Spanish

A language of Spain

ISO 639-3

Alternate Names

Castellano, Castilian, Español

Population

38,400,000 in Spain (European Commission 2012). L2 users: 7,490,000 in Spain (European Commission 2012). Total users in all countries: 517,824,310 (as L1: 426,515,910; as L2: 91,308,400).

Location

Widespread.

Language Maps

Andorra and France

Belize

Portugal and Spain

Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1978, Constitution, Art 3(1)), recognized statutory language in all autonomous cities and communities under various local laws.

Classification

Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian

Dialects

Andalusian (Andalú, Andalusí, Andaluz), Aragonese, Murcian, Navarrese, Castilian, Canary Islands Spanish (Isleño), American Spanish (Chicano), Silbo Gomero. Lexical similarity: 89% with Portuguese [por], 85% with Catalan [cat], 82% with Italian [ita], 76% with Sardinian [src], 75% with French [fra], 74% with Ladin [lld], 71% with Romanian [ron].

Typology

SVO; prepositions; genitives, relatives after noun heads; articles, numerals before noun heads; adjectives before or after noun heads depending on whether it is evaluative or descriptive; question word initial; gender (masculine/feminine); definite and indefinite articles; verb affixes mark number, person; passives; tense; comparatives; 20 consonants, 5 vowels, 5 diphthongs; non-tonal; stress on penultimate syllable. Silbo Gomero whistled variety of Spanish used in Canary Islands.

Language Use

Some also use English [eng] (European Commission 2006), French [fra] (European Commission 2006).

Language Development

Fully developed. Bible: 1553–2012.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Spanish

Writing

Braille script [Brai]. Latin script [Latn], primary usage.

Other Comments

The Aragonese dialect of Spanish is different from Aragonese language [arg]. Christian.

Also spoken in:

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Andorra

Language nameSpanish

Population

27,600 in Andorra (2005 census). L2 users: 21,600 in Andorra (Instituto Cervantes 2012).

Alternate Names

Castilian

Status

3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language.

View other languages of Andorra

Argentina

Language nameSpanish

Population

40,300,000 in Argentina (2013). L2 users: 1,070,000 in Argentina (2013).

Dialects

Portuñol, Portunhol, Rioplatense, Lunfardo, Porteño.

Status

1 (National). De facto national language.

Language Use

All domains. All ages.

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools. Agency: Academia Argentina de la Lengua Española.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Argentina

Belize

Language nameSpanish

Population

174,000 in Belize (Instituto Cervantes 2012). L2 users: 22,000 in Belize (Instituto Cervantes 2012).

Location

Corozal, Orange Walk, and Cayo districts.

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Status

3 (Wider communication).

Language Use

Used as L2 by Plautdietsch [pdt].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Belize

Bolivia

Language nameSpanish

Population

4,450,000 in Bolivia (2013). L2 users: 4,930,000 in Bolivia (2013).

Dialects

Afro-Yungueño (Black Spanish).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2009, Constitution, Article 5(1)).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Bolivia

Caribbean Netherlands

Language nameSpanish

Population

1,480 in Caribbean Netherlands (2001 census). Bonaire 1,270, Sint Eustatius 130, Saba 70.

Status

3 (Wider communication).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Caribbean Netherlands

Chile

Language nameSpanish

Population

15,800,000 in Chile (2013). L2 users: 1,630,000 in Chile (2013).

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Status

1 (National). De facto national language.

Language Use

All domains. All ages.

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Chile

Colombia

Language nameSpanish

Population

46,600,000 in Colombia (2013). L2 users: 94,200 in Colombia (2013).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1991, Constitution, Article 10).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Colombia

Costa Rica

Language nameSpanish

Population

4,440,000 in Costa Rica (2013). L2 users: 89,600 in Costa Rica (2013).

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1949, Constitution, Article 76).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Costa Rica

Cuba

Language nameSpanish

Population

11,200,000 in Cuba (2011).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1992, Constitution, Article 2).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Cuba

Curacao

Language nameSpanish

Population

5,700 in Curacao (2011 SIL).

Status

5 (Dispersed).

Language Use

Used as L2 by Papiamentu [pap].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Curacao

Dominican Republic

Language nameSpanish

Population

9,240,000 in Dominican Republic (2013). L2 users: 61,500 in Dominican Republic (2013).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2000, Law 44.00).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Language nameSpanish

Population

14,700,000 in Ecuador (2013). L2 users: 805,000 in Ecuador (2013).

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2008, Constitution, Article 2).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Christian.

View other languages of Ecuador

El Salvador

Language nameSpanish

Population

6,270,000 in El Salvador (2013). L2 users: 500 in El Salvador (2016 J. Stuart).

Location

Widespread.

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1983, Constitution, Article 62).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Language nameSpanish

Population

Few L1 users. L2 users: 685,000 in Equatorial Guinea (2013).

Location

Widespread.

Alternate Names

Español

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (2011, Constitution, Article 4).

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 75%. Taught in primary and secondary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Equatorial Guinea

France

Language nameSpanish

Population

452,000 in France (2010). L2 users: 8,400,000 in France (European Commission 2012).

Location

Aquitaine region: Bordeaux; Île-de-France region: Paris; Midi-Pyrénées region: Toulouse; Rhône-Alpes region: Lyon; Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region: Nice and Marseiiles.

Alternate Names

Castillan

Status

5 (Dispersed).

Language Use

Used as L2 by French [fra].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of France

Gibraltar

Language nameSpanish

Population

14,400 in Gibraltar (2001).

Dialects

Llanito (Yanito).

Status

3 (Wider communication).

Other Comments

Yanito is spoken by most Gibraltarians among themselves, a variety of Spanish with a strong English [eng] influence, with over 500 words coming from Genoese (Ligurian) [lig] and Hebrew [heb].

View other languages of Gibraltar

Guatemala

Language nameSpanish

Population

9,750,000 in Guatemala (2012). L2 users: 3,271,000 in Guatemala (2012).

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1985, Constitution, Article 143).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Guatemala

Honduras

Language nameSpanish

Population

7,980,000 in Honduras (2011). L2 users: 148,000 in Honduras (2011).

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1982, Constitution, Article 6).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Honduras

Mexico

Language nameSpanish

Population

109,000,000 in Mexico (2013). L2 users: 7,460,000 in Mexico (2013).

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Status

1 (National). De facto national language.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Mexico

Morocco

Language nameSpanish

Population

6,590 in Morocco (Instituto Cervantes 2012). L2 users: 3,410,000 in Morocco (Instituto Cervantes 2012).

Location

Scattered. North coast.

Status

7 (Shifting).

Language Use

French [fra] and English [eng] are now the second and third languages of education, politics, and medicine (2013). Tourism and industry. Parent and grandparent generation. Used as L2 by Judeo-Moroccan Arabic [aju], Moroccan Spoken Arabic [ary], Tarifit [rif].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Morocco

Nicaragua

Language nameSpanish

Population

5,310,000 in Nicaragua (2013). L2 users: 578,000 in Nicaragua (2013).

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1987, Constitution, Article 11).

Language Use

Also use Mískito [miq], Nicaragua Creole English [bzk].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Nicaragua

Panama

Language nameSpanish

Population

2,880,000 in Panama (2013). L2 users: 524,000 in Panama (2013).

Location

Widespread.

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1972, Constitution, Article 7).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Panama

Paraguay

Language nameSpanish

Population

387,000 in Paraguay (2013). L2 users: 4,250,000 in Paraguay (2013).

Location

Asunción department: urban areas.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1992, Constitution, Article 140(2)), co-official with Paraguayan Guarani.

Language Use

Education and government. Many also use Paraguayan Guaraní [gug].

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Paraguay

Peru

Language nameSpanish

Population

24,300,000 in Peru (2013). L2 users: 2,070,000 in Peru (2013).

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1993, Constitution, Article 48).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Peru

Philippines

Language nameSpanish

Population

2,660 in Philippines (1990 census). L2 users: 2,560,000 in Philippines (Instituto Cervantes 2012).

Location

Mainly in Manila and other large cities; Chavacano-speaking areas.

Status

5 (Dispersed).

Language Use

Formerly the official language. Used by a few families as L1. Used as L2 by Moyadan Itneg [ity].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Christian.

View other languages of Philippines

Puerto Rico

Language nameSpanish

Population

3,490,000 in Puerto Rico (2012). L2 users: 136,000 in Puerto Rico (2012).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1993, Official Languages Act No. 1, Article 1).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Some dialects considered archaic.

View other languages of Puerto Rico

Trinidad and Tobago

Language nameSpanish

Population

4,100 in Trinidad and Tobago (2004). L2 users: 61,800 in Trinidad and Tobago (Instituto Cervantes 2012).

Location

Trinidad: Siparia municipality, southern peninsula, fishing villages.

Status

5 (Dispersed).

Language Use

Frequent contact with Venezuelan fishing communities 15 km off Trinidad coast.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Trinidad and Tobago

United States

Language nameSpanish

Population

37,000,000 in United States (Instituto Cervantes 2012). L2 users: 15,000,000 in United States (Instituto Cervantes 2012).

Location

Widespread.

Alternate Names

Castellano, Español

Dialects

Chicano (Caló), Isleno (Isleño, Islenyo).

Status

2 (Provincial). De facto provincial language in New Mexico.

Language Use

Used as L2 by Afro-Seminole Creole [afs], Yaqui [yaq].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Population increased 61% or more since 1970. About 40,000 Islenos in New Orleans speak Isleno, a distinct variety of Canary Island Spanish, which may now face extinction after Hurricane Katrina.

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Uruguay

Language nameSpanish

Population

3,270,000 in Uruguay (2012). L2 users: 77,800 in Uruguay (2012).

Dialects

Portuñol, Portunhol, Rioplatense, Lunfardo.

Status

1 (National). De facto national language.

Language Use

All domains. All ages.

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools.

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Uruguay

Venezuela

Language nameSpanish

Population

29,100,000 in Venezuela (2013). L2 users: 694,000 in Venezuela (2013).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1999, Constitution, Article 9).

Other Comments

Non-indigenous.

View other languages of Venezuela

Dec	JAN	Feb
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2016	2017	2018

Ethnologue

Spanish

Primary tabs

A language of Spain

Also spoken in:

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