Castilian Language: History and Dialects
The Castilian Language
Castilian is a Romance language derived from Vulgar Latin, enriched by other languages and dialects. It originated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. When Castile was established as an independent kingdom, the language quickly spread to other areas, influencing neighboring linguistic regions. With the Reconquista, it spread throughout the rest of the peninsula. We have no evidence of the first written Romance language until the 11th century. It was with Alfonso X that Castilian became the language of royal documents. This helped to produce linguistic leveling, fix spelling, and develop Castilian prose.
With the Catholic Monarchs came linguistic unification, and “The Grammar of the Spanish Language” was published in Castilian in 1492. Castilian was also carried to the newly discovered Americas. Classic Castilian reached its splendor with the literary Renaissance and Baroque periods in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the 18th century, interest began in linguistic correctness and addressing the poverty of language, hence the founding of the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy) in 1714.
Dialects of Spanish
- Varieties of bilingual areas: Spanish in these areas is influenced by the presence of Catalan, Basque, and Galician.
- Varieties in zones in contact with the Leonese and Aragonese dialects: Spanish is influenced by these historical dialects when in contact with them.
- Northern varieties: Correspond to the zones of origin of Castilian, which are linguistically more conservative (Ávila, Madrid, or Valladolid).
- Southern varieties: Correspond to the area south of the expansion of Castile and present a greater evolution in phonetic features. These varieties are:
- Andalusian: A variety found in the south that encompasses a wide range of spoken forms.
- Canarian: The speech of the Canary Islands, featuring Andalusian, Portuguese, and Hispanic American characteristics.
- Transition varieties: Those with features of other varieties, such as Extremaduran or Murcian.
The *Mester de Clerecía*
The *Mester de Clerecía* arose in the 13th century. The composition of its works is characterized by:
- Religious narrative or heroic character of their texts.
- Moral or didactic intention.
- Authors who are scholars in verse, using regular meter (*cuaderna vía*).
- Works intended for individual or collective reading, disseminated orally by minstrels and in sermons by clerics.
Gonzalo de Berceo
Gonzalo de Berceo is the first Castilian poet to proudly proclaim his authorship. His production is distinguished by three types of works:
- Hagiographic works: Works that speak about the lives of saints.
- Marian works: Works about the Virgin Mary.
- Doctrinal works: Works about priests.
Romance of Chivalry
Romances of chivalry chronicle the adventures of a knight-errant who is brave, faithful, and an advocate for justice and the disadvantaged. This knight undertakes a journey in which he encounters various supernatural elements. The most important work is *Amadís of Gaul*, which narrates the adventures of the knight Amadís and addresses the obstacles he faces to marry Oriana. The locations depicted in the play are both real and exotic.
The Sentimental Novel
The sentimental novel narrates the emotional states and internal conflicts of characters. It delves into them, and the characters are expressed through letters and poems. These novels are usually shorter than the romances of chivalry. They develop a love story with a sad outcome and express a tragic view of love, as love always ends up dying or being frustrated. The narrator is usually a man who speaks in the first person. The most representative sentimental novel is *Cárcel de Amor* (Prison of Love) by Diego de San Pedro.