Perpignan: The Truth (country, people, Portuguese, work)

[joelibyan]

If you've screened my past posts, you'll know that I lived and worked in Madrid for 2 years about 8 years ago. During that time, I had the chance to travel all over the Iberian peninsula, spending decent time in almost all the major cities of Spain and Portugal. Additionally, I was able to travel to Morocco and Bordeaux, France.

I also showed a budding interest in all things Catalonia, and even could defend myself somewhat in Catalan. I made some friends in the so-called "Catalan countries" (Paisos Catalans), and tried to learn about the history of the region.

To my surprise, I learned about Catalunya Nord, that is, the region of southern France that once pertained to the Kingdom of Aragon, et al. France fascinated me, but I always struggled with French more then Spanish and Portuguese, so I never dove into learning about the French as well as I did the other countries I visited.

I say all that to ask this:

- How "Catalan" is Perpignan and the surrounding areas?
- Are there Catalan-only or Catalan-majority speakers native to France? (That is to say, Catalan is spoken in the home, not just a couple of nifty catch phrases, and not transplants from Spain)
- Could an outsider reasonably survive speaking only Catalan?

There's not really a lot of information online about Perpignan (not even a dedicated thread on city-data!), but it has always fascinated me. I'd love to see some replies!

[french user]

In Perpignan you might be able to find some people who can speak Catalan but it is nothing like in Spanish Cataluna.
The common language and native language of about 90% (maybe more)
Of the population is french. Spanish is likely to be understood and spoken as a second language more than Catalan. The area still refers as part of cataluna, but unlike in Spain this is mostly a 'folkloric' thing.

[cojoncillo]

French are Jacobins, their "regional idiosincracies" visited Madame Guillotine 200 years ago. So "ignorant" languages were barred and ignored.

In the jaded and decayed centre of Perpinyà there are three groups:

North Africans; they get around in French, they also have a working knowledge of Spanish.

Gypsies, for some reason they speak Catalan, very good Catalan.

The rest: Here you have a LOT of descendants of Spanish refugees during the Civil War that arrived in 1939. Many are in their second generation, and many or most will not speak Spanish or Catalan (if they are Catalan in origin) with you because some psychological thing I won't enter into. There are also French Catalans, mostly in the countryside. Many speak good Catalan with certain French drawl, others speak perfectly, but most don't but are relearning (Spanish Catalonia is immensely richer than French Catalonia and the AVE will arrive someday). A quite curious thing, they (Northern Catalans as we call them) speak of Barcelona as their capital.

Then, you have the "Parigos" (the typical arrogant French civil servant or clerk that always says he's from Paris) and "Gavatxos" (people that speak with the throat). Those are the French from up north.

Catalans and Occitans called French "Gavatxos", the term derived to Gabacho in Spanish...Mexicans use the word to designate Americans.

Perpignan and the fortress of Salses were fully Catalan and Spanish until 1640, but was invaded during the "Guerra dels Segadors" (one of the many defeats). Spanish Catalonia was also occupied by the French, but after experiencing their rule they were reppealed back since they were far worse than Castilians.

As to your questions:


How "Catalan" is Perpignan and the surrounding areas?

Historically, the area is fully Catalan, but the area was invaded in 1640 by the French. They "frenchified" everything. For them, Catalan is a patois and Catalans "provincials" that had to become uniformized.


- Are there Catalan-only or Catalan-majority speakers native to France?

Yes, there are, but they are three-lingual. They are a minority. They are Catalans, Catalans del nord.


- Could an outsider reasonably survive speaking only Catalan?

I don't think so, in fact, most people you'll meet in shops, auchamp, restaurants are immigrants or "gavatxos".