PART: [1][2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [index]

THIRD PART

11) Is it true that the Valencian language is just a dialect of what some people name as "Western Catalan" ("catalán occidental")?
 
 Not. With the intention of absorbing the Valencian language inside the Catalan one, the catalan intellectuality of the 19th century invented the term "Western Catalan" ("catalán occidental") being based on some lexical and phonetic similarities that the languages of the zone of Lleida (Lérida) had with the Valencian language.
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12) Which is the motive of the similarities among the languages of Lerida (Lleida) and the Valencian language ?
 
 These similarities are product of the powerful influence that the historical Kingdom of Valencia and its prestigious Valencian language had on "Lleida's General Study" (university) and, of general manner, on the Catalan language, from the 13th century to the 18th century.
 Besides, these similarities are product also of the linguistic influence made (previous to the "Reconquest"), by the valencian "Mossaraps" in the slightly populated lands of Lleida where principally they sheltered themselves while fleeing of the moorish invasion.
 
 The Kingdom of Valencia was one of the most powerful and influential kingdoms of the peninsula and the Mediterranean, both in the political side and in the cultural one (Rome managed to have two valencian Popes of the family Borja in an age in which the Popes had more power that the kings).
 The Valencian language was, in the 14th century, the language that first managed to have a "Century of Gold" ("Sigle d'Or") literary in the Iberian peninsula, very influential on the rest of the languages of the peninsula, principally on the Catalan language (the which one has never had a "Century of Gold" literary unlike the Valencian and Castilian language). The valencian writer Johanot Martorell wrote inside his literary work "Tirant lo Blanch" (1409), that the book was writing in "Valencian language". Other valencian writers of this century did a identical declaration inside their respective works (Nowadays the catalanist imperialism hides these facts or manipulates them presenting the valencian writers as catalan writers).
 Therefore, it is an objective fact and contrastable that a big amount of seemed that the Catalan language presents with the Valencian language are due to the strong influence that the Valencian language exercised for a long time on the Catalan language and also, to the assimilation inside of many of villages of Lleida of many valencian "Mossaraps".
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13) Some people trying to convince that the Valencian language is a variant of the Catalan language compare the relation of these two languages with the existing relation among "the Andalusian", "the murciano" or "the Argentinian" with the Castilian language. Is this comparison correct ?
 
 This comparison is neither correct nor applicable to case of the Valencian language because as it has been said, the Valencian language has an origin and a social-linguistic evolution perfectly differentiated from the Catalan language. These facts have caused for centuries that the valencian people had the clear and exact conscience of considering to the Valencian language or "Valencian" as their proper language and not another language more. This linguistic differentiated feeling, for against, does not exist in any of the above-mentioned cases of variants of the Castilian language where their speakers do not have any conscience, not interest to demonstrate that they speak a different language from the Castilian (Spanish).
 Besides, the scientific discipline of the "social-linguistic" declares that the most important point to consider if a language it is as such, is that their users recognize it like proper language, such and as it happens between the Valencian language and its owner, the Valencian society.

14) Some people want to make believe that the names of "Valencian" and "Catalan" are synonymous and that they point to the same language, To the equal one to what it happens between the names "Castilian" and "Spanish" that both point to the Castilian language. Is this comparison correct ?
 
 The equivalence of the terms "Castilian" and "Spanish" cannot be applied to the names "Valencian" and "Catalan" since the Valencian language and the Catalan one are two idiomatic different realities as result of having had (and have) its own origin, evolution, territorial, political area and social group of speakers different and independent for centuries.
Determinant factors all of them in the development of the idiomatic conscience of the Valencian society that considers, for centuries, to the Valencian language as the only proper language, different and independent from the Catalan one. Likewise, the Valencian society only recognizes the names "Valencian", " Valencian idiom " or " Valencian language " for its proper language, pushing back the name of "Catalan" (and its variations).
 
 Nevertheless, unlike what it happens between the Valencian language and the Catalan one, the denominations of "Castilian" or "Spanish" correspond to the same language because the idiomatic reality to which such terms refer is the same, such and as spontaneously its own speakers and experts come recognizing throughout the centuries.

15) Some people say that the inhabitants of the village of Vinaros speak very seemed to as it is done by the inhabitants of some villages of the south of Tarragona. Is this a proof that the Valencian language and the Catalan language are the same ?
 
 By no means. In the village of Vinaros (village at the north end of Castellon's province (Autonomous Valencian Community) bordering on the south of Tarragona (Catalunya)), its inhabitants speak a "transitional" Valencian language. This "transicional" language is consequence of the linguistic interchange of this village, throughout the time, with some Catalan localities of the south of Tarragona.
 This "transitional" Valencian language of Vinaros is not representative of the linguistic generality of the rest of valencian villages and therefore it cannot serve as prior modal for the development of the general linguistic regulation of the Valencian language.
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