Dialects and Languages of Spain: A Comprehensive Guide

Posted on Sep 25, 2024 in Geography

1. Dialects and Languages: Constitutional Considerations

The concept of a dialect is inherently relative: every language can be considered a dialect in relation to its ancestor. For example, Galician, Catalan, and Italian are dialects of Latin, while Andalusian and Canarian are dialects of Castilian. Valencian and Majorquin are dialects of Catalan, and Latin itself is a primitive dialect of Indo-European. When we decide to classify Castilian, Catalan, or Italian as languages, our perspective shifts from a purely genealogical one. We begin to view these linguistic communities as instruments of unique cultures, each possessing an ideal model of language. This ideal model consists of a code employed by the most educated speakers and writers of a given dialect. Speakers sometimes refer to their dialect as a language to assert their identity within the larger linguistic landscape. The Spanish Constitution recognizes Castilian as the official language of the state, while also granting co-official status to Galician, Catalan, and Basque in their respective autonomous communities. Additionally, it acknowledges the potential for Asturian to gain recognition.

2. Formation and Evolution of the Hispanic Language

When studying the Hispanic language, it’s essential to identify four stages, each determined by its historical origin:

  1. Pre-Roman Era: Linguistic data from this period is limited to place names, coins, and inscriptions in various languages. There was no linguistic unity in the Iberian Peninsula during this stage due to the diverse populations inhabiting the region, including Tartesians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Iberians. Traces of these languages can be found in suffixes like -arro, -orro, -urro, and words like “disgust” and “ez.”
  2. Roman Period: The Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula began in 218 BC. The territory was inhabited by the aforementioned populations, each speaking distinct languages. Romanization led to the disappearance of these languages, with the exception of Basque, and imposed Vulgar Latin as the dominant language.
  3. Visigothic Era: Around the 5th century, the Swabians, Vandals, and Alans crossed the Pyrenees. However, they were eventually replaced by the Visigothic kingdom, which established its capital in Toledo. The Visigoths’ language was Latin. The Latin spoken in Spain adopted numerous Germanic terms that persist to this day (e.g., “war,” “jar,” “hawk”).
  4. Muslim Era: The Arab invasion began in 711 AD through Gibraltar. Christian forces regrouped in the north and initiated the Reconquista, which culminated in the capture of Granada in 1492. During these centuries, various peninsular kingdoms emerged, and Latin diversified, giving rise to Romance languages (e.g., Galician, Leonese). Coexistence with the Arabs resulted in the adoption of many Arabic words (e.g., “sugar,” “mason,” “tile,” “cotton”).

3. The Need for a Pan-Hispanic Linguistic Policy

Spanish in Spain and Latin America exhibits significant unity in formal and literary registers. However, the same cannot be said for spoken language, and the issue of linguistic unity remains a challenge. Factors contributing to unity include:

  • Ease of communication, particularly through cinema, radio, television, and the internet.
  • Circulation of literature, both Spanish and Latin American.

In recent years, the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) and the Academies of America and the Philippines have been developing a language policy that emphasizes collaboration on projects that support and express the unity of the Spanish language in its rich diversity. These projects include dictionaries, grammar guides, and spelling manuals. Through ongoing collaboration, the Spanish language academies aim to establish norms governing the proper use of the language for all Spanish speakers. The academies recognize that the norms of Spanish are not governed by a single authority but are instead polycentric. This means that legitimate variations in usage across different linguistic regions are acknowledged, provided they are widespread among educated speakers in those areas and do not jeopardize the overall unity of the language.

4. Origin and Unity of the Castilian Language

The Castilian language originated in Cantabria as a small community that gradually expanded to other regions. Today, it is an international language with numerous varieties in Spain and the Americas. However, its unity remains strong. This is due to the existence of a standard language cultivated over centuries by Spanish speakers and writers, resulting from the convergence of educated usage on both sides of the Atlantic. This standard has been codified by grammarians and is taught in schools. The influence of the Royal Spanish Academy and the academies established in various American countries has played a crucial role in fostering this unity.

5. Dialects of Castilian

Castilian dialects can be broadly divided into two geographical zones within the Iberian Peninsula, each with its own variations:

  1. Northern Zone: This zone was formed during the early stages of the Reconquista and includes Leonese and Aragonese. These are two historical dialects of Latin that did not evolve into distinct languages.
  2. Southern Zone: This zone encompasses the southern dialects of Andalusian, Canarian, Murcian, and Extremaduran, which share many features with the Spanish spoken in the Americas. Unlike Leonese and Aragonese, these dialects have all evolved from Castilian. They exhibit common characteristics such as ceceo (confusion of /s/ and /θ/ in favor of /s/), aspiration of implosive /s/, aspiration of /h/, and yeísmo (pronunciation of /ʝ/ as /j/).

6. Other Languages of Spain

A) Galician

Galician is the result of the evolution of Vulgar Latin in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. It is spoken by millions of people, most of whom are bilingual, although they may primarily use Galician in everyday life. Galician shares a high degree of mutual intelligibility with Portuguese, as both languages originated from Galician-Portuguese, which was spoken in the territories north and south of the Miño River. In 1139, Portugal became an independent kingdom. The common language, Galician-Portuguese, persisted until the 14th and 15th centuries, after which it began to diverge into Galician and Portuguese. Portuguese achieved significant cultural and literary prominence and was later established in Brazil.

B) Catalan

Catalan is the product of the evolution of Latin in the northeastern region of the Iberian Peninsula. It has over 7 million speakers. Its territory includes Catalonia, the valleys of Andorra, the eastern Pyrenees, a small strip of Aragon, the Balearic Islands, part of the Valencian Community, and the city of Alghero in Sardinia. Like Galician, Catalan experienced a decline in literary production between the 16th and 18th centuries, but the Romantic movement sparked a resurgence in Catalan literature.

C) Basque

Basque is spoken in the central and eastern parts of Biscay, areas of Álava, northern Navarre, and Gipuzkoa. Its literary development has been limited until recently, with the first book written in Basque published in 1545. Basque dialects exhibit significant variation. The Euskaltzaindia (Basque Language Academy) was founded in 1918 to establish a unified standard for written Basque. The origin of the Basque language is a subject of ongoing debate. Numerous hypotheses have been proposed, including potential relationships with Finno-Ugric, Ural-Altaic, and even African languages. Some theories suggest affinities with Caucasian languages.

7. Bilingualism and Diglossia

The terms “bilingualism” and “diglossia” are etymologically related and can be considered synonyms, as both refer to the use of two languages. Bilingualism describes the use of two different languages and can be viewed from both individual and societal perspectives. Individual bilingualism refers to a person’s proficiency in two languages. Societal bilingualism occurs when two languages are used within a specific territory. Diglossia, on the other hand, refers to the preferential use of one language over another in a region where two or more languages are spoken. This preference may be driven by various factors, including political and social considerations.