# S'i o no, qu`e penses? Catalonian Independence and Linguistic Identity on Social Media

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1804.05088 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1804.05088/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 13 Apr 2018.

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Modeling Framing in Immigration Discourse on Social Media](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.06443/) (2021)
- [Bridging Nations: Quantifying the Role of Multilinguals in Communication on Social Media](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03797/) (2023)
- [Networks and Identity Drive Geographic Properties of the Diffusion of Linguistic Innovation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2202.04842/) (2022)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Political identity is often manifested in language variation, but the relationship between the two is still relatively unexplored from a quantitative perspective. This study examines the use of Catalan, a language local to the semi-autonomous region of Catalonia in Spain, on Twitter in discourse related to the 2017 independence referendum. We corroborate prior findings that pro-independence tweets are more likely to include the local language than anti-independence tweets. We also find that Catalan is used more often in referendum-related discourse than in other contexts, contrary to prior findings on language variation. This suggests a strong role for the Catalan language in the expression of Catalonian political identity.