The Galician Language

A language is the soul and identity of a people and their society. It encompasses a cohesive group of people, with their own customs, culture, and history, who see the world in the same way. Discover the fascinating history of Galician and its secret links to the Camino.

Galego, as it is known in Galician, is an Indo-European language belonging to the Romance branch of languages. As the native language of Galicia, it is spoken by 2.7 million inhabitants in Galicia, in regions bordering Galicia, and in Galician diaspora resulting from immigration, particularly in Latin America and Europe. The first preserved record of Galician text dates back to 1228.

Though there were significant differences between the Galician-Portuguese spoken in the north and south of the region, as seen in their rich and diverse literature, the two languages did not definitively separate from one another until the 14th century. Nowadays, Portuguese and Galician are mutually very well understood, and Galician is very close to the Lusophone language family, i.e., Portuguese.

The history of the Galician language is not straightforward. It had a bright start as the literary language of the king's court in Galicia, and it had an extensive Medieval corpus. But following the separation of the country of Portugal, the Kingdom of Galicia declined. This was compounded by other damaging political and social actions backed by the Crown of Castile.

Though Galician was still widely spoken, this change in power meant that the language used in judicial and administrative settings changed in favor of Castilian, and Galician disappeared from literary texts. This resulted in linguistic prejudice against Galician, some aspects of which can still be felt in Galician society. This period marked the start of the Dark Ages or literally Dark Centuries (Siglos Oscuros in Castillan and Séculos Escuros in Galician).

A shadow was cast over Galician until the 19th century. Then, the intellectual classes developed a consciousness of giving dignity to their own language and culture. This realization was also spreading through the rest of 19th-century Europe, which would later be known in Galicia as Rexurdimento (The Resurgence). Written literature, journalistic writing, and research were once again composed in Galician.

The drive to normalize the Galician language, which was embedded in the Rexurdimento movement, saw success in the 20th century when the language was given social functions that had been forbidden up to that time. Promoted by Galician nationalist Castelao, the 1936 Statute of Autonomy of Galicia marked a turning point for the language. However, the Spanish Civil War and subsequent Franco Regime plunged Galician into what were known as the Dark Years (Años Oscuros).

Important milestones in the recovery of the Galician language include the Law of Linguistic Normalization of Galician (Ley de Normalización Lingüística de Galicia), which was unanimously passed in 1983; the creation of the Society of Radio-Television of Galicia (Corporación Radio e Televisión de Galicia), an independent media outlet that currently has one radio station and two TV stations in Galician; and Galician Literature Day (Día das Letras Galegas), which was inaugurated in 1963 in honor of Rosalía de Castro.

Despite Galician being in good health today, as well as great advances in linguistic normalization, there are many structural problems. The main issue is that Galician is replaced by Spanish among the younger generations, which is a result of various sociocultural and economic factors.

Only with adequate linguistic policies and collective consciousness and pride in a centuries-old legacy can this process be reversed. Doing so would honor the Galician writer Álvaro Cunqueiro, whose gravestone is inscribed with the epitaph, "Eiquí xaz alguén que coa súa obra fixo que Galicia durase mil primaveras máis" (Here lies someone who, with his work, made Galicia last a thousand more springs).

The Galician language is the greatest and most original collective creation of the Galician people. It is the true spiritual force that brings their community together. The language is a living patrimonial treasure and a legacy with a shared identity that must be protected and passed on to others. Galician ultimately serves as an essential link, a cultural connection, with the rest of the world, as it gives a unique perspective on life.