How did the Spanish language emerge from the ashes of the Roman Empire into the fourth-most commonly spoken language in the world? The history of the Spanish language is a story of against-all-odds resistance and resilience – and it’s also a story of conquistadors and conquests, empire and expansion, culture and commerce…and so much more!
When was the key starting point in Spanish language history? Where did Spanish originate? Why are there more Spanish speakers in the Western Hemisphere than the Eastern Hemisphere, where the language traces its roots?
Few languages have a story as interesting as Spanish. When you learn about where the Spanish language came from, and how it grew into one of the globe’s true lingua francas (to borrow a phrase from antiquity), you’ll truly understand the saying “truth is stranger than fiction.” Or, as the Spanish say, “La verdad es más extraña que la ficción.”
The Origins of the Spanish Language: Where Did the Spanish Language Come From?
So, where exactly did Spanish originate? The historical region of Castile, located in central Spain, is where it all started. Here, the remnants of Latin – the dominant language of the Roman Empire – slowly transformed into the earliest spoken version of Spanish. The city of Toledo, considered one of the principal cities of the Castilian region, was an important cultural and economic hub of Spain. This is where early spoken Spanish developed into the commonly accepted written standard of the language.
It’s impossible to recount the history of the Spanish language without mentioning war and conquest – even within Spain’s own borders. How Spanish expanded out of Castile is a perfect example. In the seventh and eighth centuries AD, the Muslim Moors of North Africa conquered the Iberian Peninsula, including most of present-day Spain and Portugal. For nearly 800 years, various Spanish kingdoms and loosely associated Christian military orders slowly but surely reconquered this region – what’s known to history (and affectionately in Spanish lore) as the Reconquista.
Language historians consider the Reconquista as one of the key turning points in the origins of the Spanish language; without this centuries-long counterattack, it’s very likely large swaths of Spanish territory today would be speaking Arabic. By recapturing the Iberian Peninsula and asserting sovereignty once again over their cultural homeland, Spain was re-established and made safe from the Moors. And the history of the Spanish language was forever altered.
The Spread of Spanish Across the World
The year 1492 is consequential in world history and also in Spanish language history. It’s the year Christopher Columbus (a Genoese Italian in service of the Spanish monarchy) landed in the New World, and it’s also the official transition point between the Reconquista and the start of the Spanish Empire.
Starting in 1492 with Columbus’s voyage to the New World, Spain turned its collective gaze toward the Western Hemisphere. An official treaty with Portugal (that other seafaring, exploring Iberian Peninsula country) gave Spain exploration rights to the other side of the globe – essentially, present-day North, Central, and South America.
The first Spanish settlements were quickly established on the island of Hispaniola (this is where the origin of the Spanish language started overseas), and spread to neighboring islands. Not long afterward, Spanish explorers – simultaneously spreading Christianity and in search of natural resources – made inroads to mainland America. The Spanish language continued to spread throughout Central America, most of South America, and a good portion of the southern and western regions of North America.
As the Spanish Empire expanded in the New World, so did the Spanish language. Over time, Spanish settlements gradually absorbed influences from different Native American cultures, including their languages, collectively referred to as the Amerindian languages.
This centuries-long process of borrowing words and phrases eventually formed what’s known as Latin American Spanish. Different Spanish dialects and varieties formed throughout the Caribbean, Mesoamerican lands, and elsewhere in present-day Latin America. Latin American Spanish continued to evolve through the 1800s, with the arrival of native Spaniards to the colonies of Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Spanish imperial expansion wasn’t confined to the Americas. Spanish settlers and explorers also established outposts in the Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara regions of Africa, along with the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. As you can see, the history of the Spanish language closely parallels the history of the Spanish Empire.
The Spanish Language Today: A Global Powerhouse
From the origin of the Spanish language to its status today as one of the world’s most widely-spoken tongues, few languages have a story quite as fascinating.
Today, over half a billion people worldwide – approximately 560 million and growing – speak Spanish as their primary language. Tens of millions more speak it as their second language. The language has two main varieties: Castilian Spanish and Latin American Spanish. Given the language’s intertwined history with Spain’s colonial expansion into the Caribbean and the Americas, it’s not surprising that of those 560 million speakers, around 450 million are based in the Western Hemisphere.
The language’s enduring legacy is highlighted by the sheer volume of people that speak it worldwide, both as a first and second language. Only Mandarin Chinese has more native speakers; Spanish has long surpassed English as the second-most prominent native language.
And few languages are as officially recognized as Spanish. It’s the official language of 20 countries and several major international agencies and governing bodies, including the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the European Union, the Caribbean Community, the Union of South American Nations, and many more.
Whatever “history” you have with learning Spanish, using the Pimsleur Method will make it easy and fun. Check out the rest of our Spanish blog posts, and try a free lesson today!
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