Spanish Language History

Derived from a Latin dialect, Spanish is currently the primary language of about 400 million people worldwide.

While today Spanish is the second or third most spoken language in the world, depending on the source, the history of this language dates back to about 1000 C.E. when a distinct version of Spanish first started to spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula (an area of southwestern Europe that includes Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar and a small region of France).

Like many other languages, the history of the Spanish language can be divided into three eras:

• Old Spanish
• Classical Spanish (Unlike French and English, Spanish doesn't have a "middle" era.)
• Modern Spanish

Old Spanish

Dating from approximately 1000 C.E. to about 1500 C.E., the era of Old Spanish is considered to have begun with the Spanish writings in the Glosas Emilianenses, a collection of phrase and word translations written between the lines of a Latin manuscript. These Spanish writings were – for the first time – decisively unique from Latin.

In the centuries that followed, the decline of the Roman Empire and the Reconquista helped spread Old Spanish throughout the Iberian Peninsula. The Reconquista refers to a period of about 800 years in which Christian Spaniards fought Muslim rulers to reclaim Iberia.

As notable Spanish Christian soldiers, such as Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (El Cid), moved throughout Iberia, they spread Old Spanish among smaller villages. This influential contact, as well as the eruption of narrative poems written in Old Spanish about the Reconquista, gave Spanish a firm hold over Iberia. Over the next 200 years, Old Spanish totally supplanted provincial dialects in this region.
 

Spanish Standardized: The History of Classical Spanish

While Spanish had become a predominant language on the European continent by the 1400s, its pervasiveness was muted by the local cultural nuances shaping the language and giving rise to distinct Spanish dialects – some of which weren't mutually intelligible.

In one of the first efforts to standardize Spanish, Antonio de Nebrija created the first-ever Spanish grammar book in 1492 and promptly presented it to Queen Isabella. On the eve of Columbus' voyages, Queen Isabella was enthusiastic about having a standardized form of Classical Spanish (also known as Castilian), as she recognized its power in dominating other cultures and building the soon-to-arise Spanish empire.

By the 1500s, Classical Spanish had been introduced to the Americas (particularly in Mexico, Central and South America).
 

Modern Spanish

The dawn of Modern Spanish began during the 1800s when Spanish colonies saw an influx of European immigrants, and the Spanish language developed firm roots in the Americas. Along with Mexico, other "New World" regions that were primarily overrun by the Spanish language include:

• Argentina
• Chile
• Columbia
• Cuba
• the American southwest (including the areas of modern-day California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas)
• Venezuela.

While the development and expansion of the United States would eventually push Spanish rule out of North America, to this day, Spanish influences continue to permeate the Americas, as well as the rest of the world.

Today, over 34 million Americans speak Spanish as the primary language at home. Additionally, Spanish is the official language of 20 countries and is one of six official languages of the United Nations.

Find out about Foreign Translations’, localization, translation and globalization services.