In this episode of Romance languages comparison,
you’ll be able to experience the similarities
the Catalan language, Mexican Spanish and Canadian French.
If you’re new here, I’m Norbert from Poland,
and I invite speakers of different languages to run mutual intelligibility experiments.
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Let’s meet the guests of today’s show.
Welcome.
My name is Pati and I am a dentist,
born in Barcelona,
but I’m also studying translation and interpretin of languages
at the Catalan Opened University.
How are you?
I am Isidor. I am from Mexico. I am a Spanish teacher.
I'm Marc. I’m a web developer and also a photographer.
And if you’re curious you can come and see my page on Instagram,
it’s @vommir - Vommir with two M's
and that's it.
I'm from Montreal by the way, excuse me.
I forgot to say it but I'm from Montreal, Quebec.
Perfect, very good.
So, I explain to you the rules for the game we are going to do today.
It is about guessing four words, four words,
for which I will give you some hints, clues, in order for you to guess them.
I will speek in catalan all the time,
and you are going to speak in your mother tongues.
So, let’s start with the first word.
It is about an object that we use to eat.
Okay so it’s something, food.
Very good.
We eat liquids, with it.
And we can also use it to stir, or to toss, por example, the coffee.
Yhm.
Is it a container?
No, it is a utensil.
Utensil. An ustensile okay.
An ustensile that goes in something liquid like coffee for exemple.
Yes, it used to eat.
We use it to eat liquids, like for example, a soup.
Yeah. Is this object small?
It can be small, or it can be big.
It can have different sizes (the correct word for sizes is “mides”).
Okay so it’s an ustensile or it is an aliment?
No, it is a utensil.
Okay so it’s a spoon.
Very good!
A spoon?
Yes, well done.
In Catalan, in Catalan it is called “cullera” (spoon).
It looks a lot like french. You see in french it’s “cuiellère” really close.
Yes, it is very close.
And we add the ch sound, like, cuchara.
Yes, we don’t have this sound.
But this word, ‘culera’ in catalán, right?
Well, in Spanish it sounds like, well, Mexican Spanish,
like a bad word, so, I wouldn’t use it…
Ah, it references to an a**.
Yes.
I think that the difference is the sound of two L, that the word has, that it is “ll”.
It is a very characteristic sound of Catalan, but, Portuguese, for example, also has this sound.
But I understood what you meant, Isidro.
Very good, so let’s continue with the... with the word, the next word.
This time, it is about a part of the body.
A part of what, sorry?
The body, our body.
We have two of them. You say Marc!
Hm wait, are we currently speaking about a specific location?
No, a part...a...something...mhm...we have in our body.
Something that we have.
Look, we have two of them. We have two of these parts.
One right...and one left.
And....
we use them to walk, to move ourselves.
Okay so it’s an object that helps for walking.
No, it is not an object, it is a part of ourselves.
A part of our body.
Okay, a body part.
Very good, very good.
In the inside... or not. A part of the body.
Is it the extremities?
Yes, it is a limb.
It is a limb that we use to walk,
and they are long.
Yes.
Legs?
Yes, well done, yes.
Ah there we go.
Legs, in Spanish.
In Catalan they are called legs, a leg... yes.
But are talking only about the legs or the feet?
No no, about the legs. Not the feet no, the legs.
Yes, long.
In Spanish, 'cama' is this piece of furniture where you sleep.
Yes.
In Catalan it is “llit” (bed). The bed to sleep.
In french it’s “lit”
It’s the same thing.
Very well. So, let’s go on with...with the next word.
It is an object again, that we use for birthdays.
It is an object that we put on the cake.
And we put as many as years old the person is.
Okay an object that has a link with people.
You can start a fire on this object, right?
- There is fire. - Hi, can you hear me?
So, I repeat, it is an object for birthdays.
Birthdays, when turn older.
Well, I’m lost now.
For me it sounds like university.
No, in French... birthday.
‘Anniversaire!’
Ah okay a candle ‘bougie’ a candle ‘bougie’ that we put on cakes.
Yes, very well.
Candle. It’s a candle, isn’t it?
Yes, very good, that’s it.
In Catalan we say “espelma” (candle)
In Catalan, “vela” (sail),
is the part of a boat, to sail in the sea.
Yes. In Spanish it has this meaning as well.
No, I don’t have any idea.
What’s in French again?
Candle ‘bougie’ yeah.
Yes, in Catalan it exists, yes. In Catalan it also exists the word “bugia” (candle)
but we don’t use it.
Also to refer to this object?
Yes, yes as well.
Yes...and...and sail, Marc, is for the boat.
When a small boat, in the sea, to sail, to sail.
And it moves with the wind, right? The wind moves it, impulses it.
To sail, to sail with the wind.
Wait, are we talking about something to navigate?
Yes, the sail, in Catalan, “vela” (sail) is the part used to sail.
Okay the part to navigate, navigate with a boat.
In Spanish, guys,
we use ‘anniversary’ for events,
but normally for people’s birthday we use ‘birthday’
In Catalan, no, in Catalan we use the same word, the same word for both things.
How to say it?
Aniversari, aniversari.
For us it’s ‘anniversaire’
we can also say ‘fête’ like ‘fiesta’.
So ‘anniversaire’ is a little bit more specific but we can also use ‘fête’.
So we can say ‘bonne fête’ to someone that we want to celebrate his birthday,
we are telling him ‘bonne fête' but we can also say ‘bonne anniversaire’ that can sound a bit more formal.
Ok, yes.
So, let’s continue with the last word.
It is an animal.
We can find it in a pond, or in a lake...
but we can also see it flying.
Okay sorry, so it’s an animal that can go swim in the sea or also walk on water (DOH), on the ground sorry.
Yes, but..
You said it can fly as well?
Yes, that too, but we don’t find it in the see, we find it in a lake.
Specifically.
Does this type of animal migrate during the winter, for example, from north to south?
Yes, yes.
The, the males, have colours and the...
Yeah. Is it a duck?
yes...
A duck. Yes.
In Catalan it is called “ànec” (duck)
What’s in French?
A duck.
Is it similar to canary?
Yes.
But canaries are smaller birds, right? that…
It is not the same animal.
No, so we have the ducks ‘canards’ but for the babies we say duckling ‘canetons’.
For the adults it’s ‘canards’.
“Aneguet” (duckling), the baby, in Catalan is called “aneguet” (duckling).
Hey, but i think they are different type of birds.
Have you heard 'canario'?
Yes, I know, the canary is a little bird,
Yes.
It is yellow, its colour is yellow, and it sings.
Yes, exactly.
Whats in French, Marc?
Do you know? Do you know what a canary is?
Ah I don’t know. No I’m not exactly sure.
I know we use ‘canards’ and ‘canetons’
but I don’t know we are currently referring to another species. I’m not sure.
It’s similar, isn’t it?
Yes, yes exactly.
That were all the words.
Really? Are these all?
I have no more.
Wow, I was a bit surprised because when I visited Barcelona
I had a hard time understanding catalan
but now that I have studied a little bit more Spanish
it looks like I can understand the Catalan phrases better.
And I would say it’s funny but there are
a lot of things in common with French and Spanish so it’s a language that is easy to assimilate.
The problem of Catalan
is that usually, we...do...not...talk...like...this
We talk much fester.
We wouldn’t understand if you spoke fast.
And ...and we “eat” a lot some letters.
For example, instead of saying: “per...això” (because of that), we say “perxò”.
Thank you for speaking slowly then
I think it’s the same thing for French.
It depends but I think I could say it depends on the accent but for us quebecers (French Canadians)
we are known for having an accent that incorporates a bit of the american culture
which concludes on us shortening a lot of words.
So instead of saying, for example I am ‘je suis’ we would say I am ‘chu’
so if I want to say I am tired ‘I am tired’, I would say I’m tired ‘chu fatigué’.
It’s not a clean way of speaking but it is frequently how people speak in Montreal and Quebec.
We also do that. For example, the verb to go.
I go.
We go. We never say “anem” (we go), we always say “nem” (we go).
And lots of things like that.
In Mexican coasts they also eat words,
and I think in many regions in Central America and the Caribbean,
they eat certain sounds of words.
What do you think about this conversation?
We’re looking forward to reading your comments down below.
Check out the description box if you want to know more about the participants of today's show
and explore other videos in the series.
Adéu!