What languages are spoken in Catalonia?
In Catalonia, the main languages used for communication are Catalan and Spanish (in some regions of Spain, the latter is also called “castellano” or Castilian). Catalan is the native language of Catalonia, although it later spread to other regions, and was the only language spoken by most of the population until well into the nineteenth century. Spanish became a part of Catalonia’s linguistic heritage much later. The literary prestige of Castilian (starting in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries), its strict legal imposition (starting in the eighteenth century) and especially the immigration of many Spaniards from poorer regions (in the twentieth century) are the main reasons for it being present in Catalonia. Because of this historical difference, the two languages have different symbolic meanings and are present in different spheres of society . In addition to Catalan, another historical language is also used in Catalonia. Aranese, a variety of Occitan, is spoken by around 5,000 pe
