Spanish used to be called Castilian during the Middle Ages. Right now, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world next to Chinese. Thirty-one countries worldwide speak Spanish and the language is spoken as a first language by 460 million people. It's one of the working languages in the United Nations and a favorite among language learners. Globally, Spanish is spoken by 534.3 million people as their first or second language.
Origin
Spanish is one of the languages belonging to the Ibero-Romance languages that came from the various Vulgar Latin dialects spoken in Iberia. In the 9th century, the oldest texts in Latin with touches of Spanish were found in the mid-northern part of Iberia.
The Spanish language was systematically used in written form for the first time during the 13th century in Toledo, which was the Kingdom of Castile's capital, hence the name. When the Spanish government started to find new territories around the world starting in 1492, the voyagers and conquerors brought the language with them, spreading its use to its various territories in Oceania, the Americas, the Philippines and parts of Africa.
Development of the Spanish Vocabulary
Ancient Greek and Latin make up about 75% of the vocabulary of modern Spanish. Its evolution was also greatly influenced by Arabic when the Moors conquered the Iberian Peninsula. About 8% of the Spanish vocabulary is of Arabic origin. At the same time, several languages, such as the other Romance languages, together with Visigothic, Celtiberian, Iberian and Basque languages. Spanish borrowed as well from Portuguese, Italian, French, Galician, Sardinian, Occitan and Catalan. Its vocabulary also consists of words from several indigenous languages such as Nahuatl and Quechua.
Facts about Spanish That You Might Not Know
Spanish is a beautiful language and its appeal to language learners has not diminished. It fact, Spanish is one of the most studied languages worldwide, with about 21 million students learning it.
The United States is home to millions of Spanish speakers. The U.S. has the most number of Spanish speakers outside of Spain.
While Spanish is almost everywhere, there are still some facts about the language that is worth knowing. To satisfy your curiosity about the language, here are some of its interesting facts.
Spanish is a regulated language
Heralder [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Spanish, like French, is regulated by an official organization? the Royal Spanish Academy. The Academy is based in Madrid. With the assistance of the Association of Spanish Language Academies, the Royal Spanish Academy operates a number of language schools in 21 countries where Spanish is spoken.
The Royal Spanish Academy was established in the 18th century. It publishes official books on Spanish grammar rules as well as dictionaries. These publications are adopted officially in Spanish speaking nations together with Spain.
The inverted exclamation and question marks were invented by the Academy. It was likewise the creator of /ñ/, a letter that is unique to the language. It was first used in the 18th century.
The Spanish language is phonetic
Robert Gordon [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
While Spanish borrowed many words from different languages, it is a phonetic language, meaning that you write it as you hear it. For example, it is very easy to write cava, siesta or tapas, since you write is as pronounced, which means that you will not have difficulty in spelling. It is one of the things that make the language quite easy to learn. As long as you can hear the sounds of the letters clearly, you'll be able to write them.
Spanish is the official language in 21 countries
�é GiggetteWikimedia Commons, via Wikimedia Commons
In 21 countries across North America, South America, Central America, Africa, and Europe, Spanish is the official language. Several other territories use Spanish as one of their main languages. For people in these locations, Spanish is used for regular communication, official documents, and correspondence. Many territories of Spain use Spanish as their medium of instruction.
Spanish is called Español and Castellano
Alfredo SÁNCHEZ GARZÃ?Ã?N [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Speakers of Spanish call their language as Castellano or Español. The use of each term varies by region. Castellano or Castilian Spanish refers to the different Spanish dialects spoken in Spain's central and northern parts. It's used to distinguish the language from the type of Spanish spoken in Latin America.
Antonio de Nebrija published the first Spanish grammar
Juan de Porras [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons
The first publication of the Spanish grammar called the ''Gramática de la lenguacastellana'' was in 1492. The grammar was created by Antonio de Nebrija, a humanist. He was also the author of the first Spanish dictionary.
Arabic heavily influenced the Spanish language
cantigas de santamaria [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
In 711 when the Moors (Arabs) occupied the Iberian Peninsula, they brought their culture with them. Arabic language, architecture, and art were introduced into the region. When the Arabs were expelled, the Spanish lexicon had 8,000 Arabic words, such as la almohada or pillow, la almendra or almond and el alfombra or carpet. Many regions in Spain still retain their Arabic names.
Brazil mandates the teaching of Spanish
Tonyjeff, based on national symbol. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Brazil's official language is Portuguese. But in 2005, the Brazilian president signed into law the mandatory teaching of Spanish in the country's private and public secondary schools.
It's apparent that the Spanish language and culture will greatly influence many countries, especially the United States in the future. You might as well study it now. Or if you're in a hurry, see to it that you work with professional Spanish translators.
Author:
Bernadine Racoma, experienced writer for Day Translations, Inc. has been writing for close to 10 years. Her varied interests and travels have enriched her life, allowing her to give her articles a unique twist!
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