Judaeo-Catalan (; , ), also called Catalanic or Qatalanit (; or '), was a presumed Jewish language spoken by the Jews in

Northern Catalonia Northern Catalonia, North Catalonia or French Catalonia is the Catalan language, Catalan-speaking and cultural territory ceded to France by Spain through the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 in exchange for France's effective renu ...

and what is today Northeastern

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, especially in

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

and the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...

. Linguistically, it has been described as sharing many features in common with early Judaeo-Provençal. This would be the case of the Jews living in Old Catalonia, stretching between Perpignan and Barcelona, linked with Occitania at least until the battle of Muret in 1213. Most Jewish texts in this area are written in Catalan with Hebrew characters. However, in western and southern Catalonia, Judaeo-Catalan should have been quite distinct from Judaeo-Provençal, mostly as a result of the

Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...

conquest of Iberia. The golden age of Judaeo-Catalan is supposed to have been between the early 12th century and 1492, when the Jews were expelled from Spain by

Alhambra Decree The Alhambra Decree (also known as the Edict of Expulsion; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Decreto de la Alhambra'', ''Edicto de Granada'') was an edict issued on 31 March 1492 by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdi ...

. However, the very existence of the Judeo-Catalan is debated. While authors like Paul Wexler defend its existence, it is usually understood that "''the evidence of its existence is scarce, although texts are known that mix Catalan and Hebrew, and the subject is rather controversial''". In one of the few investigations on the subject, Feliu and Ferrer (2011) analyzed a set of notarial texts of 1443, and concluded that their analysis "''allows us to sign the death certificate of a linguistic ghost – the supposed 'Judeo-Catalan dialect' that never was''". Another subsequent study of some songs from the same period suggests the existence of a "''linguistic repertoire of the Jews of medieval Catalonia''", although it does not prove the existence of a

dialect A dialect is a Variety (linguistics), variety of language spoken by a particular group of people. This may include dominant and standard language, standardized varieties as well as Vernacular language, vernacular, unwritten, or non-standardize ...

proper.

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* * * * Catalan dialects Extinct Romance languages Judaeo-French languages Judaeo-Spanish languages Extinct languages of Europe {{Catalonia-stub

See also

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