Spanish Language

Spanish (Spanish: español or castellano) is a language in the Romance language family, descended from the spoken Latin of the Roman Empire. It originated in the east and north of the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the region of Castile, from which the name castellano derives.

Today it is one of the most widely spoken native languages in the world. It is an official language in Spain, many countries in South America, Central America and the Caribbean, and Equatorial Guinea in Africa. It is also one of the working languages of the United Nations.

History and origins

Spoken Latin in Iberia underwent substantial change over many centuries. In the Middle Ages, the kingdom of Castile rose to political dominance, and its dialect became the prestige variety. Muslim rule in al-Andalus introduced many Arabic words—for example, words beginning with 'al-' such as almohada (pillow) and aceite (oil). From the 15th century onwards, Spanish seafaring brought the language to the Americas and the Philippines.

Linguistic features

Spanish has five basic vowels: a, e, i, o, u. Its phonetic system is fairly straightforward in its pronunciation, making reading reasonably predictable. Verbs change form according to person, number, tense, and mood. Nouns have gender (masculine and feminine), and adjectives agree with the noun.

Dialects

There are differences between European Spanish and American Spanish. For example, in some regions of Spain, 'c' and 'z' are pronounced like the English 'th', whereas in most of Latin America they are pronounced as 's'—a phenomenon called seseo. Vocabulary and names for everyday objects also vary across countries.

Standardization

The Real Academia Española (Spanish Royal Academy), founded in the 18th century, produces dictionaries and grammar guides. It works with academies in other Spanish-speaking countries to maintain a consistent written standard.