Introduction to the spanish language

Timeline of Spanish History

  • 218 BC: Roman troops enter northeastern Spain.

  • 206 BC: Defeat of the Carthaginians and capture of Cádiz, their Peninsular capital.

  • 19 BC: Conquest of the remaining parts of the Peninsula (Galicia, Asturias, Santander, and Basque Country).

  • AD 76: Birth of Hadrian (Roman emperor 117–38) near Seville.

  • 410: Establishment of a semi-autonomous Visigothic kingdom in southwestern Gaul, with capital at Toulouse.

  • Early 6th century: Visigoths expelled from Gaul by the Franks.

  • 560–636: Lifetime of St. Isidore, archbishop of Seville, author of "Origines sive etymologiae."

  • 585: Swabian kingdom of northwest Spain absorbed into Visigothic Spain.

  • 711: Islamic invasion of Spain begins.

  • 711–718: Muslims establish control over approximately three-quarters of the Peninsula.

  • 884: Reconquest of Burgos.

  • 1035: Creation of the kingdom of Castile.

  • 1080: Council of Burgos.

  • 1085: Reconquest of Toledo.

  • 1086: First Almoravid invasion.

  • 1137: Merger of Aragon with Catalonia.

  • 1154: Almohads gain control of Islamic Spain.

  • 1212: Christian victory in the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa.

  • 1236: Reconquest of Córdoba.

  • 1246: Reconquest of Jaén.

  • 1248: Reconquest of Seville.

  • 1250: Reconquest of Cádiz.

  • 1244: Castile gains control of the kingdom of Murcia.

  • 1252–84: Reign of Alfonso X the Learned, king of Castile and León.

  • 1479: Union of the Crowns of Castile and Aragon.

Major Events in Spanish History

1492

  • Capture of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs.

  • Expulsion of Jews from Spain.

  • Publication of Antonio de Nebrija’s Gramática de la lengua castellana.

  • Discovery of America.

1519–21

  • Conquest of Mexico.

1532–5

  • Conquest of the Inca Empire.

1535

  • Juan de Valdés completes Diálogo de la lengua.

1561

  • Madrid becomes capital of Spain.

1605–15

  • Publication of Miguel de Cervantes’s Don Quijote de la Mancha.

1713

  • Establishment of the Real Academia Española.

1726–39

  • Publication of the Academia’s three-volume Diccionario de autoridades.

1800–36

  • Wars of American Independence deprive Spain of nearly all its American colonies.

1898

  • Loss of last colonies (Cuba and the Philippines).

1936–75

  • Franco's control of the Spanish state.

1978

  • Publication of the post-Franco constitution.

Overview of the Spanish Language

  • History will outline the internal development of Spanish language: phonology, morpho-syntax, vocabulary, and meanings.

  • Spanish is a member of the Indo-European family of languages, closely related to Latin and Romance languages.

  • The process of Romanization significantly influenced the development of the Spanish language.

Latin and Its Evolution

  • Romanization in Spain began in 218 BC and took several centuries, with Latin being learned by local populations for convenience and prestige.

  • Spanish evolved from various forms of Vulgar Latin, primarily influenced by local languages (Celtic, Iberian, etc.), which contributed to distinct characteristics of Spanish.

  • Significant archaism and conservatism in the Spanish language relates to its historical development and the degrees of influence over different regions.

Influence of Various Cultures

Visigoths

  • 5th to early 8th century: Control of Spain by Visigoths, with little linguistic influence on Latin.

  • Established a semi-autonomous kingdom and expanded territory through conquest, maintaining Latin as the language of culture.

Moors

  • The Islamic invasion of 711 led to substantial Arabic influence on Spanish, enriching its lexicon and modifying syntax.

Standardizing Spanish

  • In the 13th century, during the reign of Alfonso X, efforts were made to create a standardized form of Spanish.

  • The use of Castilian emerged as a language of administration, science, and law, influencing the subsequent development of the language.

Spanish Overseas Expansion

  • 15th and 16th centuries: Spanish expanded globally into the Americas, Asia (Philippines), and parts of Europe, shaping regional dialects and lexicons.

  • The linguistic heritage of Spanish in the Americas includes influence from indigenous languages and local conditions.

Present-Day Spanish

  • Spanish has become a global language with over 355 million speakers.

  • Significant populations exist in the Americas, with notable communities in the U.S. and rising bilingualism due to cultural interactions.

  • Current linguistic developments reflect historical migrations, expansions, and adaptations of the language.