The Catalan language

The Catalan language was developed during the Middle Ages, influenced by the Catholic church. It is a mix of greek, latin and phoenician. Today’s Catalan is still much being the same language as spoken in the 14^th century when Jacques 1^st made it an official language in his kingdom.  After the treaty of Pyrenees, 1659, that linked the area back to France again after years under the Spanish crown, French was imposed as the official language. Despite everything the Catalan language never died out, the language so strongly uniting the Catalan people caught between two borders. Today the language are still much in use, almost ten million people speak Catalan. In the southern Catalonian parts, Spain, and Andorra, it is the official language. The road signs of the Vallespir area are in Catalan, and within the artist and cultural circles of the Pyrenees, Catalan vocabulary is widely appreciated and trendy. 

Some common Catalan phrases:

Bon dia - Good morning, good afternoon - Bonjour

Bon nit, bona tarda -  Good evening - Bon soir

Cum a neu? - how are you? Comment-allez-vous?

Moltes gracies - Thank you very much - Merci beaucoup

Bon profit - Enjoy your meal - Bon appetit

Perdo - Excuse me - Excusez-moi

Sil aus plau - Please - S’il vous plait

Adeau - Good Bye - Au Revoir