or Berber (mainly Riffian Berber), are spoken by the Muslim populations of Ceuta and Melilla and by recent immigrants, mainly those arriving from Algeria and Morocco. Spain and the Portuguese Language The Galician and Portuguese languages have many similarities, and although Portuguese has no official status in Spain, it can be heard in certain regions of the country, particularly Galicia. The mutual relationship between the Galician and Portuguese languages has recently stirred up some controversy in Spain. Some linguists consider that they are both dialects of a common language, in spite of the differences in vocabulary and phonology. Others argue that the major differences in vocabulary and phonics, and to a lesser extent, morphology and syntax, have caused them to become completely separate languages.

Nevertheless, the written standards of each respective language (Galician and Portuguese) are noticeably discernible from one another, in part due to the different phonological features and the usage of Spanish orthographic conventions over the Portuguese ones at the time of Galician standardization by the 20th century. Because of this, the official position of the Galician Language Institute is that Galician and Portuguese should and are to be considered separate languages. Fala, a Galician-Portuguese based dialect, is spoken locally in Spain in an area sometimes known as the Valley of Jálama/Xálima, which includes the towns of San Martin de Trevejo (Sa Martin de Travellu), Eljas (As Elhas) and Valverde del Fresno (Valverdi du Fresnu), in the northwestern corner of Cáceres province, Extremadura.

In terms of Portuguese itself, in its proper form, it can still regularly be heard in a select number of border regions, including the towns of La Alamedilla, in the Salamanca province; Cedillo (in Portuguese Cedilho) and Herrera de Alcantara (in Portuguese Ferreira de Alcantara), although its use in the latter two towns has faded greatly. In addition, Portuguese is also spoken to some degree in the town of Olivenza (in Portuguese Olivenca), in the Badajoz province, and in its surrounding territory, which although formerly part of Portugal and still claimed by that country, has officially been Spanish territory since the 19th century. Historical Languages of Spain No discussion of Spanish languages would be complete without mentioning some of the historical languages of Spain—languages once spoken, although now rarely used, in the area that is now Spain, located on the Iberian Peninsula. The Iberian and Celtic people were the first historically-recorded inhabitants in the region now known as Spain, with the former speaking the Iberian language, and the latter speaking one of two Celtic languages: Celtiberian and Gallaecian.

Later, due to its geographical importance, Iberia became an important part of the Roman Empire, and as such, the country became very latinized, and the Latin language was introduced widely around the region. The Gothic language was widely spoken during the Visigoth era in Spain. However, when the Christians were conquered by the Moors in the 8th century, languages such as Andalusi Arabic, Classical Arabic and Mozarabic became the norm and were widely spoken throughout Spain. These languages would remain in force until the Moors were finally ousted by Christian forces during the Reconquista of the 15th century, ending nearly eight centuries of Muslim rule. Following this ouster, Spain gradually reverted back to the Latin-based Romance languages, a category of which most of its languages of today---Castilian, Galician, Catalan, etc.—are a part. The languages of Spain | Foreign Exchange Translations The languages of Spain August 30, 2010 by Paul Canton in language Saying that everyone in Spain speaks Spanish would be a statement as simple as saying that all Spaniards do siesta, eat paella and drink sangría. While this may be true for many Spaniards, it is not accurate for all of them.

Even though Spain is a very small country, it is culturally and linguistically diverse. There are many differences between North, South, East, and West, and official languages play an important role in highlighting these regional differences. The most prominent of the languages in Spain is Spanish, which nearly everyone in Spain can speak as either their first or second language. However, Spain has recognized five “official languages”: Castilian (also called Spanish), Catalan, Basque, Galician, and Aranese. Part of the Spanish population is bilingual and in some areas even trilingual. Throughout its history, Spain was invaded by several different civilizations (Celts, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths and Moors) and, as a result, each distinct region of Spain developed its own dialect. Many of these dialects went on to become official languages. Galician is the language spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain. Galician is derived from Vulgar Latin. Galician and Portuguese were, in medieval times, a single language and they still share many common grammatical features. Galician is spoken by about 3 million people. Catalan is also a Roman language.

It is spoken in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and in the Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian. Approximately 9 million people in Spain speak Catalan. Basque or Euskara is the ancestral language spoken in the Basque Country, an autonomous community in Northern Spain. Though geographically surrounded by Indo-European Romance languages, Basque is classified as a language isolate. It is the last remaining pre-Indo-European language in Western Europe. About 1 million people speak this language. Aranese is a variety of the Occitan language spoken in the Aran Valley, which is located in northwestern Catalonia on the border between Spain and France. There, it is one of three official languages along with Catalan and Spanish. The following table demonstrates the regional differences of Spanish by showing how four common phrases would be translated in each of the unique regions: English Traductor Itzultzaile The survival and development of these languages in Spain was not always easy. Francisco Franco, the head of state of Spain from the late 1930s until his death in 1975, used language in politics in an attempt to establish national homogeneity.

He promoted the use of Spanish and suppressed other languages such as Catalan, Galician, and Basque. The legal usage of languages other than Spanish was forbidden. A transition to democracy began in the last quarter of the 20th century, after Franco’s death. All official languages and the identities associated with them began a process of recovery and recognition. They now play an important role in the cultural and political life of each region. Culture, language, and politics are closely related in Spain. Each of the regions that has its own official language tries to promote its identity and a feeling of unique regionalism using their language as the foundation on which to build this sense of self. It is importance that we recognize and pay tribute to these distinctive dialects so they continue to thrive and contribute to the world’s linguistic diversity. [Thanks to Rocío Abelleira for writing this article.] For expert medical translations of regulatory, clinical, and marketing content in 40 languages – including Spanish – request a detailed proposal from ForeignExchange Translations. The Languages of Spain The Languages of Spain Posted On March 5, 2011 By Transpanish In Did you know?

, Latinos , Spanish Language , Spanish Translation , Tips for Translators , Translation Buyers / The first language that springs to mind when one thinks of Spain is – not surprisingly – Castilian Spanish, the country’s official language. However, there are actually a number of other languages and dialects spoken there, a few of which have attainted co-official status in certain regions: Catalan/Valencian, Basque, Galician, and Aranese. Here’s a brief snapshot of some of the languages spoken in Spain. Castilian Spanish Castilian Spanish – so named for its roots in the region of Castile – emerged from Spain’s many regional languages and dialects to become the primary language of the nation. Castilian Spanish was later brought to the New World through the colonization efforts of the Spanish, where the language enjoyed widespread adoption throughout the Americas. Catalan/Valencian Catalan, a Romance language spoken in Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic Islands, currently boasts some 12 million speakers. Catalan has achieved broad usage as an everyday language in these areas. The language has become the medium of instruction in a number of schools, and it’s utilized to a large extent in government administration and the media.

The version of the language spoken in the Community of Valencia is known as Valencian. Though some Valencians contest that their language is separate from Catalan, the majority of linguists consider it a dialect. Galician Spoken by approximately three million people in the northwest corner of Spain, Galician shares many linguistic features with Portuguese. The two languages are more or less mutually intelligible, but Galician relies on Spanish orthographic conventions. In fact, scholars have been debating for some time as to whether Galician and Portuguese are actually two distinct languages or just dialects of the same language. Basque Linguists consider the Basque language, spoken in the north of Spain in Basque Country, a language isolate (i.e. a language with no known linguistic relationship to another language). As such, Basque shares virtually zero mutual intelligibility with Castilian Spanish and the other languages of Spain, which all belong to the Romance language family. Aranese Aranese – a language spoken in the Aran Valley of Catalonia in northeastern Spain – shares co-official status with Catalan in that region. Approximately 90% of those living in the Aran Valley can understand Aranese, and some 65% of inhabitants can speak the language.

About Galician Language Payments "SAIC is a FORTUNE 500® scientific, engineering, and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health. BlueGlobe International LLC consistently provides language services on a global scale which meet the strict vendor standards required by SAIC." "BlueGlobe cares .. our expectations were exceeded with accuracy and promptness. A long term relationship will benefit our firm and yours." "Thanks again for extra-ordrinary services." "Friendly staff combined with unusual promptness and services will see our association always requesting BlueGlobe." About Galician Language Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, as well as in small bordering zones in the neighbouring autonomous communities of Asturias and Castile and León and in Northern Portugal. Galician and Portuguese were, in medieval times, a single language which linguists call Galician-Portuguese, Medieval Galician, or Old Portuguese, spoken in the territories initially ruled by the medieval Kingdom of Galicia.

Classification Historically, the Galician-Portuguese language originated in Galicia and Northern Portugal in lands belonging to the ancient Kingdom of Galicia (comprising the Roman Gallaecia) and branched out since the 14th century after the Portuguese expansion brought it southwards. There are linguists who consider Modern Galician and Modern Portuguese as dialects or varieties of the same language, but this is a matter of debate. For instance, in past editions of the Encyclopædia Britannica, Galician was termed a Portuguese dialect spoken in northwestern Spain. However, the Galician government does not regard Galician as a variety of Portuguese, but rather as a distinct language. Mutual intelligibility (estimated at 85% by Robert A. Hall, Jr., 1989[1]) is good between Galicians and Northern Portuguese, but poorer between Galicians and speakers of Central-Southern European Portuguese. The dialects of Portuguese most similar to Galician are those of Alto-Minho and Trás-os-Montes in northern Portugal. Relation to Portuguese The linguistic status of Galician with respect to Portuguese is controversial as the issue sometimes carries political overtones.

Some authors, such as Lindley Cintra, consider that they are still dialects of a common language, in spite of superficial differences in phonology and vocabulary. Others, such as Pilar Vázquez Cuesta, argue that they have become separate languages due to major differences in phonetics and vocabulary usage, and, to a lesser extent, morphology and syntax. The official position of the Galician Language Institute is that Galician and Portuguese should be considered independent languages. The standard orthography is noticeably different from the Portuguese partly because of the divergent phonological features and partly due to the use of Spanish orthographic conventions. The relationship involving Galician and Portuguese can be compared with that between Macedonian and Bulgarian, Aromanian with Romanian, Occitan and Catalan, or English and Lowland Scots: language proximity conflicts with political interpretation. The official institution regulating the Galician language, backed by Galician government and universities, is Real Academia Galega, claims that modern Galician must be considered an independent Romance language that belongs to the group of Ibero-Romance languages and has strong ties with Portuguese and its northern dialects.

There is also a minority, unofficial institution, Associaçom Galega da Língua (AGAL, Galician Association of the Language), incribed into the Reintegrationist movement, according to which differences between Galician and Portuguese speech are not enough to consider them separate languages, and Galician is simply one variety of Galician-Portuguese, along with Brazilian Portuguese; African Portuguese; the Galician-Portuguese still spoken in Spanish Extremadura, Fala; and other dialects. Geographic distribution Galician is spoken by more than three million people, including most of the population of Galicia, as well as among many people of Galician origin elsewhere in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Biscay), and Galician immigrants to other European countries Europe (Andorra, Geneva, London and Paris), and Ibero-America (Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Havana, Caracas, Mexico City, São Paulo, Guadalajara, Veracruz City and Panama City).

Controversy exists regarding the inclusion of Eonavian dialects spoken in Asturias into the Galician language, with those defending Eonavian as a dialect continuum of transition to the Astur-Leonese group on the one hand, and those defending it as clearly Galician on the other. Because of its historical status as a non-official language, for some authors the situation of language domination in Galicia could be called "diglossia," with Galician in the lower part of the dialect continuum, and Spanish at the top; while for others, the conditions for diglossia established by Ferguson are not met. Official status Spain has recognized Galician as one of Spain's five "official languages" (lenguas españolas), the others being Castilian (also called Spanish), Catalan (or Valencian), Basque and Aranese. Galician is taught at primary and secondary school and used at the universities in Galicia. Further, it has been accepted orally as Portuguese in the European Parliament and used as such by, among others, the Galician representatives José Posada, Camilo Nogueira and Xosé Manuel Beiras.

Dialects Galician has three principal dialects, each of them divided in local areas of mutual intelligibility: Eastern Galician - divided in four areas: Asturian area (Eonavian), Ancares area, Zamora area and Central Western area. Central Galician - divided in four areas; Mindoniensis area, Lucu-auriensis area, Central transitional area and Eastern transitional area. Western Galician - divided in four areas; Bergantiños area, Finisterre area, Pontevedra area and Lower Limia area. History From the 8th century, Galicia was a political unit within the kingdoms of Asturias and León, but was able to reach a degree of autonomy, becoming an independent kingdom at certain times in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth centuries. Galician was the only language in spoken use, and Latin was used, to a decreasing extent, as a written language. This monopoly on spoken language was able to exert such pressure in the 13th century, that it led to a situation of dual official status for Galician and Latin in notarial documents, edicts, lawsuits, etc.; Latin, however, continued to be the universal vehicle for higher culture.

Written texts in Galician have only been found dating from the end of the 12th century, because Latin continued to be the cultured language (not only in Galicia, but also throughout medieval Europe). The oldest known document is the poem Ora faz ost'o Senhor de Navarra by Joam Soares de Paiva, written around 1200. The first non-literary documents in Galician-Portuguese date from the early 13th century, the Noticia de Torto (1211) and the Testamento of Afonso II of Portugal (1214), both samples of medieval notarial prose. In the Middle Ages, Galaico-português (or Galician-Portuguese) was a language of culture, poetry, and religion throughout not only Galicia and Portugal, but also Castile (where Castilian was used mainly for prose). After the separation of Portuguese and Galician, Galician was considered provincial, and it was not widely used for literary or academic purposes until its renaissance in the mid-19th century. With the advent of democracy, Galician has been brought into the country's institutions, and it is now co-official with Spanish in Galicia.

Galician is taught in schools, and there is a public Galician-language television channel, TVG. The Real Academia Galega and other Galician institutions celebrate each May 17 as "Día das Letras Galegas" ("Galician Literature Day"), dedicated each year to a deceased Galician-language writer chosen by the academy. Grammar Galician allows pronominal clitics to be attached to indicative and subjunctive forms, as does Portuguese, unlike standard Spanish or Castilian. After many centuries of close contact between the two languages, Galician has also adopted many loan words from Spanish, and some calques of Spanish syntax. Writing system The current official Galician orthography was introduced in 1982, and made law in 1983, by the Real Academia Galega (RAG), based on a report by the ILG. It remains a source of contention, however; a minority of citizens would rather have the institutions recognize Galician as a Portuguese variety as cited before, and therefore still opt for the use of writing systems that range from adapted medieval Galician-Portuguese writing system or European Portuguese one (see reintegrationism).

In July 2003 the Real Academia Galega (Galician Royal Academy) modified the language normative to admit some archaic Galician-Portuguese forms conserved in modern Portuguese. These changes have been considered an attempt to build a consensus among major Galician philology trends and represent, in the words of the Galician Language Academy, "the orthography desired by 95% of Galician people." The 2003 reform is thought to put an end to the so-called "normative wars" raised by the different points of view of the relationship between the modern Galician and Portuguese languages. This modification has been accepted only by a part of the reintegrationist movement at this point. The question of the spelling system has very significant political connotations in Galicia. At present there are minor but significant political parties representing points of view that range from greater self-government for Galicia within the Spanish political setup to total political independence from Spain designed to preserve the Galician culture and language from the risk of being inundated by the Castilian culture and language. Since the modern Galician orthography is somewhat influenced by Castilian spelling conventions, some parties wish to remove it.

Since medieval Galician and medieval Portuguese were the same language, modern Portuguese spelling is nearer to medieval Galician than to modern Galician Spanish-style spelling. Language unification would also have the benefit of linking the Galician language to another major language with its own extensive cultural production, which would weaken the links that bind Galicia and Spain and ultimately favor the people's aspiration toward an independent state. However, although all three concepts are frequently associated, there is no direct interrelation between reintegrationism, independentism and defending Galician and Portuguese linguistic unity, and in fact reintegrationism has a small force in the whole Galician nationalist movement. What do Spaniards speak? - Anything but language Anything but language Spanish What kind of stupid question is that? Spaniards speak Spanish! Duh! Well…kind of. As you might have guessed 99% of Spaniards do speak Spanish, but what about their native language? Is it also Spanish for 99% of Spain’s population? No 😀 *dramatic pause* Based on a 2005 survey (ok, this is admittedly an outdated source, but it serves its purpose here), 89% of Spaniards speak Spanish as their native language.

And no, there’s not a typo there, so what happens with the other 11%? Do they all have foreign roots? Nop. What happens here is that several of Spain’s regions or ‘autonomous communities’, as they’re actually called, have other official languages besides Spanish. Let’s find out more about them in the following paragraphs 😉 Image: freepik.com The other languages of Spain They are 4 other official languages in Spain: Catalan/Valencian, Basque, Galician and Aranese. You’ve probably never heard about the last one (just as half Spaniards, actually), but maybe the first two ring a bell. Besides these ones, there are other languages or dialects which are recognized in their respective regions up to a certain point, although none of them is actually official. Most well-known ones are Aragonese and Asturian/Leonese. You should also know that under Franco’s regime (1939-1975) these languages were not allowed to be used in public as they were seen as a symbol of regional nationalism. This contributed greatly to their weakening since they were restricted only to private and clandestine environments.

However, repression started to smooth out during the 60s. Image: wikimedia.org Catalan (Català) Official in: The autonomous community of Catalonia , in the Balearic Islands (where party lovers find Ibiza and Majorca) and in the Valencian Community under the name of Valencian. It’s also the only official language in Andorra and happens to be spoken in the Italian city of Alghero , in Sardinia. Number of speakers: 3,750,000 in Spain as L1, 5,150,000 counting L2 users ( Ethnologue ) Language family: Indo-european. Romance language. Western Occitano-Romance. Closely related to Spanish and French and Occitan , spoken in Southern France. In the Valencian Community it’s sometimes considered as a separate language referred to as Valencian. Some consider it just a dialect of Catalan, so there’s a little bit of a debate over that. Truth is it’s fairly similar and intelligible for a Catalan speaker.

If you’re interested in practicing Catalan I’ve shared (and I will probably add more) some resources here , since it’s a language I’ve more or less learned myself. Sample vocabulary (Catalan – French – Spanish) Thank you (Catalan – gràcies, French – merci, Spanish – gracias) Apple (Catalan – poma, French – pomme, Spanish – manzana) Table (Catalan – taula, French – table, Spanish – mesa) Old (Catalan – vell/a, French – vieux/vieille, Spanish – viejo/a) Basque (Euskara) Official in: The autonomous region of the Basque Country and basque-speaking part of Navarre . It’s also spoken in the South-West part of France in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques . Number of speakers: 468,000 in Spain ( Ethnologue ) Language family: Isolated language. Unknown origin. Sounds weird, but this language is considered to be isolated because so far linguists haven’t been able to find any other related one.

It certainly has nothing to do with the other languages spoken in Spain and together with Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian, Turkish, Georgian and Maltese it’s one of the few languages found in Europe which doesn’t belong to the Indo-european branch of languages. Around a 32% of people in the areas where it’s spoken are actually bilingual in both Basque and Spanish in the Basque Country and around 11% in Navarre. Sample vocabulary Hello (Basque – kaixo, Spanish – hola) Good morning (Basque – egun on, Spanish – buenos días) Thank you (Basque – eskerrik asko, Spanish – gracias) Goodbye (Basque – agur, Spanish – adiós) Galician (Galego) Official in: The autonomous community of Galicia . Number of speakers: 2,340,000 in Spain ( Ethnologue ) Language family: Indo-european. Romance language. Western Ibero-Romance. Closely related to Spanish and Portuguese.

This language used to form one single linguistic unity with Portuguese called Old Portuguese, Medieval Galician or Galician-Portuguese back in the Middle Ages which explains why they’re so similar. Later they started to diverge when Portugal became its own kingdom and Galicia stayed in the Kingdom of León. Centuries later, Galician started to coexist along with Spanish which fostered the adoption of quite a lot of Spanish words which Portuguese didn’t get. Nowadays it’s the most frequent language outside the big cities, where Spanish is still predominant. Sample vocabulary (Galician – Portuguese – Spanish) Welcome (Galician – benvido, Portuguese – bem-vindo, Spanish – bienvenido) Brother (Galician – irmao, Portuguese – irmão, Spanish – hermano) Dog (Galician – can, Portuguese – cão, Spanish – perro) Old (Galician – vello/a, Portuguese – velho/a, Spanish – viejo/a) Aranese Official in: The autonomous community of Catalonia , specifically in the Aran Valley (Val d’Aran). Number of speakers: Around 4,700 in Catalonia ( Wikipedia ) Language family: Indo-european. Romance language.

Western Occitano-Romance. Closely related to Spanish, French and Catalan. Aranese is actually a standardized form of the variety of the Occitan language spoken in the area. This is definitely the least well-known of these languages since its number of speakers is very reduced and it did not become an official language in Catalonia until 2006. Most of the Vall d’Aran’s inhabitants can understand the language, although the percentage of people who can actually speak, read or write it are quite lower getting to only 34% of them being able to correctly write. Sample vocabulary (Aranese – Catalan – Spanish) Church (Aranese – glèsia, Catalan – església, Spanish – iglesia) Party (Aranese – hèsta, Catalan – festa, Spanish – fiesta) Honey (Aranese – meu, Catalan – mel, Spanish – miel) Fire (Aranese – huec, Catalan – foc, Spanish – fuego) Did you know about all these languages before reading the post? Share your thoughts in the comments down below! Further info

Question: Basque, Aranese and Galician are all languages spoken in which European country?
Answer: Spain