Evolution and Phonetic Structure of the Spanish Language

Phonetic Classification of Spanish Sounds

Classification by Point of Articulation

• Bilabial: p, b, m
• Labiodental: f
• Interdental: z
• Dental: t, d
• Alveolar: s, l, r, n
• Palatal: ch (c) and y
• Velar: k, g, j

Classification by Manner of Articulation

• Occlusive: p, b, t, d, k, g
• Fricative: f, z, s, y, j
• Affricate: ch (c)
• Lateral: l
• Vibrant: r
• Nasal: n, m

Voiced and Voiceless Sounds

Voiced sounds: b, d, g, m, n, l, r, and y.
Voiceless (deaf) sounds: k, ch (c), d, f, j, p, s, t, z.

Vowel Classification

• A: Central, open.
• E: Anterior, middle.
• I: Previous (Anterior), closed.
• O: Posterior (later), middle (media).
• U: Back (posterior), closed.

History of the Spanish Language

Pre-Roman Period and Romanization

1. Before the arrival of the Latin language, different languages were spoken in the Iberian Peninsula. With the coming of different invading languages and the subsequent Romanization, these gradually disappeared, except for the language that survived: Euskera.

2. During the process of Romanization, when the Romans arrived, they imposed their culture and language, including the written variety and administration (Classical Latin) and the spoken variety (Vulgar Latin).

Germanic Invasions and Arabic Influence

3. When the Roman Empire was dismembered in the 5th century (S. V), it favored barbarian invasions by the Suebi (Swedish), Alans, Vandals, and Visigoths, who brought their own languages. This caused a rupture in the cultural unit, and the individual regions inherited a Latin that evolved differently depending on the area. The invasion of the Arabs produced the definite fragmentation of the peninsula, but as the Arabs conquered the North, their influence did not reach all areas.

The Reconquest and Castilian Expansion

4. The Reconquest occurred next. The political and territorial fragmentation of the peninsula and the peculiar features of each region favored the development of different dialects. The expansion of Castilla imposed Castilian and prevented the growth of the Aragonese and Leonese dialects.

The Spanish Empire and the Golden Age

5. Once the Reconquest was completed, a season of splendor began. Castilian became a dominant language motivated by discovery and colonization. Combined with political and territorial unity and the literary quality of the Golden Age (Siglo de Oro), we see the blossoming and rise of modern Castilian.

Linguistic Unification in the 18th Century

6. In the 18th century (S. XVIII), the creation of a modern state implied a policy of administrative and linguistic unification, which led to the imposition of Castilian in teaching, legal, and administrative fields. This imposition faced heavy resistance, particularly in the Basque Country and Catalonia.

The 20th Century and Modern Democracy

7. In the 20th century (S. XX), during the Second Republic (1931), statutes for Basque and Catalan were approved. Galician was also promoted before the Civil War. With the statutes, these languages were promoted. However, after Franco won, Castilian was imposed, relegating the rest of the languages to familiar and colloquial environments. The arrival of Democracy brought the recognition of the multilingual reality of Spain.

Morphological Structure of Words

Inflectional Morphemes

Inflectional Morphemes: These are units that designate gender, number, or the mode/aspect of the lexeme. They do not create new words; if added to an existing word, they form a single entry in the dictionary.

Derivational Morphemes and Affixes

Derivational Morphemes: These are units that, when attached to a lexeme, change its meaning and can create new words. These are also referred to as the set of affixes. There are several types of affixes:

• Prefixes: Morphemes that are placed in front of the lexeme.
• Interfixes: They provide no meaning and only serve as a link.
• Suffixes: Morphemes that bind to a lexeme at the end of a word.