Català - Doctor en Filologia Catalana (Universitat de Barcelona, 2013). Fins al desembre de 2023 he format part, com a professor Contractat Doctor, de la plantilla orgànica de UIC Barcelona, on des del 2017 he estat subdirector del Departament de Lingüística Aplicada, subdirector dels Serveis Lingüístics i cap de la Unitat de Català.
English - PhD in Catalan Philology (University of Barcelona, 2013). Until December 2023, I served as an Associate Professor at UIC Barcelona, where, since 2017, I have been the Deputy Director of the Department of Applied Linguistics, Deputy Director of Language Services, and Head of the Catalan Language Unit.
I have previously worked in the Department of Linguistic, Scientific, and Mathematical Education and the Department of Catalan Philology and General Linguistics at the University of Barcelona (UB), and on the Barcelona Campus of the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED). My main lines of research include language variation and change in dialectical varieties of Catalan and the impact of both external and internal borders and language policies on the phonetic, phonological, morphological and lexical evolution of these varieties, an interest that has resulted in a novel methodological approach for analyzing linguistic change, positioned at the intersection of dialectometry and sociolinguistics: social dialectometry. More recently, I have also ventured into the fields of family and educational sociolinguistics and the study of language acquisition and teaching processes (including social, foreign, and heritage languages) in multilingual contexts.
I currently perform research as a member of the projects "Multilingual Development in Primary Education" (PID2022-137301NA-I00) and "Native and non-native phonology: analysis and development of digital resources" (PID2020-113971GB-C21), financed by MCIN / AEI, and the consolidated research group Grup de Recerca en Adquisició Multilingüe (2021/SGR/625).
In 2016 I was awarded the 5th Joan Veny Research Grant from the Ramon Muntaner Institute for my project "The impact of the border effect on the autonomisation of the language at the border between Catalonia and Aragon", which was published as a book in 2019, and I have also received other distinctions such as the Francesc de Borja Moll Dialectology Award from the Institute for Catalan Studies in 2015.
English - PhD in Catalan Philology (University of Barcelona, 2013). Until December 2023, I served as an Associate Professor at UIC Barcelona, where, since 2017, I have been the Deputy Director of the Department of Applied Linguistics, Deputy Director of Language Services, and Head of the Catalan Language Unit.
I have previously worked in the Department of Linguistic, Scientific, and Mathematical Education and the Department of Catalan Philology and General Linguistics at the University of Barcelona (UB), and on the Barcelona Campus of the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED). My main lines of research include language variation and change in dialectical varieties of Catalan and the impact of both external and internal borders and language policies on the phonetic, phonological, morphological and lexical evolution of these varieties, an interest that has resulted in a novel methodological approach for analyzing linguistic change, positioned at the intersection of dialectometry and sociolinguistics: social dialectometry. More recently, I have also ventured into the fields of family and educational sociolinguistics and the study of language acquisition and teaching processes (including social, foreign, and heritage languages) in multilingual contexts.
I currently perform research as a member of the projects "Multilingual Development in Primary Education" (PID2022-137301NA-I00) and "Native and non-native phonology: analysis and development of digital resources" (PID2020-113971GB-C21), financed by MCIN / AEI, and the consolidated research group Grup de Recerca en Adquisició Multilingüe (2021/SGR/625).
In 2016 I was awarded the 5th Joan Veny Research Grant from the Ramon Muntaner Institute for my project "The impact of the border effect on the autonomisation of the language at the border between Catalonia and Aragon", which was published as a book in 2019, and I have also received other distinctions such as the Francesc de Borja Moll Dialectology Award from the Institute for Catalan Studies in 2015.
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Books by Esteve Valls
L’autor, Esteve Valls, és doctor en Filologia Catalana per la Universitat de Barcelona, cap de la Unitat de Català i professor del Departament de Lingüística Aplicada de la Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, membre del Grup d’Estudi de la Variació i del Centre d’Estudis Comarcals del Segrià i integrant del projecte "Fenòmens d’interfície fonètica-fonologia-morfologia des de la perspectiva de la variació lingüística".
El seu estudi va ser mereixedor de la V Beca Joan Veny, l’any 2016. La Beca Joan Veny està convocada per l'Institut Ramon Muntaner amb el suport de la Direcció General de Política Lingüística i s'atorga a treballs de recerca que tenen com a objectiu l'estudi sobre bases empíriques de qualsevol aspecte vinculat amb la variació lingüística del català.
"La llengua escapçada" es pot descarregar íntegrament aquí: https://llengua.gencat.cat/web/.content/documents/publicacions/btpl/arxius/26-btpl-la-llengua-escapcada.pdf.
Thesis by Esteve Valls
This thesis investigates several linguistic changes which have been ongoing in the north-western Catalan dialects of Andorra, Catalonia and the Franja (Aragon) during the XXth century, and tries to determine the internal and external factors which account for the different evolutions of these dialects in these three territories. To do so, we take advantage of a range of qualitative and dialectometric methods —namely the Levenshtein Distance and the COD method— that allow us to calculate and analyze the linguistic distance between varieties in apparent time from an aggregate perspective. The dataset used in this thesis has been conceived as a corpus of contemporary north-western Catalan and covers the whole area where this dialect is spoken. It contains 113.749 items both from rural and urban areas. Specifically, we pay attention to the process of structural dialect loss due to linguistic advergence to standard and eastern Catalan in many north-western Catalan dialects located in Catalonia and Andorra. We also provide evidence that the dialect leveling taking place in these two areas strongly contrasts with the relative stability of the Catalan dialects on the other side of the Catalan-Aragonese border in Spain, where Catalan is not an official language. These opposite sociolinguistic situations (Catalonia and Andorra have strong language policies to support Catalan, whereas Aragon does not) have triggered a twofold process of vertical advergence between the Catalan spoken in Catalonia and Andorra towards the prestigious varieties, on the one hand; and of horizontal divergence between these dialects and those located in Aragon, on the other hand. This situation has notably strengthened the border differences between Aragon and Catalonia during the last 80 years. Beyond this case study, this thesis also wants to shed light on some controversial aspects of the language change theory. First, it is one of the first attempts to study the border effects not only between regions belonging to different countries, but also between different administrative regions within the same country. Second, we investigate the different roles of urban versus rural areas, providing support for the view that the spatial and hierarchical diffusion patterns are complementary. Third, we attempt to shed light on the debate of which language components are more susceptible to the influence exerted by standard languages. Therefore, we analyze the different evolutions of the morphological and the phonological components of these varieties throughout four generations —the discrimination between them being achieved by means of a generative analysis of the corpus— and we conclude that, at least in north-western Catalan, the hierarchy of instability of linguistic elements is clear: morphology has leveled faster than phonology. As a result, most of these varieties have undergone a process of accentualization. Finally, we try to explain the reasons for these changes, paying attention to the different language policies in Andorra, Catalonia and Aragon, on the one hand; and to the ideological and attitudinal factors that have strengthened the processes of linguistic advergence and divergence and the border effect between traditionally close varieties, on the other hand. As one of these factors might be the spreading of the standard language ideology in Catalonia and Andorra, we suggest some changes in the current language policies of these two territories that might help preserve the internal variation of the Catalan language.
Journal papers and book chapters by Esteve Valls
Abstract. This paper analyses the results of administering a common Catalan diagnostic test, for the first time, to 1,000 first�year students enrolled in Early-Childhood Education, Primary Education, and the double degree in Early-Childhood Education and Primary Education across five faculties of Education in Catalonia. The results show that, despite having passed the Personal Aptitude Test that regulates access to these studies, more than half of the students have an overall CEFR level lower than the C1 accreditation that they received on completing the fourth grade of ESO (compulsory secondary education), and that this is mainly due to deficits in their command of the orthographic and grammatical aspects of the language. As a result of this finding, various actions are proposed in the areas of educational language policy, in general, and in the selection and training of future teachers, in particular, among which is the need to rethink the automatic accreditation of a C1 level of Catalan at the conclusion of ESO.
A pesar de que la eclosión de métodos dialectométricos a lo largo de los últimos cincuenta años ha probado la validez de la dialectometría para aproximarse a «l’aménagement linguistique de l’espace par l’homo loquens» y ha permitido «passer outre la considération particularisante des données d’atlas pour se lancer dans l’aventure de la synthèse de ces dernières par voie numérique» (Goebl 2003: 60), lo cierto es que el desarrollo de esta rama de la geolingüística ha sido a menudo más metodológico que epistémico y ha rehuido la advertencia no pocas veces explicitada «against focusing only on technical progress», dado que «the technically or quantitatively oriented dialectologist needs to reflect on the scientific questions being asked, and needs especially to take care that the techniques are appropriate for the questions» (Nerbonne/Ketzschmar 2006: 3).
En los últimos años, y como consecuencia de la gran diversificación tanto técnica como temática de la dialectometría, han aparecido algunos trabajos retrospectivos —vid. Goebl (2006a), Nerbonne/Kretzschmar (2013) o Wieling/Nerbonne (2015)— que no solo han puesto de relieve el salto cualitativo reciente de la disciplina, sino que se han interrogado sobre los pilares en los que debería asentarse la dialectometría del futuro.
El objetivo de este trabajo es, precisamente, llevar a cabo una revisión crítica de la tradición dialectométrica con la intención de detectar los síntomas de agotamiento de los enfoques clásicos, delimitar las áreas de conocimiento que, habiéndose mantenido relativamente al margen de la dialectometría hasta día de hoy, podrían beneficiarse de una aproximación dialectométrica a sus objetos de estudio, y ofrecer a los investigadores una serie de líneas de trabajo a medio camino entre la geolingüística, el análisis del cambio lingüístico y la sociolingüística que atraigan su atención hacia una disciplina con un potencial epistemológico hoy todavía infraexplotado. Esta mirada hacia la dialectometría del futuro se ilustra con los resultados de aplicar varios sistemas de análisis dialectométrico a las variedades de catalán noroccidental fronterizas entre Cataluña y Aragón extraídos de Valls et al. (2013), Valls (2019b) y Valls/Wieling (en preparación).
Abstract. This study analyzes the capability to identify the six main dialectal varieties of Catalan, the interdialectal attitudes and the validity of certain prejudices among fifty-three central Catalan speakers in their 2nd year of Baccalaureate. The results show that the respondent’s knowledge of the dialects is deficient, that their attitudes towards the exovarieties are basically explained by the impact of the centre/periphery axis and their belonging or not to the immediate referential framework of the speakers —the autonomous community of Catalonia—, and that the prejudice by which there is a «superior» variety of Catalan spoken in a specific area still prevails among the respondents.
Abstract. This investigation confirms that the advergence process towards standard Catalan undergone by lleidatà in Segrià (Catalonia), which has been previously described at the phonetic, phonological and morphological levels, is also taking place at the lexical level. This tendency contributes to broaden the linguistic distance between the North-western Catalan varieties spoken in Catalonia and those spoken in Baix Cinca (Aragon), which in turn are converging lexically with the prestigious variety of the whole region, standard Spanish. In this research we argue that the higher volatility of lexicon and the traditional lack of prestige of lleidatà in both sides of the border are the two main reasons that explain these two dedialectalization processes. Finally, we also outline some political initiatives that might be applied to revert this situation.
Abstract. In this paper we pay attention to nineteen nominal and verbal morphological features of lleidatà to delimit, from a qualitative perspective —feature by feature—, how far the dialect loss of these north-western varieties of Catalan has reached. The analysis allows us to distinguish between two groups: features that are converging towards standard Catalan and features that are still commonly used amongst young speakers. Finally, we provide new evidence that the Catalan-Aragonese border has an impact on the divergent evolution of the Segrià and Baix Cinca varieties, which is clearly weakening the traditional north-western continuum.
Abstract. In this paper we pay attention to twenty-one phonetic and phonological features of lleidatà to delimit, from a qualitative perspective -feature by feature-, how far the accentualization of these northwestern varieties of Catalan has reached. The analysis allows us to distinguish among features that are still commonly used, features that are converging towards standard Catalan and features that are converging towards standard Spanish. Finally, we provide new evidence that the Catalan-Aragonese border has an impact on the divergent evolution of the Segrià and Baix Cinca varieties, which is clearly weakening the traditional northwestern continuum.
This paper uses a range of both quantitative and qualitative methods to approach linguistic change in north-western Catalan —in general— and lleidatà —in particular— across four generations of speakers. The results show that lleidatà —as well as pallarès— has undergone the same processes of change —i.e. loss of dialect features due to convergence with the standard and increase of distance with respect to the Catalan varieties spoken in Aragon— undergone by the rest of north-western Catalan varieties, but at a faster rate —especially in the city of Lleida.
Aquest treball vol, doncs, ser un reflex de la complexitat del panorama sociolingüístic franjolí, unes comarques on fa menys de dues dècades el català era la llengua d’ús habitual de la majoria de la població i que ara, en canvi, es troben immerses en l’inici d’un procés de substitució lingüística a causa dels canvis en la composició demolingüística de les noves generacions. L’objectiu de fons és alertar del risc que, malgrat que avui el coixí de parlants encara és prou important com perquè la llengua evolucioni de manera autònoma, la llengua castellana es podria acabar convertint en el principal motor del canvi lingüístic a mesura que minvi la vitalitat etnolingüística de la llengua catalana. En darrer terme, doncs, es reclama una política lingüística activa en favor de les varietats locals de català per part de les administracions públiques, atès que la principal amenaça per als trets idiosincràtics dels parlars franjolins no és pas la difusió de la varietat estàndard de la llengua catalana, com s’ha defensat tradicionalment des del secessionisme lingüístic aragonès, sinó la influència de la llengua espanyola.
L’autor, Esteve Valls, és doctor en Filologia Catalana per la Universitat de Barcelona, cap de la Unitat de Català i professor del Departament de Lingüística Aplicada de la Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, membre del Grup d’Estudi de la Variació i del Centre d’Estudis Comarcals del Segrià i integrant del projecte "Fenòmens d’interfície fonètica-fonologia-morfologia des de la perspectiva de la variació lingüística".
El seu estudi va ser mereixedor de la V Beca Joan Veny, l’any 2016. La Beca Joan Veny està convocada per l'Institut Ramon Muntaner amb el suport de la Direcció General de Política Lingüística i s'atorga a treballs de recerca que tenen com a objectiu l'estudi sobre bases empíriques de qualsevol aspecte vinculat amb la variació lingüística del català.
"La llengua escapçada" es pot descarregar íntegrament aquí: https://llengua.gencat.cat/web/.content/documents/publicacions/btpl/arxius/26-btpl-la-llengua-escapcada.pdf.
This thesis investigates several linguistic changes which have been ongoing in the north-western Catalan dialects of Andorra, Catalonia and the Franja (Aragon) during the XXth century, and tries to determine the internal and external factors which account for the different evolutions of these dialects in these three territories. To do so, we take advantage of a range of qualitative and dialectometric methods —namely the Levenshtein Distance and the COD method— that allow us to calculate and analyze the linguistic distance between varieties in apparent time from an aggregate perspective. The dataset used in this thesis has been conceived as a corpus of contemporary north-western Catalan and covers the whole area where this dialect is spoken. It contains 113.749 items both from rural and urban areas. Specifically, we pay attention to the process of structural dialect loss due to linguistic advergence to standard and eastern Catalan in many north-western Catalan dialects located in Catalonia and Andorra. We also provide evidence that the dialect leveling taking place in these two areas strongly contrasts with the relative stability of the Catalan dialects on the other side of the Catalan-Aragonese border in Spain, where Catalan is not an official language. These opposite sociolinguistic situations (Catalonia and Andorra have strong language policies to support Catalan, whereas Aragon does not) have triggered a twofold process of vertical advergence between the Catalan spoken in Catalonia and Andorra towards the prestigious varieties, on the one hand; and of horizontal divergence between these dialects and those located in Aragon, on the other hand. This situation has notably strengthened the border differences between Aragon and Catalonia during the last 80 years. Beyond this case study, this thesis also wants to shed light on some controversial aspects of the language change theory. First, it is one of the first attempts to study the border effects not only between regions belonging to different countries, but also between different administrative regions within the same country. Second, we investigate the different roles of urban versus rural areas, providing support for the view that the spatial and hierarchical diffusion patterns are complementary. Third, we attempt to shed light on the debate of which language components are more susceptible to the influence exerted by standard languages. Therefore, we analyze the different evolutions of the morphological and the phonological components of these varieties throughout four generations —the discrimination between them being achieved by means of a generative analysis of the corpus— and we conclude that, at least in north-western Catalan, the hierarchy of instability of linguistic elements is clear: morphology has leveled faster than phonology. As a result, most of these varieties have undergone a process of accentualization. Finally, we try to explain the reasons for these changes, paying attention to the different language policies in Andorra, Catalonia and Aragon, on the one hand; and to the ideological and attitudinal factors that have strengthened the processes of linguistic advergence and divergence and the border effect between traditionally close varieties, on the other hand. As one of these factors might be the spreading of the standard language ideology in Catalonia and Andorra, we suggest some changes in the current language policies of these two territories that might help preserve the internal variation of the Catalan language.
Abstract. This paper analyses the results of administering a common Catalan diagnostic test, for the first time, to 1,000 first�year students enrolled in Early-Childhood Education, Primary Education, and the double degree in Early-Childhood Education and Primary Education across five faculties of Education in Catalonia. The results show that, despite having passed the Personal Aptitude Test that regulates access to these studies, more than half of the students have an overall CEFR level lower than the C1 accreditation that they received on completing the fourth grade of ESO (compulsory secondary education), and that this is mainly due to deficits in their command of the orthographic and grammatical aspects of the language. As a result of this finding, various actions are proposed in the areas of educational language policy, in general, and in the selection and training of future teachers, in particular, among which is the need to rethink the automatic accreditation of a C1 level of Catalan at the conclusion of ESO.
A pesar de que la eclosión de métodos dialectométricos a lo largo de los últimos cincuenta años ha probado la validez de la dialectometría para aproximarse a «l’aménagement linguistique de l’espace par l’homo loquens» y ha permitido «passer outre la considération particularisante des données d’atlas pour se lancer dans l’aventure de la synthèse de ces dernières par voie numérique» (Goebl 2003: 60), lo cierto es que el desarrollo de esta rama de la geolingüística ha sido a menudo más metodológico que epistémico y ha rehuido la advertencia no pocas veces explicitada «against focusing only on technical progress», dado que «the technically or quantitatively oriented dialectologist needs to reflect on the scientific questions being asked, and needs especially to take care that the techniques are appropriate for the questions» (Nerbonne/Ketzschmar 2006: 3).
En los últimos años, y como consecuencia de la gran diversificación tanto técnica como temática de la dialectometría, han aparecido algunos trabajos retrospectivos —vid. Goebl (2006a), Nerbonne/Kretzschmar (2013) o Wieling/Nerbonne (2015)— que no solo han puesto de relieve el salto cualitativo reciente de la disciplina, sino que se han interrogado sobre los pilares en los que debería asentarse la dialectometría del futuro.
El objetivo de este trabajo es, precisamente, llevar a cabo una revisión crítica de la tradición dialectométrica con la intención de detectar los síntomas de agotamiento de los enfoques clásicos, delimitar las áreas de conocimiento que, habiéndose mantenido relativamente al margen de la dialectometría hasta día de hoy, podrían beneficiarse de una aproximación dialectométrica a sus objetos de estudio, y ofrecer a los investigadores una serie de líneas de trabajo a medio camino entre la geolingüística, el análisis del cambio lingüístico y la sociolingüística que atraigan su atención hacia una disciplina con un potencial epistemológico hoy todavía infraexplotado. Esta mirada hacia la dialectometría del futuro se ilustra con los resultados de aplicar varios sistemas de análisis dialectométrico a las variedades de catalán noroccidental fronterizas entre Cataluña y Aragón extraídos de Valls et al. (2013), Valls (2019b) y Valls/Wieling (en preparación).
Abstract. This study analyzes the capability to identify the six main dialectal varieties of Catalan, the interdialectal attitudes and the validity of certain prejudices among fifty-three central Catalan speakers in their 2nd year of Baccalaureate. The results show that the respondent’s knowledge of the dialects is deficient, that their attitudes towards the exovarieties are basically explained by the impact of the centre/periphery axis and their belonging or not to the immediate referential framework of the speakers —the autonomous community of Catalonia—, and that the prejudice by which there is a «superior» variety of Catalan spoken in a specific area still prevails among the respondents.
Abstract. This investigation confirms that the advergence process towards standard Catalan undergone by lleidatà in Segrià (Catalonia), which has been previously described at the phonetic, phonological and morphological levels, is also taking place at the lexical level. This tendency contributes to broaden the linguistic distance between the North-western Catalan varieties spoken in Catalonia and those spoken in Baix Cinca (Aragon), which in turn are converging lexically with the prestigious variety of the whole region, standard Spanish. In this research we argue that the higher volatility of lexicon and the traditional lack of prestige of lleidatà in both sides of the border are the two main reasons that explain these two dedialectalization processes. Finally, we also outline some political initiatives that might be applied to revert this situation.
Abstract. In this paper we pay attention to nineteen nominal and verbal morphological features of lleidatà to delimit, from a qualitative perspective —feature by feature—, how far the dialect loss of these north-western varieties of Catalan has reached. The analysis allows us to distinguish between two groups: features that are converging towards standard Catalan and features that are still commonly used amongst young speakers. Finally, we provide new evidence that the Catalan-Aragonese border has an impact on the divergent evolution of the Segrià and Baix Cinca varieties, which is clearly weakening the traditional north-western continuum.
Abstract. In this paper we pay attention to twenty-one phonetic and phonological features of lleidatà to delimit, from a qualitative perspective -feature by feature-, how far the accentualization of these northwestern varieties of Catalan has reached. The analysis allows us to distinguish among features that are still commonly used, features that are converging towards standard Catalan and features that are converging towards standard Spanish. Finally, we provide new evidence that the Catalan-Aragonese border has an impact on the divergent evolution of the Segrià and Baix Cinca varieties, which is clearly weakening the traditional northwestern continuum.
This paper uses a range of both quantitative and qualitative methods to approach linguistic change in north-western Catalan —in general— and lleidatà —in particular— across four generations of speakers. The results show that lleidatà —as well as pallarès— has undergone the same processes of change —i.e. loss of dialect features due to convergence with the standard and increase of distance with respect to the Catalan varieties spoken in Aragon— undergone by the rest of north-western Catalan varieties, but at a faster rate —especially in the city of Lleida.
Aquest treball vol, doncs, ser un reflex de la complexitat del panorama sociolingüístic franjolí, unes comarques on fa menys de dues dècades el català era la llengua d’ús habitual de la majoria de la població i que ara, en canvi, es troben immerses en l’inici d’un procés de substitució lingüística a causa dels canvis en la composició demolingüística de les noves generacions. L’objectiu de fons és alertar del risc que, malgrat que avui el coixí de parlants encara és prou important com perquè la llengua evolucioni de manera autònoma, la llengua castellana es podria acabar convertint en el principal motor del canvi lingüístic a mesura que minvi la vitalitat etnolingüística de la llengua catalana. En darrer terme, doncs, es reclama una política lingüística activa en favor de les varietats locals de català per part de les administracions públiques, atès que la principal amenaça per als trets idiosincràtics dels parlars franjolins no és pas la difusió de la varietat estàndard de la llengua catalana, com s’ha defensat tradicionalment des del secessionisme lingüístic aragonès, sinó la influència de la llengua espanyola.
Als enllaços adjunts hi ha l'enregistrament de la comunicació, de 45 minuts de durada, i l'article publicat a la Revista de Llengua i Dret / Journal of Language and Law 81 (pàg. 189–212).
La present contribució vol aprofundir en l’estudi del canvi lingüístic en lleidatà des d’una òptica qualitativa, és a dir, parant atenció als principals trets que tradicionalment s’han utilitzat per caracteritzar els parlars lleidatans (Veny 1982, Veny i Massanell 2015), amb l’objectiu d’avaluar quin grau de vitalitat presenten avui en dia i determinar si hi ha diferències substancials entre categories lingüístiques pel que fa al ritme de manteniment o de pèrdua dels trets dialectals autòctons. Concretament, en la comunicació d’enguany l’interès se centrarà en l’evolució dels aspectes fonètics i fonològics del parlar lleidatà del Segrià (la nostra previsió és abordar la morfologia i el lèxic en les Jornades de l’any vinent); uns aspectes que, malgrat que sabem que tenen un comportament més conservador que els trets morfològics o lèxics (Valls 2013), també es troben en recessió. Finalment, analitzarem si aquests canvis també s’estan produint en la comarca veïna del Baix Cinca per determinar si es tracta de canvis interns o bé externs, motivats pel prestigi de la varietat estàndard de la llengua catalana. Si fos així, esperaríem que la frontera actués de dic de contenció del canvi (o, fins i tot, que afavorís un doble procés de convergència vertical dels parlars del Segrià i del Baix Cinca, respectivament, a les varietats estàndard catalana i espanyola).
Referències bibliogràfiques
Valls, Esteve (en premsa): «Què se n’ha fet, del lleidatà dels padrins?», Shikar 4.
Valls, Esteve (2013): «Canvi morfològic vs. canvi fonològic en català nord-occidental», Treballs de Sociolingüística Catalana 23, pàg. 57-79.
Veny, Joan (1982): Els parlars catalans (síntesi de dialectología). Palma: Moll.
Veny, Joan i Mar Massanell (2015): Dialectologia catalana. Aproximació pràctica als parlars catalans. Barcelona: Publicacions i Edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona / Alacant: Publicacions de la Universitat d’Alacant / València: Publicacions de la Universitat de València.
In this paper, we will focus on the Catalan varieties spoken in Aragon to more closely examine whether the border effect is also due to the (less important in quantitative terms) evolution of the local dialects. We hypothesize that these varieties might have evolved simultaneously as a result of internal and external factors. As these varieties are not being influenced by standard Catalan, several intrasystemic changes might be taking place. At the same time, the pressure of standard Spanish, which is perceived as the prestigious model as a result of the diglossic situation, might also be favouring a second process of vertical advergence (see Auer & Hinskens 1996) between the Catalan spoken in this region and standard Spanish which might be irreversible.
References
Auer, Peter & Frans Hinskens (1996), «The convergence and divergence of dialects in Europe. New and not so new developments in an old area», in Sociolinguistica 10 (1), 1-30.
Valls, Esteve; Wieling, Martijn & John Nerbonne (2013), «Linguistic advergence and divergence in north-western Catalan: A dialectometric investigation of dialect leveling and border effects», Literary and Linguistic Computing 28 (1).
Aquí comença la saga del professor Basilius Hoffman –historiador, arqueòleg, cavaller a temps parcial i bufó a jornada completa– i el seu viatge a la recerca del llegendari Diari del Cartògraf, en què descobrirem ciutats perdudes en la profunditat de la nit, societats secretes, criatures misterioses, poderoses relíquies sagrades, aparells mecànics impossibles i una infinitat de personatges curiosos.
Aquest llibre original i divertit parla de l’amistat, de com relacionar-se, de la bona educació i de la petita paraula No!, que de vegades s’ha de saber utilitzar amb fermesa."
Mentrestant, l’antipàtic senyor Sangonera demana explicacions a la seva veïna Catuxa per les entremaliadures que se succeeixen als seus dominis..."
En aquesta història criminal escrita amb una prosa àgil i directa, Ameixeiras forma un tot reunint aquests fragments d’ombra amb els quals treu a la llum les parts més fosques de l’ànima humana.
Digue’m alguna cosa bruta va rebre el Premi Especial del Director de la Setmana Negra de Gijón i suposa la confirmació de la maduresa literària de Diego Ameixeiras, un dels autors més originals i valuosos de la narrativa gallega del segle XXI.
Diego Ameixeiras (Lausana, 1976) és periodista i guionista de cinema i televisió. Ha treballat en diverses sèries emeses per la Televisió de Galícia (Terra de Miranda, Os Atlánticos, Matalobos) i és coguionista dels llargmetratges 18 comidas (Jorge Coira, 2010) i La mujer del Eternauta (Adán Aliaga, 2011). Fins ara ha publicat les novel•les de gènere negre Baixo mínimos (2004), O cidadán do mes (2006) i Asasinato no Consello Nacional (2010). Amb Tres segundos de memoria va aconseguir, l’any 2006, el prestigiós Premi Xerais de Novel·la en llengua gallega.
Iolanda Zúñiga (Vigo, 1975) és un personatge polifacètic tant al món real com en el literari. Professora d’educació musical, ha fet de titellaire, d’assistent en una llibreria o de venedora en una botiga de discos, i actualment treballa en un restaurant de cuina vegetariana. Ha revolucionat el món de la literatura gallega gràcies al seu nou estil, destructiu i directe, que, combinat amb una bona història, li ha servit per aconseguir amb Periferia, la seva primera novel•la, un dels guardons més importants de l’àmbit literari gallec, el Premi Xerais 2010. És coguionista del primer film porno en gallec, O divino ferrete, actualment en rodatge.