Spanish, Basque, Catalan, and Galician: A Linguistic Overview

The Castilian Language

Castilian Spanish is derived from Vulgar Latin. It expanded during the Reconquista and reached its peak in the 13th century. The Poem of the Cid is considered the first significant piece of literature in the language. During the reign of Alfonso X, known as the Wise, Castilian replaced Latin in official use. The 14th and 15th centuries saw the creation of notable works in Castilian, such as The Book of Good Love, the verses of Jorge Manrique, and La Celestina. At the end of the 15th century, it was brought to America by conquerors, and in 1492, the first Castilian grammar was published. In the 16th century, Castilian Spanish, then called simply Spanish, reached its golden age. In the 18th century, the Royal Spanish Academy was established, publishing the official spelling and grammar rules. The language continues to evolve today, influenced by foreign languages.

Dialects of Castilian

There are two historical dialects:

• Asturian-Leonese: Originating in the ancient kingdom of León. The Asturian Language Academy recognizes Asturian, and it is used in education.
• Navarrese-Aragonese: The language of the court of the Crown of Aragon until Ferdinand, alongside Catalan.

Current Castilian dialects include Andalusian, Murcian, Canarian, and Extremaduran.

The Basque Language

The origin of the Basque language is debated, with theories suggesting Caucasian, North African, and other origins. It has been influenced by Iberian, Latin, Celtic, and Castilian languages. It is spoken in the three Basque provinces, northern Navarre, and the French department of Basses-Pyrenees. Some variants include Vizcaya and Guipuzcoa. While not traditionally used as a written language, it is now co-official with Castilian in the Basque community.

The Catalan Language

Catalan originated from Latin in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Initially considered a dialect of Provençal, it later developed into a distinct Romance language with features of Galician, Castilian, Aragonese, and Leonese. It reached its peak in the Middle Ages (with writers like Vilanova and Muntaner). In the 16th century, it began to decline due to unrest and economic crises. It experienced a revival in the 19th century and is now an official language in several communities. It was suppressed during the Franco regime. Today, it is spoken by approximately 7 million people and has numerous dialects. The classification of Valencian as a dialect of Catalan or a separate language is a subject of debate. Catalan is divided into eastern (Girona, Barcelona, Balearic Islands) and western (Lleida, Andorra, southern Tarragona, and Valencia) dialectal areas. Catalan is also spoken in Alghero, Sardinia.

The Galician Language

Galician is the northern branch of the former Galician-Portuguese language, spoken on both sides of the Minho River. The 12th and 14th centuries saw the creation of important love songs, friend songs, and troubadour poetry. Galician has been influenced by Castilian. Romanticism saw the rise of writers such as Rosalía de Castro, and the 20th century saw Castelao and Álvaro Cunqueiro. It is spoken in the four provinces of Galicia, western Asturias, León, and Zamora. It has many variants. Zamora Vicente distinguished two zones: the western (A Coruña, Pontevedra, and part of Ourense) and the eastern (east of Lugo and Ourense).