La representació nord-catalana de la llengua: entre refús del patuès i llengua de segona / The representation of Northern Catalan language: Between patois rejection and second-class language

Northern Catalans, because of their particular position in the interface of the Catalan and French worlds, have a specific representation of Catalan language: they are reluctant to accept the French view that any other languages not the “language of the Republic” are patois. However, in the prevailing linguistic ideology in France and its sociolinguistic situation, do they really perceive Catalan as a second category language? The present contribution aims to balance the deficit of research into the history of the language in Northern Catalonia and indicates possibilities to investigate its language regarding to myths, norms and emotions.