Language Varieties and Historical Evolution of Castilian

Contact Languages

Bilingualism

Routine use of two languages by a speaker or a community.

Diglossia

Imbalance between two languages spoken in a bilingual community, one language is imposed on the other.

Lingua Franca

A tool of communication between people who have different native languages.

Pidgin

Mixed codes resulting from the combination of morphological, syntactic, and phonetic features of one language with the lexicon of another. A pidgin can become the native language of a community, in which case it would be a creole.

Language Varieties

Historical/Diachronic Stages in the Evolution of Castilian

Modern Spanish originates from medieval Castilian, a dialect of Latin influenced by Basque. There are four stages in the development of Castilian:

1. Medieval Spanish: King Alfonso X used Castilian for public documents in an attempt to regulate it. The lexicon and syntax expanded, and spelling was established.
2. Classical Spanish: Further modernization occurred. Antonio Nebrija wrote the first Castilian grammar at the end of the 15th century, and literature provided the language with great dignity.
3. Spanish Royal Academy Era: This period saw the creation of the Royal Spanish Academy and the publication of official dictionaries of spelling and grammar.
4. Modern Spanish: Influenced by French initially, and currently with new lifestyles and technologies, Anglicisms are common.

Diastratic/Sociocultural Variety

Jargon

Specific use of language by individuals belonging to a profession with a specialized vocabulary. Characterized by the use of technical terms and a lack of synonymy/polysemy.

Slang

Use of language as a means of concealment or as a manifestation of belonging to a group.

Formal Level

Uses language with all its possibilities, paying attention to all levels. It is the most stable and uniform level of language use, emphasizing precision, correctness, and richness.

Informal/Vulgar Level

Poor use of language, characterized by relaxed pronunciation, lack of attention to agreement, and disregard for stylistic issues.

Diaphasic Variation

The speaker adapts their language use depending on the communicative situation. Speakers must master various registers.

Factors Determining Register:

• Channel (oral, written)
• Degree of trust between interlocutors
• Domain of communication
• Planning (or lack thereof)
• Speaker's attitude

Formal Register

Characterized by lack of familiarity between interlocutors, use of courtesy rules, and rigorous use of language.

Informal/Colloquial Register

Characterized by greater familiarity between interlocutors and a lower level of textual elaboration.