Dialects of the Spanish Language: A Comprehensive Guide
Language
Language is a system of verbal communication and self-expression used by a people or nation, or common to many.
Dialect
A dialect[1] refers to one of the possible varieties of a language.
Hispanic Dialects
Northern Dialects
These dialects encompass the historical region of the old Kingdom of León and the areas where Astur-Leonese and Aragonese were spoken.
Southern Dialects
These dialects are found in the southern half of the Iberian Peninsula. They possess more advanced features in pronunciation, with well-marked phonetic characteristics. This is a result of the expansion of Castilian during the Reconquista southward, leading to the emergence of several dialects.
Southern dialects tend to share these common features:
- Aspiration of the s at the end of a syllable: tiehto (pot), avihpa (wasp).
- Yeísmo: Although not widespread, its use is increasing, especially among young people.
Northern Dialects (Spoken)
Castilian spoken in traditionally northern lands is characterized by the use of leísmo, loísmo, and laísmo, the pronunciation of final -d as -z, the emergence of -s in the second person singular perfect tense, and the use of the infinitive for the second person plural imperative. In eastern Castilian, the most notable features include the rising intonation of sentences in Aragon, the tendency to lengthen final vowels, the use of pronouns preceded by a preposition, the use of the diminutive suffix -ico, and the abundant use of the particle “because.” In the areas where Leonese expanded, especially in Asturias, traits of the ancient Leonese dialect persist: the tendency to close final vowels, diminutives in -ín/-ina, and the use of the present perfect simple instead of the present perfect compound.
Southern Dialects (Spoken)
Andalusian stands out as a more differentiated form of speech. It exhibits an eastern area where there’s a tendency to open word-final vowels following the loss of final -s, and a western area where -s is replaced with -h. Andalusian also distinguishes between seseo and ceceo. Lexical differences also exist between the eastern and western regions. Extremadura is characterized by widespread aspiration, yeísmo, a mixture of Leonese features in morphosyntax and lexicon, and the preservation of archaic words no longer used in other Castilian-speaking regions. Murcian Spanish features include the Aragonese diminutive suffix -ico/-iquio and archaic forms influenced by Arabic. Canarian Spanish is notable for its lisp and the aspiration of “s.” The forms “vosotros/as” have been replaced by “ustedes.” Its lexicon includes words from Portuguese, American Spanish, and archaic Castilian terms no longer used in mainland Spain.
Andalusian
Andalusian speech (particularly its open vowels and yeísmo, which are highly characteristic of the dialect) is more defining than seseo and ceceo. Andalusian[1] is a variety or dialect[2] of the Castilian language spoken in Andalusia, Spain. Depending on the criteria used, its influence can extend to areas of Extremadura, Ceuta, Melilla, and Gibraltar.
Canarian Speech
Canarian speech refers to the way Spanish is spoken in the Canary Islands, Spain. It shares similarities with the Spanish spoken in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. Some theories posit that it emerged from a fusion of Portuguese and Spanish, although its distinctiveness is diminishing as more Castilian terms are adopted, replacing those of Portuguese origin.
Southern Dialects in Transition
Besides sharing features with other southern dialects, Extremaduran Spanish is characterized by strong aspiration and retains remnants of Leonese, such as the diminutive suffix -ino. In Murcia, a notable feature is the presence of sibilance, particularly in Cartagena.
Latin American Spanish
Latin American Spanish exhibits unique words in its lexicon, such as “plata” for money. Phonologically, it’s marked by the widespread use of seseo. Morphologically and syntactically, common features include the preposed emphatic possessive and the use of “vos.” Differences are also observed in conversational norms, such as initiating and concluding dialogues, greetings, and farewells.
Language and Languages
Language encompasses the procedures employed by any animal for communication, including humans. Several language families exist, such as the Romance languages, which include French, Catalan, Galician, and Spanish, all descended from Latin.
Language Contact
The outcomes of language contact are diverse, depending on the geographical, historical, and social conditions. Languages in contact can coexist, conflict, influence one another, and so on.
Sabir and Creoles
Sabir languages arise from the blending of two languages, emerging to fulfill specific communication needs, such as in trade or administration. Consequently, their linguistic systems are restricted. When a Sabir language becomes the primary language of a community, it’s called a creole.
Multilingual Reality of Spain
Castilian, or Spanish, serves as the language of communication for the majority of Spain’s inhabitants, although it may not be their mother tongue. The following is a breakdown of languages spoken in different regions:
- Galicia: Galician and Castilian
- Asturias: Asturian
- Basque Country: Basque
- Navarre: Castilian and Basque
- Aragon: Different linguistic modalities of Aragonese are protected as integral elements of their cultural and historical heritage.
- Catalonia: Catalan
- Balearic Islands: Catalan
- Valencian Community: Valencian and Castilian
Origin of the Linguistic Situation in Spain
The linguistic diversity of Spain is rooted in historical factors. Its inhabitants gradually adopted the customs, ideas, culture, and language of the conquistadors, a process known as Romanization. This Romanization led to the emergence of new languages derived from Latin, known as Romance languages. Latin itself fragmented into distinct languages, such as Galician-Portuguese, Astur-Leonese, and Castilian.
Castilian
Castilian is the official language of Spain and 19 countries in the Americas. It is also widely spoken in the United States, where it holds the position of the second most spoken language.
Galician
Spoken in Galicia, Galician boasts over 3 million speakers.
Catalan
Catalan is spoken in Catalonia and the Valencian Community, where a variety known as Valencian is spoken. It has over 6 million speakers.
Basque
Basque is spoken in the Basque Country and northern Navarre, with approximately 600,000 speakers.
Other Languages
Asturian, the heir to Astur-Leonese, is spoken in Asturias and parts of western Cantabria. Aranese, a variety of Gascon, is spoken in the Aran Valley.
n in the Aran Valley.