Introduction
Recently, I have heard the opinions of Mònica Montserrat, a linguist and university professor, about the use of Castilianisms in the Catalan language. His words surprised me and made me reflect on this topic.
Castilianisms in context
Montserrat argues that in certain circumstances, the use of Castilianisms is not as serious as previously stated. According to her, when a Castilianism is used consciously and it becomes clear that it is not a Catalan word, this circumstance does not negatively affect the language. In addition, the use of a Castilianism can bring an added meaning, grace or proximity to the message that you want to convey.
Examples of Castilianisms
Montserrat gives as examples some legendary phrases from TV3 programs that have used Castilianisms throughout the 40 years of existence. These sentences have managed to convey the message effectively and have added a touch of humor or authenticity to the situations.
It is important to emphasize that the use of Spanish idioms must be conscious and limited to a colloquial context. In a written and formal text, this practice would not be acceptable.
The importance of speaking and writing correctly
Despite defending the occasional use of Castilianisms, it is important to remember that since the establishment of Catalan standards and the creation of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans, work has been done to speak and write the language with maximum correctness and with respect to their own words, expressions and syntactic constructions.
This is valid not only for Catalan, but for any other language. It is important to strive to use the language according to the rules and respecting their variants.
Conclusion
In short, the occasional use of Castilianisms in the Catalan language can bring nuance, grace and proximity to the message. However, it is essential to speak and write the language correctly, respecting its rules and variants. The use of Spanish idioms must be conscious and limited to a colloquial context. Thus, the richness and diversity of the Catalan language can be maintained.