Loanwords in the Spanish Language: A Linguistic History
Loanwords in the Spanish Language
The Latin base of Spanish has incorporated loanwords from various sources throughout history. Some were integrated into Latin and underwent the same transformations as other Latin words, making them difficult to distinguish. These are primarily pre-Roman and Germanic terms. Others were added to the nascent Castilian, such as Arabic words. Finally, some are of more or less recent incorporation.
Pre-Roman Words
Before the Roman period (218-29 and 19 BC), many languages coexisted on the Iberian Peninsula: Celtic languages, Iberian, Turdetanian, etc. The Romans managed to impose linguistic uniformity with Latin as a common language. Only one territory remained isolated, and its language has survived to this day: Basque or Euskera.
From these languages, most of them poorly understood (Iberian has yet to be fully deciphered), a few words are still preserved. These are pre-Roman words: vega (meadow), greda (clay), quejigo (oak), páramo (wasteland), charco (pond), guijarro (pebble), arroyo (stream), vereda (path), cabaña (cabin), camisa (shirt), calzones (pants), salmón (salmon), cerveza (beer).
Germanic Words
Germanic peoples from Central Europe invaded the Iberian Peninsula in the 5th century. To fight these invading tribes (Suebi, Vandals, Alans), the Romans allied with another Germanic people, the Visigoths, who ultimately imposed their military power. However, as their numbers were small, they adopted the language of the vanquished: Latin. They contributed some Germanic words, primarily related to the military field: adrede (on purpose), agasajar (to entertain), rueda (wheel), abeto (spruce), brotar (to sprout), burlar (to mock), escatimar (to spare), espiar (to spy), espuela (spur), esquilar (to shear), talar (to cut down), prenda (prize), ganar (to win), ganso (goose), guardar (to save).
Arabic Words
In 711, Arabs began their conquest of the Peninsula. Their progress was rapid. In just seven years, they occupied the entire peninsula. Only Christians resisted in some northern strongholds. Isolated from each other, Latin lost the homogeneity it had hitherto possessed, leading to the linguistic fragmentation of the peninsula. New Romance languages emerged, largely following the progress of the Reconquista.
Gallicisms
Words from French (Gallic) have been incorporated into Castilian abundantly in two periods: the Middle Ages and the 18th century.
In the Middle Ages, many Gallicisms entered through the Camino de Santiago: barón (baron), ciprés (cypress), coraje (courage), hereje (heretic), pincel (brush), cuello (neck), jamón (ham), joya (jewelry), manjar (dish), mesa (table).
Italianisms
An Italianism is a foreign word from Italian incorporated into another language. Examples of Italianisms in Castilian are: soneto (sonnet), lira (lyre), silva, novela (novel), esdrújula (proparoxytone), diseño (design), marcha (march), banca (banking), capricho (caprice), bagatela (trifle), balcón (balcony), cortejar (to court), fiesta (party), avería (damage), asalto (attack), pedante (pedantic).
Anglicisms
The Anglo-Saxon world dominates today. From that privileged position, their language has been imposed on many other peoples. Countless loanwords have been given throughout the 20th century: bistec (steak), cheque (check), club, ponche (punch), pijama (pajamas), whisky, champú (shampoo), túnel (tunnel), coche (car), yate (yacht). Some words not yet supported by the Spanish Royal Academy, but commonly used, include: long-play, trust, living, etc.
Indo-Americanisms
These are loanwords from Native American languages.
Lusisms
These are loanwords from Portuguese: pantalla (screen), tornar (to turn), bucear (to dive), mermelada (jam), caramelo (candy).
Hellenisms
These are Greek loanwords: geriatra (geriatrician), licántropo (werewolf).