Western vs. Eastern Catalan Dialects: Key Differences

**Key Differences Between Western and Eastern Catalan**

Western Catalan (Including Valencian and Northwestern Dialects)

• Clear distinction in the articulation of unstressed vowels.
• Greater presence of the sound **é**, maintained because some words sounded the same in Vulgar Latin.
• Maintenance of the diphthong **ua** after *g*.
• Pronunciation of the vowel in the group following **ix**.
• Retrieval of the etymological **No** behind an unstressed vowel in the plural of some words.

Eastern Catalan (Including Roussillon or Northern, Central, Balearic, and Algherese Dialects)

• Confusion in the articulation of unstressed vowels.
• Greater presence of the sound **ê**, amended because some words sounded like *é* in Vulgar Latin.
• A tendency to reduce the diphthong **ua** after *g* to a single vowel sound.
• Silencing of the vowel in the group following **ix**.
• No impact of etymology behind the **No** unstressed vowel in the plural of some words.

Characteristics of the Northwestern Dialect

• The features seen in Western Catalan.
• The definite masculine article remains in its old form: *lo* / *los*.
• Weak pronouns have full forms before the verb.
• Inchoative verbs of the third conjugation present a characteristic tonic and present subjunctive that keeps the old endings.

Characteristics of the Valencian Dialect

• The features seen in Western Catalan.
• Phonetically, the articulation of the final **r**.
• The labiodental articulation of **v**.
• The trend of intervocalic silencing (mostly in suffixes *-ava* and *-iva*).
• The demonstration of three degrees of localization.
• Characteristic forms of feminine possessives.
• Weak pronouns have full forms before the verb and characteristic features in certain combinations.
• The first person singular of the present indicative has the ending *-e*.
• The present subjunctive keeps the old endings.
• The imperfect subjunctive has the endings *-ara*, *-era*, *-ira*.
• The article *el* is used before proper names.
• Lexically, there are words shared with the Northwest and the Balearic Islands, Spanish words with the same etymology, and words from Mozarabic and Arabism.

Characteristics of the Northern or Roussillon Dialect

• The features seen in Eastern Catalan.
• Reduction in the number of vowels due to the loss of certain vowels.
• A tendency to pronounce the sound *o* as a closed *u*.
• The articulation of the group with the ending *-ix* with a palatal sound.
• The elision of the final sound of words ending in *-esdrúixoles* and the displacement of the accent to the following syllable in *esdrúixoles* words.
• Unrealistic forms of plain pronouns are used.
• Weak pronouns are used with non-personal forms of the verb.
• Characteristic forms of feminine possessives.
• The first person singular of the present indicative has the ending *-i*.
• Negative sentences are constructed with the particle *pas*.
• Lexically, there are exclusive words, words shared with other dialects, Occitanisms, and Welsh words.