ON THE POLITICAL CONCEPT OF COMMON LANGUAGE: A THEORETICAL AND COMPARATIVE APPROACH

In Catalonia, language policy has been built on the relationship between the concepts of own language and official language. This relationship, soundly developed from a legal standpoint, has been the basis for the political legitimation of the preferential use of Catalan in a co-official language scheme. In the early years of the 21st century, the reference to Catalan as a"common language" was introduced into public discourse, as a result of the socio-demographic and socio-linguistic changes brought about by the last wave of international migration. The idea "Catalan, our common language," became a key element in immigration policy, in accordance with a usage imported mainly from Quebec, within the framework of an intercultural model. Nonetheless, the concept of common language lacks a solid theoretical underpinning and a clear definition, and little analysis has been made of its empirical applications. This article aims to contribute to refining this concept, taking into account its significance not only for immigration policies but also, in a more general way, for the political management of a multilingual society. The article starts by describing how the term is used in Catalan settings and the factors that have led to its adoption. It later addresses the concept from the perspective of liberal political theory and proposes a definition. Finally, it also briefly analyzes its empirical uses in official texts in Europe, Canada and the United States, before concluding with a reflection on the term's application in Catalonia.