Catalan Quote by Jaume Cabre
“Each year, in this world, several languages do die out. There are certain languages that have their survival assured for many years, such as English, but there are other languages whose survival is not so sure, such as Catalan, especially if they don't have a state that protects them. Catalan is spoken in Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, and Andorra. There are about ten million people who understand it and eight and a half who can speak it. But its future is much less certain than, for example, Danish or Slovenian or Latvian, because they have a state.”
About This Quote
Source Article: Language Endangerment, Journal of Linguistics, 2015
Languages without political support risk extinction despite many speakers.
In simple terms: Languages need state backing to survive.
Key Takeaway
Support minority languages.
Themes
language preservation
politics
culture
Mood
concerned
hopeful
Type
analytical
advocacy
When to use this quote
- education curricula
- media broadcasting
- government funding
- community activism
Key Concepts
sociolinguistics
language policy
identity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can communities sustain a language without state support?
- What policies effectively protect minority languages?
A Different Perspective
Even with many speakers, lack of official status can hinder revitalization.
