Special place of the catalan language in spanish multilingualism

The article examines various features of the Catalan language and provides a detailed comparative analysis of the similarities and differences between the Catalan and Ibero-Romance and Gallo-Romance languages; the hypothesis of the Catalan language allocation to a separate Occitan-Romance subgroup on a par with the Occitan is considered. It also covers the history of the language and the disputes of various domestic and foreign linguists about the place of the Catalan among other Romance languages, as well as about its relation to certain (Ibero-Romance or Gallo-Romance) subgroups. This article, using examples from phonetics, vocabulary, writing, grammar of the Catalan language, provides arguments in favor of the modern linguists’ assertion that Catalan belongs to a separate Occitan-Roman subgroup. In addition, the article highlights the importance of the Catalan language in the world and the scope of its distribution, as well as the issue of the Catalan names variability in different languages.