Valencian language

Valencian (valencià) or the Valencian language (llengua valenciana) is the official, historical and traditional name used in the Valencian Community to refer to the Romance language also known as Catalan, either as a whole or in its Valencia-specific linguistic forms. The Valencian Community's 1982 Statute of Autonomy officially recognises Valencian as the name of the native language.

Valencian displays transitional features between Ibero-Romance languages and Gallo-Romance languages. According to philological studies, the varieties of this language spoken in the Valencian Community and Carche cannot be considered a single dialect restricted to these borders: the several dialects of Valencian (Alacantí Valencian, Southern Valencian, Central Valencian or Apitxat, Northern Valencian or Castellonenc Valencian and Transitional Valencian) belong to the Western group of Catalan dialects.

There is political controversy within the Valencian Community regarding whether it is a glottonym or an independent language. The position of the Valencian people that it is an independent language has a majority according to the official reports, from 2/3 in 2004 to a slight majority in 2015. According to the 2006 Statute of Autonomy, Valencian is regulated by the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua (AVL), following the legacy established by the Castelló Norms, which adapt Catalan orthography to Valencian idiosyncrasies.

Some of the most important works of Valencian literature experienced a Golden Age during the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Important works include Joanot Martorell's chivalric romance Tirant lo Blanch, and Ausiàs March's poetry. The first book produced with movable type in the Iberian Peninsula was printed in the Valencian variety. The earliest recorded chess game with modern rules for moves of the queen and bishop was in the Valencian poem Scachs d'amor (1475).