The Legal Systems of the Catalan Language

Abstract

Catalan is a linguistic reality with a social presence in four European states. As explained elsewhere in this volume, there are citizens who use Catalan as a family language in particular areas of Italy, France, the Principality of Andorra and Spain. In the case of Spain, they are distributed in various political-administrative divisions, referred to in the Constitution as ‘autonomous communities’ (i.e. Murcia, Aragon, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia). The established legal-linguistic system differs considerably across regions, not only because of sociological factors (e.g. the number of languages in contact, the demographic significance of each language, the extension of use or the sense of community among its group of speakers), but also, and especially, because of political factors (e.g. the political will of states and sub-state authorities to recognise and protect, to varying degrees, the plurality of languages present in their territory) and, consequently, legal factors (e.g. the constitutional framework and the principles inherent to the applicable legislation).