Spanish is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world. A language that originated in Spain spread globally, leading to the development of various dialects. The Spanish language has had a profound impact on culture, music, literature, and numerous other aspects of society. Learn more about this influential language with these nine facts.
9 Spanish Language Facts
1. Spanish is a phonetic language that’s said to be one of the easiest to learn. (Source)
If a language is phonetic, that means it’s spelled how it sounds. That means you can sound out written Spanish or spell it correctly yourself based on sound. This makes the language straightforward and easier to learn than others.
2. Spanish is the third most commonly used language on the Internet. (Source)
7.9% of internet users communicate in Spanish, even though only Mexico is among the top ten countries with the greatest number of internet users. This proves just how many Spanish speakers there are.
3. Spanish is the official language of around 20 countries. (Source)
While many people associate Spanish with Spain and Mexico, you’ll find it’s the official language of many other South and Central American countries, including Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, and more.
4. Spanish is the most widely spoken language in El Paso, Texas. (Source)
Although English is the official language in the United States, there are many areas with large Spanish-speaking populations. The largest one is in El Paso, Texas, near the Mexican border, where 67% of the population speaks Spanish.
5. Spanish is a Romance language. (Source)
Romance languages are derived from Latin. They include Spanish, Catalan, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. The Spanish language descended from Latin, which was spoken in the Iberian Peninsula in the 5th century, following the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
6. Spanish is the only language spoken on five continents. (Source)
Spanish is the official language in multiple countries in the Americas, as well as Spain, Europe, Guinea and Morocco in Africa, the Philippines in Asia, and Easter Island in Oceania.
7. There are a large number of Spanish accents and dialects, some of which are more difficult to master than others. (Source)
It’s said that the Chilean Spanish accent is the most difficult one to speak and learn. Other accents and dialects include Andalusian, Castilian Spanish, and Dominican. The Spanish language offers such a wide variety that there are approximately 70,000 words in Latin American Spanish that aren’t used in Spain.
8. The first Spanish novel was Don Quixote. (Source)
Many people are familiar with the famous novel by Miguel de Cervantes, which tells a humorous tale of a knight’s quest to win the heart of his lady. This was the first novel published in the Spanish language.
9. Arabic was also a major influence on the Spanish language. (Source)
Approximately 4,000 words of Spanish were derived directly from the Arabic language. This intermingling of languages resulted from the presence of Moors in the regions surrounding Spain during the Middle Ages.
Featured image photo credit: Leeloo The First
