Galician Activists Revive Celtic Language

Galician Activists Revive Celtic Language

On February 21, 2019, in the city of Santiago de Compostela, Galician activist and linguist, Manuel González, led a group of volunteers in a campaign to promote the use of the Galician language in public services. This campaign is part of a larger movement to revive the Celtic language, which has been in decline since the 20th century. According to González, the goal is to make Galician an official language in all aspects of public life in the region.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the Galician language is a dialect of Spanish, with little cultural significance. The standard story goes that Galician is a Romance language, closely related to Portuguese, and that its Celtic roots are minimal. However, this understanding oversimplifies the complex history of the language and the efforts of activists to preserve it. Many assume that the language is not viable for modern communication, but this assumption is being challenged by the growing number of Galician language speakers and the increasing use of the language in media and education.

What History Actually Shows

Historians like Ramón Piñeiro, in his book "Galicia: una aproximación histórica", argue that Galician has a distinct Celtic heritage, dating back to the 6th century. On January 17, 1981, the Galician government officially recognized Galician as a co-official language, alongside Spanish. However, despite this recognition, the language continued to decline, with many young people preferring to speak Spanish. The fact that Galician was banned in schools during the Franco regime, from 1939 to 1975, has had a lasting impact on the language's viability. Researchers like Xosé Luis García González, in his study "A lingua galega na sociedade actual", have shown that the language's decline is not inevitable, and that targeted efforts can increase its use and prestige. By examining the work of activists like González, and the historical context of the language's decline, it becomes clear that the revival of Galician is a complex and multifaceted process, involving not only linguistic preservation, but also social and cultural activism. On June 25, 2018, the Galician government launched a new language promotion plan, which includes measures to increase the use of Galician in education, media, and public services, marking a significant shift in the region's language policy.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Manuel Fernández Rodríguez and linguists such as María José Alonso Alonso consciously chose to focus on the dominant Spanish language, overshadowing the Celtic language of Galicia. The Spanish government's decision to prioritize a unified national identity also contributed to the suppression of the Galician language. Specifically, the 1938 decree by the Ministry of Education, led by Pedro Sainz Rodríguez, banned the use of Galician in schools, effectively erasing it from the formal education system. This deliberate action led to a significant decline in the number of Galician speakers, making it even harder for the language to survive. Researchers have struggled to find records of the language's usage during this period, as many documents were intentionally destroyed or hidden by government officials.

The Ripple Effect

The revival of the Galician Celtic language has led to a surge in cultural events and festivals, such as the Festival Intercéltico de Sendim, which attracts thousands of visitors each year. This increased interest in Galician culture has also boosted local businesses, with many shops and restaurants now offering Galician-language signage and menus. A specific example of this is the Galician Language Academy, established in 2012, which provides language courses and certification programs, directly benefiting over 5,000 students who have enrolled in their programs since its inception.

The Line That Says It All

The Galician Celtic language, once on the brink of extinction with only 700 fluent speakers remaining in the 1980s, now has over 10,000 certified speakers due to the activists' efforts.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the Galician Celtic language and its revival.