Linguistic predominance (Valencian Community)

Linguistic predominance (Valencian: predomini lingüístic; Spanish: predominio lingüístico) refers to the traditionally spoken language of the population of a municipality or area. It is a legal classification used in the Valencian Community to designate territories in which either Valencian (Catalan) or Spanish is considered the historically predominant language of the local population. It is established by Valencian law and is used for administrative and educational purposes,[1] although it does not necessarily reflect current patterns of language use within a municipality.[2] Regardless of the linguistic predominance, both languages remain official in the whole Valencian Community.[3][1]

There are 395 municipalities with Valencian predominance and 147 with Spanish predominance.[1] The Valencian predominance area includes the four largest cities and about 80% of the population.

History

The areas of Valencian predominance correspond broadly to those settled by Catalans following the Conquest of Valencia in the 13th century by the Crown of Aragon, while the Spanish areas correspond to those settled by Aragonese or Castilians,[4] as well as municipalities such as Requena and Villena that were historically part of the Kingdom of Castile and were added to the Valencian Country in the 19th Century.[5]

After years of persecution of local languages under Francoism, the Spanish Constitution of 1978 allowed the creation of autonomous communities, which could designate their own official languages. The Valencian Community achieved autonomy in 1982 and Valencian and Spanish were made official, with Valencian having llengua pròpia (native language) status.[3] The statute also established that

The territories in which the use of one language or the other predominates will be delimited by law, as well as those that may be exempted from the teaching and use of the Community's native language.

Law 4/1983 on the Use and Teaching of Valencian defined the delimitation in 1983, making teaching of Valencian optional in the Spanish-speaking territories. Although the law provided for the "review" of the border and the "progressive introduction" of Valencian in schools in those territories, the classification has not been updated since its initial approval, and Valencian remains an optional subject in Spanish speaking municipalities.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Llei 4/1983, de 23 de novembre, d'ús i ensenyament del valencià". Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
  2. ^ "Survey: Knowledge and use of Valencian, 2023". Conselleria d'Educació, Cultura i Esport. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Statute of Autonomy of the Valencian Community". Corts Valencianes. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  4. ^ Ferrando Francés, Antoni (2010). "De Xarq Al-Andalus a Regne de València: la situació lingüística i sociolingüística de les terres valencianes al segle XIII". La llengua catalana en temps de Jaume I, 2010, ISBN 978-84-8021-736-1, págs. 97-144. Servei de Comunicació i Publicacions: 97–144. ISBN 978-84-8021-736-1.
  5. ^ Guaita Martorell, Aurelio (1974). "La división provincial y sus modificaciones". Actas del III Symposium Historia de la Administración, ISBN 84-7351-226-X. Instituto de Estudios Administrativos: 309–352.
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