History of the Spanish language facts for kids

"History of Spanish" redirects here. For the history of the Spanish people, see Spaniards#History.

Spanish is a language that grew from spoken Latin. The Romans brought Latin to the Iberian Peninsula (where Spain is today) around 200 BC. Today, Spanish is the fourth most spoken language in the world! Only English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindi have more speakers.

During the Middle Ages, the Arabic language greatly influenced Spanish. This happened when parts of Spain were ruled by Muslims. Many Spanish words come from Arabic. As the Kingdom of Castile grew, its version of Spanish became more common. It replaced Arabic and other local languages.

The first official written Spanish rules were set in the 1200s. This was done by King Alfonso X the Wise. He used Castilian (Spanish) alongside Latin for government work. Over time, the Castilian way of speaking spread across Spain. By the 1560s, the standard written Spanish followed the way people spoke in Madrid.

Spanish then spread across the world. This happened during the Early Modern period as Spain explored and settled new lands. Spanish became widely used in the Americas and the Canary Islands. Important cities like Mexico City and Lima became centers for the language. Today, Spanish is the official language in 20 countries. It is also an official language of many international groups, including the United Nations.

What Makes Spanish Special?
How Spanish Grew Over Time
What Influenced Spanish Words?
How Spanish Sounds Changed
See also

What Makes Spanish Special?

Spanish sounds different from other related languages like Portuguese or Catalan. Here are some cool features:

Vowel changes: Sometimes, short 'e' and 'o' sounds in Latin words changed into two-vowel sounds (like "ie" or "ue") in Spanish. For example, Latin tempus became Spanish tiempo (time).
Sibilant sounds: Over time, some "s" and "z" sounds in old Spanish changed. In many parts of Spain, the "z" sound became like the "th" in "think" (like in cinco or lazo).
Silent 'h': Many Spanish words that start with a silent 'h' (like hablar or hoja) used to start with an 'f' sound in Latin. The 'f' sound slowly disappeared.
'Ll' and 'Y' sounds: The 'll' sound (like in llorar) and the 'y' sound (like in llama) developed in unique ways from Latin words.

Some features are shared with other Spanish-like languages, but not all Romance languages:

'Ñ' and 'Ll' sounds: Latin double 'n' and 'l' sounds became the 'ñ' (like in año) and 'll' (like in caballo) sounds in Spanish.
'B' and 'V' sound the same: In Spanish, the letters 'b' and 'v' make the same sound. So, tubo (tube) and tuvo (he had) sound exactly alike.
Softening of 'b', 'd', 'g': The sounds for 'b', 'd', and 'g' often become softer between vowels.

Spanish verbs have three main endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. Latin had four, but the fourth one (ending in -ĕre) was split between the Spanish -er and -ir groups. Spanish also keeps some verb forms that other languages like French changed.

In Spanish sentences, you don't always need to say the subject pronoun (like "I," "you," "he"). For example, instead of "I speak," you can just say hablo (speak). Also, Spanish has a special "personal a" before some direct objects, especially people.

How Spanish Grew Over Time

With the Reconquista in Iberia, various Vulgar Latin language groups ended up mixing (along with Basques). The largest such group was the Castilians, whose language became Spanish.

The Spanish language is also called Castilian. This helps tell it apart from other languages spoken in Spain, like Galician, Catalan, and Basque. The earliest form of the language, up to about the 1400s, is called Old Spanish. From the 1500s onwards, it's called Modern Spanish. The Spanish from the 1500s and 1600s is sometimes called "classical" Spanish. This is because of the amazing books and plays written during that time.

Where Did Spanish Begin?

Castilian Spanish started in northern and central Spain after the Roman Empire declined. It grew from the everyday Latin spoken there. The way people spoke in Toledo around the 1200s became the basis for written Spanish.

As Christians took back land from the Muslims in Spain (a period called the Reconquista), this northern way of speaking spread south. It took in many words from Andalusian Arabic and was influenced by Mozarabic (the language of Christians living in Muslim areas).

Famous heroes like El Cid helped spread the importance of Castile and its language. Poems about their adventures were recited in Castilian, even in other regions.

The very first writings thought to be Spanish were the Glosas Emilianenses. These were notes added to a Latin manuscript in the 900s or early 1000s. They helped explain Latin words in a language closer to early Spanish.

King Alfonso X of Castile, known as Alfonso the Wise, took the first big steps to standardize written Castilian in the 1200s. He gathered writers at his court in Toledo. They wrote many books on history, science, and law in Castilian.

In 1492, Antonio de Nebrija wrote the first Spanish grammar book. He gave it to Queen Isabella. She understood how useful the language would be as Spain began to build its empire. This was the same year Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas.

The Spanish Royal Academy was founded in 1713. Its main goal was to standardize the language. They published the first Spanish dictionary and grammar book. Today, almost every Spanish-speaking country has its own language academy.

Spanish in the Americas

Starting in the late 1400s, Spanish explorers and settlers brought the language to the Americas. Spanish soldiers, missionaries, and business people used the language to colonize new lands. Their descendants continued to spread Spanish for centuries.

After the Spanish colonies in the Americas gained independence in the 1800s, Spanish became the official language of the new countries. This helped unite the people, including the many Native American groups.

Later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, many European immigrants came to countries like Argentina and Uruguay. They learned Spanish as part of their new lives.

When Puerto Rico became part of the United States, its people kept Spanish as their main language. English also became an official language there. Many Puerto Ricans later moved to the U.S. mainland, bringing Spanish with them.

In the American Southwest (like California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas), Spanish was spoken by early settlers. It stayed alive even after these areas became part of the U.S. Today, millions of people in the United States speak Spanish. It's often called the country's "second language."

Spanish in Africa

Spanish has been spoken in Equatorial Guinea since the late 1700s. It became the official language when the country gained independence in 1968. Spanish is also widely spoken in Western Sahara, which was once a Spanish colony.

Judaeo-Spanish (Ladino)

In 1492, Spain expelled its Jewish population. Their language, called Ladino or Judaeo-Spanish, developed on its own. A small number of people still speak it today, mainly in Israel, Turkey, and Greece.

Spanish in the Pacific

Spanish was spoken in the Marianas Islands until World War II. Now, very few people speak it there. On Easter Island, which belongs to Chile, most people speak Spanish along with the local Rapa Nui language.

Spanish in Spain Today

For a long time, Spanish was the only official language in Spain. It was used everywhere: in government, schools, and media. But in the 1960s and 1970s, Spain began to allow other languages to be used officially in their regions. These include Catalan, Basque, and Galician.

Since 1975, Spain has become a democracy with different regions having their own governments. Because of this, languages like Aranese, Basque, Catalan/Valencian, and Galician are now official in their areas. Other languages like Aragonese and Asturian are also recognized.

Spanish Around the World

When the United Nations was created in 1945, Spanish was chosen as one of its five official languages. The others were Chinese, English, French, and Russian. Arabic was added later.

Many famous writers who won the Nobel Prize in Literature wrote in Spanish. This shows how important Spanish literature is around the world.

What Influenced Spanish Words?

Spanish has borrowed words from many different languages throughout its history.

Early languages: Before the Romans, languages like Basque, Iberian, and Celtiberian influenced Spanish. For example, the word izquierda (left) might come from Basque. Many Spanish last names and place names also have Basque roots.
Greek: Some Greek words were already in Latin. Spanish also borrowed many scientific and medical words from Ancient Greek.
Germanic languages: Languages like Gothic (spoken by Germanic tribes) influenced Spanish words. Interestingly, the modern Spanish words for the main directions (norte, este, sur, oeste) came from Germanic languages!
Arabic: The biggest influence after Latin came from Arabic. When Muslims ruled parts of Spain for about 800 years, thousands of Arabic words entered Spanish. Words like alcalde (mayor), álgebra (algebra), and aceite (oil) are examples. About 8% of the Spanish dictionary comes from Arabic!
Neighboring Romance languages: Languages like Portuguese, Catalan, French, and Italian also contributed many words to Spanish over time. Italian influence was strong during the Italian Renaissance.
Native American languages: When Spain explored the New World, Spanish borrowed words from Native American languages. These words often describe plants, animals, and cultural things unique to the Americas.
English: In the 1900s, English started to influence Spanish a lot. Many words related to sports, technology, and business came from English.
Latin (again!): Even after Spanish developed, scholars kept borrowing "bookish" words directly from Classical Latin. This is why some Spanish words look very similar to their Latin origins.

How Spanish Sounds Changed

Spanish, like other Romance languages, changed a lot from Vulgar Latin. For example, Latin used to have long and short vowels, but Spanish lost that difference. Also, Latin nouns had different endings depending on their role in a sentence, but Spanish simplified this.

Sounds Disappearing (Syncope and Elision)

Sometimes, unstressed vowels in the middle of words disappeared. For example, Latin humerum became Spanish hombro (shoulder). Also, some 'b', 'd', and 'g' sounds between vowels disappeared completely. For example, Latin videre became Spanish ver (to see).

Voicing and Softening of Sounds

In many Romance languages, sounds like 'p', 't', and 'k' became voiced (like 'b', 'd', 'g') when they were between vowels. Then, these voiced sounds often became softer, like a gentle 'b', 'd', or 'g' sound. For example, Latin lupum became Spanish lobo (wolf).

'F' to 'H' to Nothing

Many Spanish words that start with a silent 'h' (like hablar - to speak) used to start with an 'f' sound in Latin (like Latin fabulare). Over time, the 'f' sound changed to an 'h' sound, and then it disappeared completely in most areas. However, the letter 'h' is still written.

'Ll' and 'Y' Merging (Yeísmo)

For hundreds of years, the 'll' sound (like in caballo) and the 'y' sound (like in yo) were different. But in most parts of Spain and the Americas today, they sound the same. This is called yeísmo. So, haya (from the verb "to have") and halla (from the verb "to find") sound identical.