Is Catalan the same as Spanish?

Question

I was talking to a girl who moved here from Panama, and she said that her original language is different than the Spanish they speak in the Spanish classes. {I think she called it Catalan} Is that the same thing as Spanish or is it different?

Answer 1

Hi, Rockstar Welcome to SpanishDict!

No, it's a different language (but also a Romance one) official language of Andorra, also recognised in the Spanish autonomous communities of the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencian Community. Spoken in some regions of Spain (the autonomous communities of Aragon and Murcia in Spain).

However, you may hear a different name for Spanish language - Castilian (in Spanish: castellano).

Ooh okey dokies. Thank you! I was just soo confused. ^.^ Because she is in a Spanish class down here. but the teacher grades all of her stuff wrongly. Because she uses the Spanish language from Panama instead of what they teach us down here. - ChaoticNinja, Dec 22, 2009

Answer 2

Catalan is also spoken on the French side of the border - albeit amongst rural folks since French is taught at school and the only official language in the French republic unlike in the kingdom of Spain - and looks/sounds more like French since it does not contain so many "o's" and "a's" as Castillan.

Answer 3

Good question Rockstar! I had a similar question not too long ago about the various languages that are spoken in Spain. Here is a link to the thread where we discussed it:

http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/115044/what-language-do-they-speak-in-spain-this-is-not-a-joke-

It is worth pointing out also, that in Panama there is an indigenous languaga called Cuna (Kuna?). Maybe she was talking about that?

Really? I did not know that. I learned something new today. ^.^ But that could have been it. yeah. - ChaoticNinja, Dec 22, 2009