The History of the Spanish Language
- Origins in Latin. Spanish originated in the Iberian Peninsula as a dialect of spoken Latin, which is today called...
- Castellano. The Reconquista period (between 711 and 1492) refers to the slow reconquering of present-day Spain from the...
- Royal Spanish Academy. The Royal Spanish Academy, or Real Academia Española, was founded in 1713,...
What original language was Spanish derived from?
The standard Spanish language is also called Castilian in its original variant, and in order to distinguish it from other languages native to parts of Spain, such as Galician, Catalan, Basque, etc. In its earliest documented form, and up through approximately the 15th century, the language is customarily called Old Spanish.
Why is the Spanish language so popular?
I believe Spanish is becoming more awesome due to many reasons:
- It is the most romantic and diversified language among the Romance family. ...
- Spanish has a great deal of similarity with English. ...
- Sporting successes of Spanish-speaking countries and the way its fans, people and commentators alike, yelling, commenting, making it even incredible.
- While English is the unoffi
Is Spanish a real language?
Together, TelevisaUnivision owns the largest library of Spanish-language content and intellectual property in the world, and the most prolific long-form Spanish-language content engine in the industry. As a result of the combination, TelevisaUnivision reaches over 60% of the respective TV audiences in both the U.S. and Mexico.
Did Spanish come before English?
The names of many of our states and cities are Spanish — a testament to the fact that Spanish-speakers colonized many areas that later became part of the United States before English-speakers. Many of us use Spanish words when speaking English, often without being aware of what we’re doing.
When did the Spanish language started?
Most scholars agree that modern Spanish was established in a standard written form in the 13th century in the Kingdom of Castile in the Spanish city of Toledo.
What language was Spanish originally from?
LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN SPAIN Castilian Spanish is the official national language of Spain. However, there are other co-official languages spoken in Spain´s many culturally diverse regions that form an important part of the Spanish cultural patrimony.
Who started Spanish language?
The language known today as Spanish is derived from a dialect of spoken Latin, which was brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans after their occupation of the peninsula that started in the late 3rd century BC.
How did Spanish language start?
Spanish originated in the Iberian Peninsula as a dialect of spoken Latin, which is today called “Vulgar Latin,” as opposed to the Classical Latin used in literature. The dialect of Spanish that we consider dominant in Europe is called Castellano or Castilian Spanish.
What is the oldest language in the world?
World's oldest language is Sanskrit. The Sanskrit language is called Devbhasha. All European languages seem inspired by Sanskrit. All the universities and educational institutions spread across the world consider Sanskrit as the most ancient language.
How old is Spanish?
The oldest Latin texts with traces of Spanish come from mid-northern Iberia in the 9th century, and the first systematic written use of the language happened in Toledo, a prominent city of the Kingdom of Castile, in the 13th century.
How many types of Spanish are there?
How Many Spanish Languages Are There? The answer to the above question is: There are ten major Spanish dialects. Generally, languages seem to be named after a certain culture or the people or inhabitants of a country.
Is Spanish older than English?
I'd dare say that Spanish, as a spoken language probably were intelligible to a Modern Spanish speaker a few hundred years prior to the first Spanish words being put on paper, meaning that spoken Spanish is actually older than spoken English.
What was the name of the Spanish language spoken in Castile?
This brought to an end the 700 years of Moorish invasion.#N#Language: Due to the importance of their union – and the territories they had together – the dialect spoken in Castile became the official language of Spain. The name of the dialect spoken in Castile was Castillian. El dialecto de Castilla era el castellano. Thus, Classical Spanish came to life.
What are some examples of Greek origin in Spanish?
Some examples of Greek origin adopted through Latin are: academia (academy)
What is the Spanish word for Castellano?
In Spanish, there are two ways to refer to the Spanish language: Español: term mostly used in America. Castellano: term mostly used in Spain*. *The literal English translation of castellano is Castillian. However, the English term refers to specific varieties of Spanish only, not to the Spanish language as a whole.
Why did the Moors come to Spain?
The Moors came to Spain in the year 711. They conquered Spain and stayed until 1492, the same year Christopher Columbus discovered America! They arrived in Spain because there were (again) some wars. They were called by some friends in Spain to help with the wars but ended up staying and occupying the territory for almost 800 years! As the Romans did before them, the Moors also brought along culture and language!
What language did the Moors speak?
The language of the Moors was (and still is – yay to our first still living language!) Ḥassāniyyah Arabic, a dialect of Arabic. In the 781 years that the Moors occupied Spain, the modified Latin (that will soon turn into Spanish) started adopting a lot of Arabic words.
How many languages did the Celts speak?
They came with their own Celtic language (also called Common Celt or Proto-Celt)! Nowadays, there are still 6 Celtic languages that evolved from that one Celtic language from a long time ago: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx, Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. Some of these languages are in danger of becoming extinct, just as it happens in Guatemala with Mayan Languages. Read more about what is happening to Mayan languages here! Many words we use in Spanish are of Celtic origin, so this piece of the puzzle is a little bit bigger! Some examples are:
What happened in 1492?
The year 1492 is a special year for Spain. Three major events occurred that greatly affected the course of history: 1 The fall of Granada, the last Muslim stronghold in Spain. Subsequent expulsion of the Moors. 2 The expulsion of the Spanish Jews (Sephardic Jews) after they had lived in Spain for centuries. 3 Christopher Columbus discovered America.
Where did Spanish originate?
That dialect arose in Cantabria in the 9th century around the town of Burgos in north-central Spain ( Old Castile) and, as Spain was reconquered from the Moors, spread southward to central Spain ( New Castile) around Madrid and Toledo by the 11th century. In the late 15th century, the kingdoms of Castile and Leon merged with that of Aragon, and Castilian became the official language of all of Spain. The regional dialects of Aragon, Navarra, Leon, Asturias, and Santander were crowded out gradually and today survive only in secluded rural areas. Galician (a language with many similarities to Portuguese ), spoken in northwestern Spain, and Catalan, spoken in eastern and northeastern Spain, were also much reduced but began a resurgence in the late 20th century.
What was the official language of Spain in the late 15th century?
In the late 15th century, the kingdoms of Castile and Leon merged with that of Aragon, and Castilian became the official language of all of Spain. The regional dialects of Aragon, Navarra, Leon, Asturias, and Santander were crowded out gradually and today survive only in secluded rural areas.
What are the other languages spoken in Spain?
The other languages spoken in Spain include Aragonese, Asturian, Basque, Caló, Catalan -Valencian-Balear, Extremaduran, Fala, and Galician. The ascendancy of Castilian among Spanish dialects is the result of the particular circumstances of the Reconquista (the conquest of Moorish Spain by the Christian states of Spain, completed in 1492), ...
What was the first Spanish text?
The first texts in Spanish consist of scattered words glossing two Latin texts of the 10th century, one from Rioja and the other from Castile; the language in the two documents shows few dialect differences. Another document, written about 980, seems to be Leonese in character.
What is the dialect of Spanish used in Arab-occupied Spain before the 12th century called?
Subscribe Now. The dialect of Spanish used in Arab-occupied Spain before the 12th century was called Mozarabic. A remarkably archaic form of Spanish with many borrowings from Arabic, it is known primarily from Mozarabic refrains ...
Where is Galician spoken?
Galician (a language with many similarities to Portuguese ), spoken in northwestern Spain, and Catalan, spoken in eastern and northeastern Spain, were also much reduced but began a resurgence in the late 20th century. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now.
Is the case system of Latin lost?
In Spanish the case system of Latin has been completely lost except for subject and object forms for pronouns. Nouns are marked for masculine or feminine gender, and plurals are marked by the addition of -s or -es; adjectives change endings to agree with nouns.
How long has the Spanish language been around?
The History of the Spanish Language. As anything that’s been around for 1,500+ years does, the Spanish language has a rich and complicated history. It has navigated the rise and fall of great empires, has been a symbol of cultural identity, and has both been used as a tool of unity and caused considerable divisiveness.
Where did Spanish originate?
Spanish originated in the Iberian Peninsula as a dialect of spoken Latin, which is today called “Vulgar Latin,” as opposed to the Classical Latin used in literature. The dialect of Spanish that we consider dominant in Europe is called Castellano or Castilian Spanish.
What was the Reconquista period?
The Reconquista period (between 711 and 1492) refers to the slow reconquering of present-day Spain from the Moors by the Kingdom of Castile (with the help of other allied kingdoms). Castilian Spanish was further popularized by the narrative poems spread orally about Castilian heroes in battle.
What was the only official language in Spain during the Second World War?
During the Second World War, the dictator Francisco Franco declared Castilian Spanish Spain’s only official language, prohibiting the use of other regional languages in many areas.
What is the Royal Spanish Academy?
The Royal Spanish Academy, or Real Academia Española, was founded in 1713, mainly with the purpose of standardizing the language. For example, it did future Spanish learners a big favor by standardizing the use of accents to denote syllabic stress that does not follow the pronunciation rules (see Spanish pronunciation ).
How many countries speak Spanish?
As a result of Spanish colonialism in Latin America and a few other areas of the globe, Spanish is the official language of 20 countries today (plus one territory: Puerto Rico) and is spoken by 400 million native speakers worldwide. Spanish colonies fought for their independence from Spain throughout the 18th century but maintained Spanish as their ...
Why did the Spanish colonists use Spanish as their official language?
Spanish colonies fought for their independence from Spain throughout the 18th century but maintained Spanish as their official language. Many of these new Latin American governments encouraged use of Spanish by the Amerindian majority to promote national unity following independence.
Where did Spanish come from?
Like the other Romance languages, Spanish is derived from Vulgar Latin, the cluster of dialects spoken by legionaries, traders, farmers and the like. Vulgar Latin was presumably always subject to considerable geographical variation, although not to the extent of becoming unintelligible by Latin speakers from different parts of the Roman Empire.
What are the languages spoken in Spain?
Other languages spoken in Spain include “Galician” (North-West), “Catalonian” (East) and “Basque”, which is spoken in the North-East of Spain and in a small swathe of France.
What is the second language in the world?
The language of Cervantes, Picasso and García M árquez is already the second world language as a vehicle of international communication and the third as an international language of politics, economics and culture.
When was the Real Academia Espaola founded?
In 1713 , the Real Academia Espaola was founded. It established authoritative criteria for the sanctioning of neologisms and the incorporation of international words. Spanish grammar was formalised during this period and there was a great flourish in Hispanic literature, helped by Spanish’s relatively free word order, creating a variety of diverse literary styles.
Where did the word "patata" come from?
Words like “patata”, “cndor”, “alpaca” and “puma” came from Quechua and Guarani. From the family of Nahuatl languages came such familiar vocabulary as: “chocolate”, “tomate” and “cacao”.
Is Spanish a Romance language?
Spanish is a Romance language, meaning that it is a vernacular descendant of Latin, the official language of the Roman Empire and a branch of the Indo-European. In addition to Spanish, the Romance group includes Portuguese, French, Italian, Rumanian, Galician, Sardinian and Catalan languages, as well as dialects such as Occitan and Rheto-Romance.
Where did Spanish come from?
Spanish, and its distinct dialects, emerged following years of invasion and settlement of many cultures in the Iberian Peninsula: the Moors from Northern Africa, the Visigoths from Central Europe and the Christians from the Roman Empire.
What is the Spanish language?
The Spanish language we know today, has gone through a very interesting and long journey; it’s the result of thousands of years of language development and cultural influence. Spanish belongs to the Indo-European family and derives many of its rules of grammar and syntax from Latin; around 75% of Spanish words have Latin roots.
What is Colombian Spanish?
In general, Colombian Spanish is a group of dialects of Spanish spoken in Colombia. Since the dialects spoken in the various regions of Colombia are quite diverse, the term Colombian Spanish is of more geographical than linguistic relevance.
Where did Castillan Spanish originate?
Castillan Spanish was originated as a continuation of the spoken Latin (Vulgar Latin) in the northern and central areas of Spain. Then, the northern dialect spread to the south where it absorbed local Romance dialects such as Judaeo-Spanish or Ladino and borrowed many words from the Andalusian Arabic.
How many people speak Spanish in 2060?
And, it is expected that by 2060 around 754 million people will speak the language globally.
What is the process of bringing the Spanish language and Spanish traditions, including the Catholic religion, into the continent called?
The process of bringing the Spanish language and Spanish traditions, including the catholic religion, into the continent was referred to as “hispanización”. There were many challenges in the “hispanización” process, but one of the biggest was communication.
How many countries speak Spanish?
Spanish is today the official language of 20 countries. It’s spoken by more than 500 million people around the world, and it’s the most widely spoken Romance language, both in number of speakers and number of countries. Today, depending on where you go, you could hear differences in words, accents and even grammar.
Where did the story of the Spanish language start?
From Proto-Indo-European to Latin: The Story Begins Near the Black Sea. In his widely-read book “A History of the Spanish Language,” author Ralph Penny traces the Spanish language all the way back to the Indo-European languages, but really, it might go even further back than that.
When did Castilian become the official language of the region?
In 1492 , Castilian became the official language of the region, having also developed a writing system. With this newly widespread use, literature began to emerge from the area. People started to write down the tales that were previously spread through oral storytelling, further evolving and refining the language.
What is the most widely spoken language in the world?
Spanish Is Spoken by Millions Around the World. Spanish is the most widely spoken Romance language. The other Romance languages include Portuguese, French, Italian, Romanian and Catalan, among others. They all trace their linguistic family lines back to the Indo-European language family, which we’ll learn about in just a bit.
Where is Castilian spoken?
Castilian Spanish, also called Castellano, is spoken predominantly in Spain. There are some pronunciation points that make it sound different from Latin American Spanish. There are also a few vocabulary differences. For example, in Spain you’d drive un coche (a car) while elsewhere you’d use un carro (a car).
How many people speak Spanish?
Spanish is the native language to 330 million people in 21 countries. It’s considered the second world language in international communication and the third world language in politics, economics and culture. A “world language” is a language that’s widely learned as a second language and spoken extensively across the globe.
What languages evolved over time?
Over time, the languages evolved and branched out into Anatolian, Indo-Iranian, Greek, Italic, Celtic, Germanic, Armenian, Tocharian, Balto-Slavic and Albanian. Linguist Mark Damen explores one aspect of this evolution over the years in a fascinating TEDx talk, if you’d like to learn more about the topic!
When did the Romans settle in the peninsula?
The Romans settled on the peninsula in about 200 BC , bringing their spoken language with them. This wasn’t the classic Latin that we associate with fine art and religion today. Instead, they spoke a more common, cruder form of Latin, known as Vulgar Latin.
Origins in Latin
Castellano
Royal Spanish Academy
Regional Languages of Spain
Spanish in The Americas
- Latin America
Spanish colonization brought the language to the Americas beginning in 1492. Today, “Latin America” refers to countries that were subject to Spanish, French, and Portuguese imperialism and therefore still speak a Latin-based language. As a result of Spanish colonialism in Latin Ame… - United States
The first European settlement in the present-day United States was actually established by Spain in what is now Florida. Spanish was the historical language of many current US states while controlled by the Spanish or Mexican governments. The gradual annexation of southwestern sta…
Old Spanish Versus Modern Spanish