Catalan language and racism

Language and nationalism often go hand-in-hand. Catalonia is no exception. On the contrary, it has the language obsession in a particularly virulent form. It is a phenomenon that I will deal with fully some other time, but this tweet gives a flavour of what we have. Josep María Virgili i Ortiga is a retired Head of Catalan Language at a secondary school.

Yes, in Catalonia there are two languages; Catalan and Gascon Occitan, in the Val d’Aran. All the other languages (Spanish, Arabic, French, Urdu) are languages of people who have come from outside.

In basic linguistic terms, the first sentence is unremarkable. Catalan and Aranese are indeed different, though both are forms of Occitan (Languedoc). The Val d’Aran is an unusual place; in the north-west corner of Catalonia, it is one of only two small parts of Spain that are north of the Pyrenean watershed and its local language is indeed a form of Gascon.

However, nationalist politics always raises its ugly head in Catalonia. Aranese is recognised as an official language in Catalonia, being distinct in origin from Catalan. The writer names four other languages: Arabic and Urdu are the languages spoken by recent immigrants from Morocco and Pakistan (Barcelona has a considerable Pakistani community, the largest in Europe outside the UK it is said). Spanish and French are the languages of the countries with regions called Catalonia. The racist implication is evident: French and Spanish speakers, respectively north and south of the Pyrenees, are immigrants equally with Moroccans and Pakistanis. And there is no prize for guessing what this Catalan nationalist is implying about those last two groups.

This is nonsense on stilts. Spanish has always been spoken in Catalonia since the language developed its own identity in the Middle Ages. Don Quixote rode to Barcelona in 1616 and rather liked the city, though he had problems with brigands as he passed through the rural areas of Catalonia. There is no suggestion that he was made unwelcome as a Spanish invader or that he had trouble speaking his own language with the local population.

There is more. The Val d’Aran is one of the areas where independence is not favoured. In the event of independence it might well consider remaining in Spain as part of the Aragonese community. This would put the Aranese in a difficult position because – the proposed constitution of an independent Catalan Republic seceded from Spain makes no provision for secession from its own territory!

Source (in Spanish)

ABC

La independencia fractura Cataluña

(Independence splits Catalonia)