Catalan dialects

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The Catalan dialects (and restrictively also, Valencian dialects) feature a relative uniformity, especially when compared to other Romance languages; [4] both in terms of vocabulary, semantics, syntax, morphology, and phonology. [5] Mutual intelligibility between its dialects is very high, [6] [7] [8] estimates ranging from 90% to 95%. [9] [10] The only exception is the isolated idiosyncratic Alguerese dialect. [4]

Contents

Geographic classifications

Overview of main varieties and areas

Main dialectal divisions of Catalan [8] [11]
BlockWestern CatalanEastern Catalan
Variety North-Western Valencian Northern (Roussillonese) Central Balearic Alguerese (Algherese)
Area Spain and Andorra Spain France Spain Italy
Andorra, Lleida and western half of Tarragona in Catalonia, and La Franja in Aragon Valencian Community and Carche in Murcia Roussillon (Northern Catalonia) Barcelona, eastern half of Tarragona and most of Girona (Catalonia) Balearic Islands Alghero in Sardinia
Other nomenclatureContinentalInsular

Western vs. Eastern

In 1861, linguist Manuel Milà i Fontanals split Catalan into two main dialectal blocks: Western and Eastern. [8] [5] The most obvious phonetic difference lies in the treatment of unstressed a and e, which have merged to /ə/ in Eastern dialects, but remain distinct as /a/ and /e/ in Western dialects. [4] [8] There are a few other differences in pronunciation, verbal morphology, and vocabulary. [6] Western Catalan comprises the two varieties of North-Western Catalan and Valencian; the Eastern block comprises three to four varieties (depending on their classification): Central Catalan, Roussillonese (Northern Catalan), and Insular (Balearic and Alguerese). [8] Each variety can be further subdivided into several subdialects.

There are two spoken standards for the language based on the Eastern and Western dialects respectively:

Valencians are only surpassed in number of Catalan-speakers by Catalans themselves, representing approximately a third of the whole Catalan-speaking population. [12] Therefore, in the context of linguistic conflict, recognition and respect towards the dual standard, as well as the dual Catalan–Valencian denomination, [13] pacifies the tense central–periphery relations between Catalonia and the Valencian Community.

Continental vs. Insular

The Continental varieties [14] [15] [16] of Catalan and Valencian may refer to:

Insular Catalan may refer to:

Valencian dialects

Classifications of the different varieties of Valencian:

Dialects of Valencian [17] [18]
Model AModel BModel COther nomenclatureLocation
Northern ValencianTortosí
(Tortosan)
Northern ValencianNorthernSouthern Catalonia
and
Northern Valencian Community
(including a small part of Aragon)
Castellonenc
(Castellon's Valencian)
Central Valencian
(Apitxat)
CentralCentral Valencian Community
(especially Valencia Metro Area)
Southern ValencianUpper Southern ValencianSouthernSouthern Valencian Community
(including a small part of Murcia)
Alacantí
(Alicante's Valencian)
Lower Southern Valencian

Comarcal extension of the dialects of Model C (within the Valencian Community only):

Northern: els Ports, l'Alt and el Baix Maestrat.

Subdivisions:
  1. Northern Zone or Tortosan: the bordering towns with Catalonia from Herbers (els Ports) to Vinaròs (el Baix Maestrat).
  2. Southern Zone: els Ports, l'Alt Maestrat and most el Baix Maestrat.

Castellonenc: l'Alcalatén, el Pla de l'Arc, la Plana Alta and Baixa.

Subdivisions:
  1. Northern Zone: l'Alcalatén, el Pla de l'Arc and la Plana Alta (except Almassora).
  2. Southern Zone: la Plana Baixa with the inclusion of Almassora (la Plana Alta).

Central: South of la Plana Baixa (Almenara and la Llosa), el Camp de Morvedre, l'Horta de València, el Camp de Túria, most of la Ribera Alta and the Western zone of la Ribera Baixa.

Subdivisions:
  1. Northern Zone: el Camp de Morvedre, l'Horta Nord.
  2. Southern Zone: l'Horta Sud, apitxat area of la Ribera Alta and Baixa.

Upper Southern: non-apitxat zones of la Ribera Alta and Baixa, la Safor, Costera, la Vall d'Albaida, l'Alcoià, la Marina Alta and Baixa, Northern zone of l'Alacantí.

Subdivisions:
  1. Inland Zone: non-apitxat area of la Ribera Alta, la Costera, la Vall d'Albaida and l'Alcoià.
  2. Coastal Zone: non-apitxat area of la Ribera Baixa, la Safor, la Marina Alta and Baixa.

Lower Southern: the towns on the South of the line that connects the localities of Biar and Busot.

Subdivisions:
  1. Inland Zone: les Valls del Vinalopó.
  2. Coastal Zone: el Baix Vinalopó and l'Alacantí.

Pronunciation

Vowels

Catalan has inherited the typical vowel system of Vulgar Latin, with seven stressed phonemes: /a,ɛ,e,i,ɔ,o,u/, a common feature in Western Romance, except Spanish, Asturian, and Aragonese. [19] Balearic has also instances of stressed /ə/. [20] Dialects differ in the different degrees of vowel reduction, [21] and the incidence of the pair /ɛ,e/. [22]

In Eastern Catalan (except most of Majorcan), unstressed vowels reduce to three: /a,e,ɛ/[ ə ]; /o,ɔ,u/[ u ]; /i/ remains distinct. [23] There are a few instances of unreduced [ e ], [ o ] in some words. [23] Alguerese has lowered [ə] to [ a ], similar to Eastern dialects spoken in the Barcelona metropolitan area (however, in the latter dialects the vowels are distinct as [ ɐ ] vs. [ a ]).

In Majorcan (except in some parts of in the northern of the island), unstressed vowels reduce to four: /a,e,ɛ/ follow the Eastern Catalan reduction pattern; however /o,ɔ/ reduce to [ o ], with /u/ remaining distinct, as in Western Catalan. [24]

In Western Catalan, unstressed vowels reduce to five: /e,ɛ/[ e ]; /o,ɔ/[ o ]; /a,u,i/ remain distinct. [25] [26] This reduction pattern, inherited from Proto-Romance, is also found in Italian and Portuguese. [25] Some Western dialects present further reduction or vowel harmony in some cases. [25] [27]

Central, Western, and Balearic differ in the lexical incidence of stressed /e/ and /ɛ/. [22] Usually, words with /ɛ/ in central Catalan correspond to /ə/ in Balearic and /e/ in Western Catalan. [22] Words with /e/ in Balearic almost always have /e/ in central and western Catalan as well. [22] As a result, Western Catalan has a much higher incidence of /e/. [22]

Different incidence of stressed /e/, /ə/, /ɛ/ [22]
WordWesternEastern
North-WesternValencianMajorcanCentralNorthern
set
("thirst")
/ˈset//ˈsət//ˈsɛt//ˈset/
ven
("he sells")
/ˈben/ ~ /ˈven//ˈvən//ˈbɛn//ˈven/
General differences in the pronunciation of unstressed vowels in different dialects [8] [28]
WordWesternEastern
North-WesternValencianMajorcanCentralNorthern
mare
("mother")
/ˈmaɾe//ˈmaɾə/
cançó
("song")
/kanˈso//kənˈso//kənˈsu/
posar
("to put")
/poˈza(ɾ)//puˈza(ɾ)/
ferro
("iron")
/ˈfɛro//ˈfɛru/
Detailed examples of vowel reduction processes in different dialects [29]
Word pairs:
the first with stressed root,
the second with unstressed root
WesternEastern
MajorcanCentralNorthern
Front
vowels
gel ("ice")
gelat ("ice cream")
[ˈdʒɛl]
[dʒeˈlat]
[ˈʒɛl]
[ʒəˈlat]
[ˈʒel]
[ʒəˈlat]
pera ("pear")
perera ("pear tree")
[ˈpeɾa]
[peˈɾeɾa]
[ˈpəɾə]
[pəˈɾeɾə]
[ˈpɛɾə]
[pəˈɾeɾə]
[ˈpeɾə]
[pəˈɾeɾə]
pedra ("stone")
pedrera ("quarry")
[ˈpeðɾa]
[peˈðɾeɾa]
[ˈpeðɾə]
[pəˈðɾeɾə]
banya ("he bathes")
banyem/banyam ("we bathe")
[ˈbaɲa]
[baˈɲem]
[ˈbaɲə]
[bəˈɲam]
[ˈbaɲə]
[bəˈɲɛm]
[ˈbaɲə]
[bəˈɲem]
Back
vowels
cosa ("thing")
coseta ("little thing")
[ˈkɔza]
[koˈzeta]
[ˈkɔzə]
[koˈzətə]
[ˈkɔzə]
[kuˈzɛtə]
[ˈkozə]
[kuˈzetə]
tot ("everything")
total ("total")
[ˈtot]
[toˈtal]
[ˈtot]
[tuˈtal]
[ˈtut]
[tuˈtal]

Note, the quality of vowels also varies across dialects, and they may present a wide range of contextual allophones. For further information see Catalan phonology#Vowels.

Consonants

Catalan and Valencian dialects are characterised by final-obstruent devoicing, lenition and voicing assimilation. Additionally, many dialects contrast two rhotics (/r,ɾ/) and two laterals (/l,ʎ/).

Most Catalan and Valencian dialects are also renowned by the usage of dark l (i.e. velarisation of /l/[ ɫ ]), which is especially noticeable in syllable final position, in comparison to neighbouring languages, such as Spanish, Italian and French (that lack this pronunciation).

There is dialectal variation in regard to:

Consonant mergers (between dialects) include:

Morphology

In Western Catalan, the 1st person present indicative ending for verbs is -e ( in verbs of the 2nd and 3rd conjugation), or -o. For example, parle, tem, sent (Valencian); parlo, temo, sento (North-Western). In Eastern Catalan, the 1st person present indicative ending for verbs is -o, -i or in all conjugations. For example, parlo (Central), parl (Balearic), parli (Northern); all meaning "I speak".

First person singular present indicative endings in different dialects
Conjugation
class
Eastern CatalanWestern CatalanGloss
CentralNorthernBalearicValencianNorth-Western
Firstparloparliparlparleparlo"I speak"
Secondtemotemitemtemtemo"I fear"
Thirdsentosentisentsentsento"I feel"/"I hear"

In Western Catalan, the inchoative desinences for verbs are -isc/-ixo, -ix, -ixen, -isca. In Eastern Catalan, the inchoative desinences for verbs are -eixo, -eix, -eixen, -eixi.

In Western Catalan, the /n/ of medieval plurals in proparoxytone nouns and adjectives is maintained. For example, hòmens 'men', jóvens 'youth'. In Eastern Catalan, the /n/ of medieval plurals in proparoxytone nouns and adjectives is lost. For example, homes 'men', joves 'youth'.

Vocabulary

Despite its relative lexical unity, the two dialectal blocks of Catalan (Eastern and Western) show some differences in word choices. [30] Any lexical divergence within any of the two groups can be explained as an archaism. Also, usually Central Catalan acts as an innovative element. [30]

Selection of different words between Western and Eastern Catalan
Gloss"mirror""boy""broom""navel""to exit"
Eastern Catalanmirallnoiescombrallombrígolsortir
Western Catalanespillxiquetgranerameliceixir

References

  1. Feldhausen 2010, p. 6.
  2. Wheeler 2005, p. 2.
  3. Costa Carreras & Yates 2009, p. 4.
  4. 1 2 3 Moll 2006, p. 47.
  5. 1 2 Enciclopèdia Catalana, pp. 634–635.
  6. 1 2 Wheeler 2005, p. 1.
  7. Costa Carreras & Yates 2009, p. 5.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Feldhausen 2010, p. 5.
  9. Ethnologue.
  10. R. A. Hall, Jr. (1989), cited on Ethnologue (archived)
  11. Wheeler 2005, pp. 2–3.
  12. 1 2 Xarxa CRUSCAT (IEC).
  13. AVL 2005.
  14. Rodamots.
  15. Pons i Griera.
  16. DCVB.
  17. Saborit i Vilar 2009, p. 123.
  18. Veny i Clar 1983.
  19. Enciclopèdia Catalana, p. 630.
  20. Wheeler 2005, pp. 37, 53–54.
  21. Wheeler 2005, p. 37.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wheeler 2005, p. 38.
  23. 1 2 Wheeler 2005, p. 54.
  24. Wheeler 2005, pp. 53–54.
  25. 1 2 3 Wheeler 2005, p. 53.
  26. Carbonell & Llisterri 1999, pp. 54–55.
  27. Recasens i Vives 1996, pp. 75–76, 128–129.
  28. Melchor & Branchadell 2002, p. 71.
  29. Wheeler 2005, pp. 53–55.
  30. 1 2 Enciclopèdia Catalana, p. 632.

Bibliography

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