Linguistic Diversity and Lexical Evolution in Spain

Origins and Evolution of the Spanish Lexicon

The language and words change over time depending on changes in society and the environment or the desire of speakers to be more expressive. Thus, the shape or meaning of words alters, new ones are created, or others disappear.

Origins of Words

• Lexicon heritage: These are words from Latin that have undergone the evolution of Castilian over time. Latin words that have not changed are known as learned words.
• Voices of substrate: These are terms from the languages spoken in the Iberian Peninsula before Roman colonization, specifically Celtic and Basque.
• Loanwords: Terms from languages in contact with Castilian throughout history (Germanic languages, Arabic, American languages, and other peninsular languages) or languages with which contact has been maintained for social, political, or cultural reasons (English, French, Italian, etc.).

Procedures for Lexical Extension and Renewal

• Extension of the meaning of an existing word.
• Changing the meaning of an existing word.
• Derivation, composition, or abbreviation.
• Loanwords and semantic calques.

Word Formation and Lexical Innovation

Derivation

A procedure through which new words are formed by adding affixes to an existing lexeme.

• Prefixation: Formed by adding prefixes (prefix + lexeme).
• Suffixation: Formed by adding suffixes (lexeme + suffix).

Composition

The joining of two existing lexemes to create a new one.

Parasíntesis

The use of derivation and composition simultaneously to create a new word.

Abbreviation

This includes shortening, abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms.

Current Scope of the Languages of Spain

Castilian (Spanish)

Castilian is the official language in Spain and nineteen American countries. It is also spoken in some U.S. territories, Equatorial Guinea, Western Sahara, and by sectors of the Philippine population, as well as small Sephardic groups in Asia Minor, the Balkans, and North Africa. It has approximately 400 million speakers.

Galician

Galician is spoken in Galicia and some western areas of León, Asturias, and Zamora. It has 13 million speakers, most of whom are bilingual.

Catalan

Catalan is spoken in Catalonia, Valencia (where it is known as Valencian), and the Balearic Islands. It is also spoken in parts of Andorra, Roussillon (South of France), and Alghero (Sardinia). It has 6.5 million speakers.

Basque (Euskera)

Basque is spoken in the Basque Country, northern Navarre, and the southeast of France. It has 600,000 speakers.

Other Modalities and Dialects

• Asturian-Leonese: Heir to the Spaniard/Asturian, spoken in the west of Cantabria (100,000 speakers).
• Leonese: Spoken in western Castilla y León and northern Cáceres, from which Mirandese originates (spoken on the Portuguese bank of the Douro, on the border with Zamora).
• Aragonese: Spoken in the Pyrenees of Huesca.
• Aranese: A variety of Gascon spoken in Lérida.