Other Languages Spoken in Spain
Four languages spoken in Spain
Spanish or Castilian is the second largest spoken language in the world today. Next to Chinese or Mandarin, the Spanish language is used by more than 320 million people all across the globe. Spanish is one of many languages that are widely accepted in many parts of the world other than Latin America. So, is Spanish the only language used in Spain today? You may be surprised to know that there are other languages spoken in Spain.
Although Spanish is the most widely used language in the country, there are four other main languages being spoken: Catalan, Basque, Aranese and Galician. In fact more than 25% of the residents in this country speak a different tongue other than Spanish. However, if you intend to do business in Spain, you will have to get Spanish translation services to translate your website and communications in Spanish.
Catalan
One of the Romance languages being spoken in Spain, Catalan can be traced back to the middle part of the 12th century. Succeeding years brought about the flourishing of a language in literature and other thematic resources. Catalan is officially the language being used in Catalonia.
Galician
Originating from Galicia during the early part of the Middle Ages, the Galician-Portuguese is another form of the Romance languages spoken in Spain. Books and literature that used this language were first propagated by Christian conquerors. Eventually, the language was divided into Galician and Portuguese because of political and historical differences.
During the struggles between puritans and liberals, a literary renaissance of this language, especially those possessing political and satirical nature emerged to take center stage. Verses and dialogues or prose speeches were so widely used, even until today. Some actually argue that true renaissance came about only until the middle part of the 19th century, when a lot of literary creation, especially through poetry came into view.
At present, there are about two million people who speak the language.
Euskara or Basque
Euskara or the Basque is yet another one of four languages spoken in Spain and is being used in the northern central area of Spain. Today, it is commonly written using the Latin alphabet. Its origins, however remain untraceable; several hypotheses are used to suggest its origin. One of which is that the Basque language was first used by people who migrated to this part of Spain who were originally from Asia Minor 2000 years before Christ.
Together with Castilian, Euskara became the official language of the regions and towns in the Basque Provinces.
French
Yes, French is a widely popular language that is spoken in some areas of Spain. Although not part of the original denomination of languages in the country, several immigrants and people living in Spain speak French. A number of countries bordering Spain are French-speaking nations which add a diverse blend of culture and language in the country.
English
There are also a number of English speakers in the country. Mostly are expatriates and immigrants who have chosen Spain as their second home.
Spain is a melting pot of culture and languages. Multiculturalism is equally alive and thriving in this part of Europe. It may be a comforting thought that you don’t have to speak fluent Spanish if you want to visit this stunningly beautiful country. Of course, it would help that you know at least some few Spanish words to get yourself around the region but knowing one of the languages spoken in Spain would be best. What is important is that culture diversity and language are truly blossoming in this country .
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