Catalonia (2)

Catalan language

In the Catalan identity case, the language is the clearest feature that defines us as a country. Catalan, comes from popular Latin, and from the XIIIth Century it consolidates as the official language of the administration, literature and science.

The Homilies d’Organyà
The documented history of Catalan language begun with the Homilies d'Organyà — “Sermons of Organyà”—, in the XIIth Century; what means Catalan existed previously as a spoken tongue.Departing from the kingdom of James I, Catalan language spreads over the new Catalan territories, becoming the spoken tongue from Salses (in the “Département 66” of France) to Guardamar (Valencian Autonomous region, in Spain) and from Fraga (Aragon Autonomous region, Spain) to Maó (Mahon, Minorca), and other areas around the Mediterranean sea, as l’Alguer (Alghero, Sardinia island, Italy). Catalan language was the only language used for private, public and official issues in the complete lands of Catalonia. The top Catalan Middle Ages thinkers (Ramon Llull —Raimundus Lullius—, Arnau de Vilanova, Eiximenis and Sibiuda), spoke, wrote, and thought in Catalan. We pay a special attention in Ramon Llull, in the mid XIVth Century; an important portion of his works (about 250 books) were translated to many European languages. From those times we can also remark the Quatre grans cròniques —“Four Great Chronicles”—, historical narrations of the life and endeavors of the Catalan kings, which bolstered Catalan language’s prestige in the Mediterranean world.

It also must be remarked the “Book of the Consulate of the Sea”, Llibre de Consolat de Mar, a book of maritime and coastal trade law, coded and enacted from the XIIIth Century, written in Catalan, and promoted by the Catalan Royal Chancellery and the Catalan Consulates in the largest Mediterranean cities. That code was followed by the main portion of trade operations across the Mediterranean area from the XIIIth to the XVth Centuries.

Catalan language’s survival has been enduring several menaces, due to varied military and political actions coming from the enemies of Catalonia. With the arrival to the Catalan throne of Castilian dynasties, the Trastámara and the Habsburg, in the XVIth Century, it begins the introduction of the Spanish language in the Royal Court, firstly in the Kingdom of Valencia, and lately in the Principality of Catalonia.

http://www.freecatalonia.com/main.asp?opc=3&idi=eng