- The Valencian is a romance language spoken by more than 2 million people in the historic Kingdom of Valencia, which is located on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.

It’s official according to the article 7.1 of the Valencian Statute of Autonomy; "The two official languages of the Autonomous Community are the Valencian and the Castilian. Everyone has the right to know and use them.".

The Valencian is included too in the Spanish Declaration of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (2001).

The 15th and 16th centuries were the Golden Age of the Valencian language and his literature. Famous writers and poets: Joanot Martorell, Ausias March, Sor Isabel de Villena, Jordi de Sant Jordi, Jaume Roig, Bonifaci Ferrer, Sant Vicent Ferrer, Carles Ros, Constanti Llombart, etc.

There is three phonetically distinguished Valencian dialects: "Castellonenc or Salat" in the north, "Alacanti" in the south and Meridional Valencian or "Apichat" in the center region.

Nowadays the Valencian language is spoken by more than 2 millions of people in the Valencian Community and in a small area of the frontier region of Murcia called "el Carche". The 54.5% of the Valencian population speaks the Valencian. It is the mother language of the 39% of the valencians. The 88.2% of the population understand it, but only the 17.2% reads rightly the valencian. (Studies of the CIS nº 2228 and 2241, Center of Sociological Investigations of Spain, Nov-Dec 1996, March-April 1997).

Translated by: JOAN PAU MERITA

• Etymology: Deriv. of Valencia < latin Valentia
• Synonym: Valencian language
• Internet Link: http://www.valencian.org