Spanish Language: Americas, Spain, and Beyond

Spanish in Americas and Southern Spain

There is a strong relationship between the Spanish spoken in South America and in southern Spain (Andalusia, Canary Islands). The most outstanding feature is the common lisp, which opposes the septentrional Spanish. Focusing on the resemblance between these two Spanish varieties (the southern and the South American), it can be seen that Andalusian and Canary Spanish were instrumental as a model for the speeches that were broadcast during the conquest of the New World. This resemblance is emphasized in coastal areas where contact was continued over the years.

Features of Spanish in the Americas

Phonetic Characteristics

• S aspiration: Implosive or final (e.g., "dihco" for "disco")
• J sound aspiration: (e.g., "viahe" for "viaje")
• Yeísmo: (e.g., "cash" for "calle")
• Relaxation of final syllable: (e.g., "amol" for "amor", "carne" for "canne")

Grammar Features

• Use of "vos": Used instead of "tú" in some regions.
• Pronoun position: Examples like "as you know," "that you say."
• Etymological pronoun use: Leísmo, laísmo, loísmo (incorrect use of "le," "la," "lo").
• Verb forms: Simple past (e.g., "canté" instead of "he cantado"), imperfect subjunctive ending in "-ara" (e.g., "cantara").

Lexical Aspects

• Specific vocabulary: Examples like "luz" (light), "plata" (money), "pollera" (skirt).
• Some words are archaisms that have disappeared from mainland Spanish.
• Americanisms: Words borrowed or invented for the New World reality (e.g., canoe, snuff, alligator, cannibal, avocado).
• African origin: Words like banana, mango, conga.
• Foreign borrowings (Extranjerismos): Anglicisms like "computer," "chance."

Native American Languages

There are hundreds of indigenous languages today, though most have very few speakers. They can be classified into 5 families:

• Quiché-Maya
• Chibcha-Páez
• Aymara
• Araucanian
• Tupi-Guaraní

Today: 1,400,000 in Mexico speak Nahuatl, 750,000 Maya, 600,000 Quiché. In the Andean area, ten million people speak Quechua. Chile has some 440,000 speakers. In Paraguay, Guarani is spoken by 4,600,000.

Spanish in Other Regions

Spanish is also spoken in places like the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Western Sahara, which were former colonies. Additionally, it is spoken by the Sephardim, descendants of Spanish Jews expelled from Spain.