Spanish Language Varieties and Multilingualism

Language Families and Multilingualism

Language families are different groups that categorize languages according to their characteristics and the areas where they are spoken. Monolingualism occurs when a person or a community speaks a single language. If, on the contrary, they speak different languages, this refers to a multilingual society, as is the case in Spain.

Types of Multilingualism

The phenomenon of multilingualism can be categorized as follows:

• Individual: A person who speaks several languages.
• Collective: A country, region, or area that uses several languages.

Bilingualism and Diglossia

Bilingualism is the coexistence of two languages in a region or community. Diglossia indicates that community members are aware that inequalities exist between the two languages spoken, because one has more social prestige than the other. In monolingual areas, a single language is spoken (Castilian), while in bilingual areas, two languages are spoken: the mother tongue or original language, which coexists with Castilian.

The Evolution of Castilian

From the reign of Alfonso X, Castilian began gaining cultural prestige. It first became a means of communication within circles of power and cultured transmission. Later, it reached the lower social classes. Since the sixteenth century, it became the common language of the Spanish state, the only language in most of its territory, while coexisting with the Catalan, Valencian, and Balearic languages.

With the conquest of America, Castilian expanded beyond Spanish borders. Additionally, the active presence of Spain in Europe was reflected in the large number of Spanish words adopted by neighboring languages and, conversely, the volume of terms from other languages entering Castilian related to music, art, and literature.

The New Standard and the RAE

The new standard: Until the sixteenth century, the Alfonsí standard used by scholars and in literature prevailed. However, colloquial language continued to evolve according to the trends in each region. The Spanish Royal Academy (RAE), founded in 1713, established the unity and purity of the language as a priority task, including dictionary development.

Regional Varieties of Spanish

Northern Castilian

Northern Castilian covers the following varieties: the central area, used in regions where Leonese and Aragonese were spoken, as well as varieties of the language used in bilingual areas.

Southern Spanish

Southern Spanish occupies nearly the southern half of the peninsula: Extremadura, La Mancha, Murcia, Andalusia, and the Canaries. Its influence on American Spanish has been fundamental. There are two major areas: transition dialects and Andalusian/Canarian dialects, which are discussed separately.

Characteristics of Southern Dialects

General characteristics of the south include: yeísmo, s-relaxation, loss of intervocalic consonants (b, d, g), and confusion of final -r and -l.

General Characteristics of Andalusian

These include: seseo and ceceo (lisping), a pronunciation of the "s" different from Castilian, and a specific lexicon.