Abstract
In this paper, following an overview of the evolution of the alternation between illorum and suus derivations in Romance languages, we will focus on the case of Catalan, which represents a sort of bridge between Ibero-Romanic and Gallo-Romanic languages. The article examines and aims to qualify the role of the linguistic contact in the evolution of the alternation llur/seu in Catalan, questioning the notion of border, while evidencing the existence of a linguistic continuum between the two areas, as well as within the Catalan domain itself. We propose to consider linguistic change as a result of joint action of several factors, among which, for this work, we will highlight not only the direct and indirect consequences of linguistic contact but also the essential role of its opposite, the absence of contact, i.e., the impact of the degree of distance from the centres of power and the variety of language in use there, which may coincide to a greater or lesser extent with the standard language.