 |
 |
Catalan is a Romance language spoken by a population of around ten million people in the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula (Catalonia, Balearic Islands, most of the Valencia region, and the eastern fringe of Aragon) and the Principality of Andorra. In addition, Catalan is still spoken in the French region of Roussillon and the town of Alghero (L'Alguer) on the island of Sardinia.
|
|
Catalan, like other Romance languages, evolved from Latin during the Middle Ages. The first written documents in Catalan are the Homilies dOrganyà, a compilation of sermons from the11th century. From Medieval times until our days, Catalan has continued to be one of the main languages of everyday use and literary expression in the eastern areas of the Iberian Peninsula. After a politically and culturally hegemonic period up to the 16th century, literary expression in Catalan experienced a decline until the 19th century, when, prompted by romantic ideals, there was a revival in the literary use of the language.
|
|
Catalan can be divided into two varieties: the western variety, spoken in Valencia, the western part of Catalonia, the eastern fringe of Aragon, and Andorra; and the eastern variety, spoken in the rest of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Roussillon, and L'Alguer.
|
|
Today, Catalan is the co-official language, together with Spanish, in the Catalan-speaking areas of the Iberian Peninsula; and it is the only official language of Andorra.
|
