what languages are spoken in spain besides spanish
If you split up the name of the dialect, you will understand where it comes from: the Río … Castellano, while it is spoken throughout the Spanish-speaking world, is actually the result of badly-spoken Latin spoken originally across Cantabria, Burgos and La Rioja. Gerald Erichsen is a Spanish language expert who has created Spanish lessons for ThoughtCo since 1998. Since there are far more languages spoken throughout the country than the Spanish you might expect! The official language of Spain is Spanish (or rather castellano) and is understood everywhere in the country. The official language of Spain is Castilian, so when we’re referring to Spanish as a language, we’re actually referring to Castilian. Español Ibérico (o Español Europeo) is useful in Spain and neighboring countries. Though it is safe to say, if you are heading to Spain, a little vocabulary in Castilian would be a great place to start! Most Catalans also speak Spanish. All other languages are regarded as minor languages. Spain has many different languages, not only Castilian – Basque, Catalan and Galician are also official languages. Since Castilian is the only official language of Spain which is spoken throughout the entire country, all public signage, official busine… Planning a holiday to Spain this year? Spanish is one of many languages that are widely accepted in many parts of the world other than Latin America. So while it is only a co-official language in these regions don’t be surprised if you hear a language that sounds completely different to Castilian, since there are barely any similarities at all. Here are the numerous languages of Spain and where you might find them. There are around 4.6 million people who speak Catalan. Catalán and Spanish. Some of the varieties are Andalusian (in Andalusia), Canarian (from the Canary Islands), … The role of the the Catalan language has been a key issue in the Catalonian independence movement. Originating from Catalan, Valencian is spoken by some two million people living in the Valencian region. All the above languages have some degree of official status, yet there are plenty more languages to be found throughout Spain that aren’t widely spoken or official at all. Spoken in Spain’s northwestern region of Asturias (directly to … Most people assume that Spain has the most number of Spanish speakers in the world as it is their official language. Spanish, the official language in the entire country, is the predominant native language in almost all of the autonomous communities in Spain. Almost the entire population of Spain speaks Castilian more than any other language, totaling at more than 46 million people. Scattered throughout Spain are a variety of smaller ethnic groups with their own languages, most of them Latin derivatives. Since. Some of its characteristics include three classes of quantity (single, plural and indefinite), numerous declinations, positional nouns, regular spelling, a relative lack of irregular verbs, no gender, and pluri-personal verbs (verbs that vary according to the sex of the person being spoken to). And we haven’t even touched on the immigrant languages of Spain which include English, Arabic, and both Mandarin and Cantonese. So while it is only a co-official language in these regions don’t be surprised if you hear a language that sounds completely different to Castilian, since there are barely any similarities at all. The rest of Catalonia outside of the Aran Valley does not recognize Aranese as official. Bilingualismin different degrees and in distinct communicative situations between Spanish and another language is a habitual practice for many of the Spanish people who reside in one of these autonomous … While español is the most common Romance language spoken in Spain, it shares its home with more than 15 other languages—none of which are official, aside from Spanish, but they’re spoken and acknowledged in regional pockets of the country. Euskara is easily the most unusual language of Spain — and an unusual language for Europe as well, since it doesn't fit in the Indo-European family of languages that includes Spanish as well as French, English and the other Romance and Germanic languages. "Languages of Spain Not Limited to Spanish." Its alphabet is similar to that of English, although it also includes a Ç. Vowels can take both grave and acute accents (as in à and á, respectively). Rioplatense. The languages of Spain, or Spanish languages (lenguas españolas or lenguas hispánicas), are those languages that are either currently or were once spoken in Spain.The main languages of Spain fall into the category of Romance languages, of which Spanish—the Castilian variety of Spanish—is the sole official language for the whole of the country. Basque is one of the oldest languages in Europe, said to predate even Latin! (how are you? . Grab a trusty phrasebook or start practicing with your favorite language app; whatever you learn will be understood wherever you visit in Spain. Galician has strong similarities to Portuguese, especially in vocabulary and syntax. Catalan: sí (yes), si us plau (please), què tal? According to a 2019 Pew Research survey, the most commonly spoken languages at home other than Spanish were Catalan in 8% of households, Valencian 4%, Galician 3% and Basque in 1% of homes. Four languages spoken in Spain. Though Castilian Spanish is spoken by 72% of the population, there are three other co-official languages in the country: Euskara, Catalan, and Galician. Those living on the Balearic Islands speak different variants of Catalan depending on the island, so don’t be surprised to hear even more differences if you are island hopping! Among them are Aragonese, Asturian, Caló, Valencian (usually considered a dialect of Catalan), Extremaduran, Gascon, and Occitan. Almost the entire population of Spain speaks Castilianmore than any other language, totaling at more than 46 million people. Though if you speak Portuguese there is enough mutual intelligibility for you to be able to understand Galician without any problems. The fact that Euskara is an ergative language (a linguistic term involving cases of nouns and their relations to verbs) has caused some linguists to think that Euskara may have come from the Caucasus region, although the relationship with languages of that area hasn't been demonstrated. The most widely spoken language in Spain is actually the Spanish you already know. ! Catalan originates in Catalonia and is spoken today throughout northeastern Spain as well as parts of France. In terms of the number of speakers and dominance, the most prominent of the languages of Spain is Spanish (Castilian), spoken by about 99% of Spaniards as a first or second language. More often than not, the people of Spain refer to their language as castellano rather than español because the latter can be any of the other languages spoken in the country. The most widely spoken language in Spain is actually the Spanish you already know. It is considered the traditional language of the Valencian community and is often displayed alongside Castilian on public signage, demonstrating its co-official status. This can be an important thing to know if you are planning to go to Spain to learn the language, because if people are speaking a language other than Spanish, it may make learning Spanish a little more difficult. https://speakingabroad.com/what-languages-are-spoken-in-spain Some links are affiliate links. If you think that Spanish or Castilian is the language of Spain, you're only partly right. Don’t panic! This, . Euskara: kaixo (hello), eskerrik asko (thank you), bai (yes), ez (no), etxe (house), esnea (milk), bat (one), jatetxea (restaurant). Aragonese, Asturian, and Leonise are all severely endangered minority languages. In written form, Catalan looks something like a cross between Spanish and French, although it is a major language in its own right and may be more similar to Italian than it is to Spanish. The most common English word that comes from Euskara is "silhouette," the French spelling of a Basque surname. Right? In any case, it is likely that Euskara, or least the language it developed from, has been in the area for thousands of years, and at one time it was spoken in a much larger region. You can read more about the differences between the Spanish of Spain and Latin America here. And then you have the different languages that are spoken in Spain, such as Galego, Asturianu or Astur-Leonés, Euskera, Valencià, Català, Aranés, Aragonés, Cántabru or Montañés, Fala, Estremeñu and the Silbo Gomero, which is a language based on whistles unique in the world. Since Castilian is the only official language of Spain which is spoken throughout the entire country, all public signage, official business, and education is taught in Castilian. https://www.linguaschools.com/.../how-many-languages-are-spoken-in-spain more than any other language, totaling at more than 46 million people. Of the foreign languages spoken in Spain, 3 in particular, have a significant role in the society. NB. Right? https://www.thoughtco.com/spains-linguistic-diversity-3079513 (accessed May 8, 2021). in the Pyrenean comarca of the Aran Valley in northwestern Catalonia, yet. But all other languages spoken on the Iberian Peninsula belong to the Romance family, so this one is referred to this group too. Though within that community, there are four further subdivisions of Valencian, and up to a quarter of the region don’t speak any Valencian at all. Check out these 4 amazing websites to brush up on your French. About 600,000 speak Euskara, sometimes known as Basque, as a first language. Extremaduran is a group of dialects of Asturleonese, a language spoken in Extremadura as well as some adjoining areas of Salamanca. There is a variety of Vernacular languages spoken in Spain. The only language of Spain that doesn’t have an Indo-European background, Basque is spoken throughout the Basque region of the country, as well as in Navarre, by about 900,000 people. Catalan is a descendant of Latin, which is part of the Western Romance languages such as French, Spanish or Portuguese. Those living on the Balearic Islands speak different variants of Catalan depending on the island, so don’t be surprised to hear even more differences if you are island hopping! Check out our free placement test to see how your level measures up! The only language of Spain that doesn’t have an Indo-European background, Basque is spoken throughout the Basque region of the country, as well as in Navarre, by. For the native Galician speaker, Portuguese is about 85 percent intelligible. "Languages of Spain Not Limited to Spanish." Barcelona is the largest city where Catalan is spoken. Erichsen, Gerald. The answer to the above question is: There are seven major Spanish dialects in the world. In a series of plebiscites, Catalonians have generally supported independence from Spain, although in many cases opponents of independence boycotted the elections and the Spanish government has contested the legality of the votes. https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/which-languages-are-spoken-in-spain Spanish or Castilian is the second largest spoken language in the world today. In fact, about a fourth of the country's residents use a tongue other than Spanish as their first language. After arriving in Spain in 2010 to finally learn Spanish, I was surprised to learn that there are a lot more languages spoken in Spain than just Spanish.. The diversity of languages in Spain is both fascinating and shocking. Galician: polo (chicken), día (day), ovo (egg), amar (love), si (yes), nom (no), ola (hello), amigo/amiga (friend), cuarto de baño or baño (bathroom), comida (food). It is one of the co-official languages for the communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian region, as well as the. (2020, August 27). Why not pick up a little Spanish before you go! Six of the sixteen autonomous communities in Spain have other co-official languages in addition to Spanish. Any of those who speak Aranese have the right to conduct their business and deal with government officials in the language, yet Aranese still shares its official status with the wider spoken Catalan and Castilian. The co-official language in Galicia is Galician, or gallego. (Euskara has no legal recognition in France, where far fewer people speak it.) And "chaparral" came to English by way of Spanish, which modified the Euskara word txapar, a thicket. Spanish (Castilian), spoken by about 99% of Spaniards as a first or second language, Catalan / Valencian is spoken by 17%, Galician by 7%, and Basque by 2% of the population in Spain. Most of the letters are pronounced roughly like they would be in Spanish. It is one of the co-official languages for the communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian region, as well as the only official language in Andorra. In total, Catalan is spoken by more than 7 … However, there is “ Mexican languages ” those would be the indigenous languages . Castilian Spanish is the official national language of Spain, however there are completely separate languages, not just dialects that are spoken in various parts of Spain, such as Catalán in and around Barcelona, Catalonia (Catalunya) and the Balearic Islands.Basque, known as “Euskera” in the northern Basque region and Galician, known as “Gallego” in Galicia. Asturian: Unofficial but Unforgotten. This Indo-European Romance language originates from the Castile region of Spain and has gone on to be the L1 language of around 442 million speakers internationally. The most widely spoken language in Spain is actually the Spanish you already know. ThoughtCo. , said to predate even Latin! In some countries in Central and South America, it is called Spanish since Spain is its country of origin. Galician (Gallego in Spanish) is spoken mainly in Galicia, as well as Asturias and Castilla y … The main foreign languages of Spain are But Spain also has three other officially recognized languages, and language use continues to be a hot political issue in parts of the country. About 4 million people use Catalan as a first language, with about that many also speaking it as a second language. Language & Travel Essentials For Visiting Spain. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/spains-linguistic-diversity-3079513. ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/spains-linguistic-diversity-3079513. All Rights Reserved, Language Courses and Language Services USA & Canada, Tel: 1-877-566-9299 (USA) / 1-416-800-9242 (Canada), Planning a holiday to Spain this year? Take for instance Aragonese which is recognised but not official in Aragon, and Asturian which has the same treatment in Asturias. Why not pick up a little Spanish before you go! Euskara uses the Roman alphabet, including most letters that other European languages use, and the ñ. Well, almost. About 4 million people speak Galician, 3 million of them in Spain, the rest in Portugal with a few communities in Latin America. Besides Castilian Spanish, the following languages are spoken in different parts of Spain: - Catalan, spoken by about 5 to 6 million people, in the province of Catalonia and elsewhere. the Romani people), the caló language is actually a “mixed” language that takes Spanish grammar and replaces most Spanish words with a … The rest of Catalonia outside of the Aran Valley does not recognize Aranese as official. It’s a romance language as many people term it and its spoken as a first language by more than 360 million people in the world. Euskara is the language spoken by the Basque people, an ethnic group in Spain and France that has its own identity as well as separatist sentiments on both sides of the Franco-Spanish border. Spoken almost exclusively by Spain’s Gypsy population (a.k.a. Not all inhabitants of Barcelona of non-Catalán descent speak Catalan. ; See also here for a Spanish phrasebook on to take around with you. There are also pockets of numerous other languages spoken besides. True, Spanish is the national language and the only language you can use if you want to be understood almost everywhere. Galician. Though within that community, there are four further subdivisions of Valencian, and up to a quarter of the region don’t speak any Valencian at all. What makes Euskara linguistically interesting is that it has not been shown conclusively to be related to any other language. Well, almost. The variant Eonavian is spoken in … Catalan is spoken not only in Spain, but also in parts of Andorra (where it is the national language), France, and Sardinia in Italy. 3 Things to Consider When Traveling with Kids in Latin America, 4 Places You Simply Have to See While Traveling in Ecuador, Copyright © 2007 - 2021 Listen & Learn. Languages of Spain Not Limited to Spanish. Characterised by its wild coastlines, green hilly landscapes and maritime heritage, it’s a unique area of the country, even sharing some of its roots with the Celts. Though if you speak Portuguese there is enough mutual intelligibility for you to be able to understand Galician without any problems. Be understood almost everywhere, though in Valencia it is very easy pick... Websites to brush up on your French are also pockets of numerous languages! Have a significant role in the autonomous communities in Spain, 3 in particular, a! 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For visiting Spain from Lonely Planet and Rick Steve language used in.. And Zamora most authorities, though in Valencia it is spoken in Catalonia and the ñ lessons ThoughtCo. That it has not been shown conclusively to be related to any other language has no legal in! Understood almost everywhere only one of the sixteen autonomous communities in Spain Euskara ``! That came from Euskara is izquierda, `` left. `` when a split developed, largely political! And in the world other than Latin America created Spanish lessons for ThoughtCo since 1998 ThoughtCo. Official language of the Valencian community and is spoken in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands and of. Any other living language at all because of Spain speaks Castilian more than 46 million people, Catalan Galician! In the world today they would be in Spanish. demonstrating its co-official status understood you. Your favorite language app ; whatever you learn will be understood wherever you in... Speaks Castilianmore than any other language, with about that many also speaking it as a first language role the...
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