Spanish Language: Origin and History
The Spanish, or Castellano, is one of the most spoken languages in the world and its influence extends far beyond the borders of Spain.
The Constitution of the Peninsular Romances
Given its geographic location, Spain has experienced a rich and varied history.
The first modern humans settled in what is now Spain over 35,000 years ago.
The Roman conquest began in 218 BC and led to a far-reaching process of cultural assimilation, the repercussions of which continue to be felt today.
Following the fall of the Western Empire, Hispania was conquered by Germanic tribes (Visigoths, Suevi and Vandals) and then by the Moors.
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The Moorish presence on the peninsula lasted until 1492 and the fall of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.
The marriage of the Catholic Kings led to a dynastic union between the territories of the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon.
After the discovery and conquest of America, Spain became the leading powerhouse in Europe and formed a great empire that extended across four continents.
The Spanish presence in America forged strong ties between the two shores of the Atlantic, with Spanish becoming a common language shared by over 500 million people.
At the present time, Spain forms part of the group of countries with the most advanced level of development.
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It plays an active role in the main international forums and organisations, such as the UN, NATO, the OECD and the G-20.
Arabic Influence on Spanish
The Arab influence on Spain dates back a long way, dating back to the Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century.
While the original Peninsular or Iberian Spanish language, also called Castilian, evolved from Latin spoken by Romans residing in what is now modern-day Spain, Arabic was brought over by the Moorish conquest that established the vast and powerful Emirate of Córdoba.
The Arab advance was halted in Poitiers in the year 723, which is why the Arab influence is least noticeable in the northeastern part of the peninsula.
The Catalan language also holds very few lexical elements from Arabic, whereas the Spanish language has almost 4000 words with Arabic origin.
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It is estimated that up to 8% of the Spanish dictionary is rooted in Arabic.
An interesting phenomenon in the Spanish language is the existence of word pairs or words that describe the same thing but derive from different origins (one Latin and one Arabic).
- albóndiga: Meatball.
- ojalá: “I hope”; “I wish that…”.
Words weren’t the only things that the Arabs brought over to Spain.
They also influenced our intelligence by introducing algebra and the game of chess.
This particular etymology of Arabic influence on the Spanish language is a very interesting topic.
The Camino de la Lengua (Spanish Language Route)
The Camino de la Lengua (Spanish Language Route) starts from the San Millán de la Cogolla Monasteries in La Rioja and passes through five locations that have had a special and unique relationship with the history of the Spanish language in Spain: the Santo Domingo de Silos Monastery in Burgos and the cities of Valladolid, Salamanca, Ávila and Alcalá de Henares.
The Yuso and Suso Monasteries in San Millán de la Cogolla: Birthplace of the Written Word
The Yuso and Suso Monasteries are in the village of San Millán de la Cogolla and are European Heritage Sites.
They are in the Cárdenas Valley, a tributary of the River Najerilla, in the foothills of the Demanda Mountains and under La Rioja's highest peak, San Lorenzo (2,262 metres).
Suso, the upper of the two monasteries began in the caves inhabited by the hermits and disciples of San Millán in around the 6th century.
The building work that turned these caves into the monastery is reflected in the different architectural styles layered on top of each other from the 6th to the 10th centuries: Visigoth, Mozarabic and Romanesque.
Suso's cultural importance comes from the collection of manuscripts and texts written at the Monastery's library, one of the most important during Spain's Middle Ages: the Codex Emilianense de los Concilios (992), the Quiso Bible (664) and a copy of the Apocalypse by Beato de Liébana (8th century) make this one of the most important, if not the most important, libraries during Spain's Middle Ages.
This setting provided the backdrop for what is today the oldest written evidence of the Spanish language.
The Yuso Monastery was built to expand the Suso Monastery in the 11th century and is particularly large.
It was built during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries and combines different architectural styles: mainly Renaissance and Baroque.
The Monastery's museum houses many wonderful works of art: paintings by Juan de Rizzi (thought to be the best Spanish religious painter) and copper pieces dating back to the 17th century.
The 11th century gold and ivory chests hold the relics of San Millán.
The screen closing off the church's lower choir was made in 1676 and the retrochoir's sculpture contains eight beautiful Spanish images One of the Monastery's best pieces is also in this area: a pulpit made of walnut, which is thought to date back to the late 16th century.
The Monastery's library and archive are of particular interest and are considered to be one of Spain's best.
The Medieval archive's main items are two cartularies (the Galicano and the Bulario cartularies) containing around three hundred original documents.
The library remains as it was furnished towards the end of the 18th century.
The true value and interest of the library is not so much the number of documents it houses (over ten thousand), rather the unusual nature of the items.
One of these unusual pieces is the "Gospel of Jerónimo Nadal", printed in Antwerp in 1595.
Spanish in the World
Latin America is the region with the largest number of native Spanish speakers.
Countries like Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Chile house significant Spanish populations.
Spanish in Latin America has various dialect and accents that reflect the cultural and linguistic wealth of the region.
In the United States, Spanish occupies a prominent place.
With more than 60 Millions of Spanish speakers, It is the second most spoken language in the country.
The established Hispanic communities maintain their language and culture, And Spanish has become an integral part of everyday life, American business and culture.
In the Philippines, Although Spanish is no longer an official language, left a lasting legacy due to the Spanish colonial influence of more than 300 years.
Although the number of native Spanish speakers has decreased, There are still communities that speak Spanish in the country, And you can find many words and surnames of Spanish origin in the Philippines.
In Africa, Equatorial Guinea is the only country where Spanish has official language status.
In addition to Spanish, Other indigenous languages are spoken, Like the FAG. In parts of North Africa, Like Morocco and the Western Sahara, There is also Spanish speakers due to colonial history.
In Asia and Oceania, Spanish has a minority but remarkable presence.
In the Spanish city of Ternate, In Indonesia, The Spanish dialect of Ternateño is spoken, An inheritance of the colonial era. Besides, In certain territories of Australia, Like the islands of the Torres Strait, Spanish has been introduced due to immigration and cultural influence.
Globalization and new communication technologies have allowed a greater dissemination of Spanish worldwide.
El aprendizaje del español como segunda lengua o como idioma extranjero se ha vuelto cada vez más relevante debido a su importancia en el comercio, el turismo y la cooperación internacional.
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