Spanish is older than English, with its roots tracing back to the 9th century.
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Spanish is indeed older than English and has a rich and fascinating history. Its origins can be traced back to the 9th century, when the language began to evolve from spoken Latin in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Over time, it spread throughout the region and eventually became the language of the Kingdom of Castile, which unified the territories that would later become modern-day Spain.
One interesting fact about the history of the Spanish language is that it was heavily influenced by Arabic during the period of Muslim rule in Spain known as the “Moorish era.” As a result, there are many words in modern Spanish that have Arabic roots, such as “aceituna” (olive) and “azul” (blue).
Another notable feature of the Spanish language is its incredible diversity. According to the Ethnologue database, there are currently more than 437 million native speakers of Spanish worldwide, making it the second-most spoken language on the planet after Mandarin Chinese. Spanish is also the official language of 20 countries, from Spain to Mexico to Argentina and beyond.
As for English, while it may not be as old as Spanish in terms of its roots, it has a storied history all its own. English began to emerge as a distinct language during the 5th century, when Germanic tribes invaded what is now Great Britain and started to develop their own dialects. In the centuries that followed, English experienced numerous influences from other languages, including Latin (due to the influence of the Roman Empire), Old Norse (due to Viking invasions), and French (due to the Norman Conquest).
One of the most defining moments in the history of English occurred in the 16th century, when the printing press was invented and the first standardized English Bibles were produced. This helped to establish a more consistent form of the language that could be widely circulated and understood. As the British Empire grew in the centuries that followed, English spread throughout the world and became one of the most important languages of trade, diplomacy, and culture.
In the end, both Spanish and English have played important roles in the development of human history and culture. As the writer Maya Angelou once said, “Language, incontestably, reveals the speaker. Language, also, far more dubiously, is meant to define the other–and, in this case, the other is refusing to be defined by a language that has never been able to recognize [them].”
| Language | Date of Origin | Number of Native Speakers | Official Status in Countries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish | 9th century | 437 million | 20 |
| English | 5th century | 379 million | 67 |
Associated video
The video “Is Spanish Older Than English?” briefly touches upon the age of English versus Spanish, determining that modern English can be traced back to the 15th century. As a result, English is considered older than Spanish. The presenter underlines the significance of accurate knowledge and their mission to provide it so that people may live a more balanced life.
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Spanish in the U.S. Spanish predated English in arriving in what is now the United States. For 400 years, the two languages have co-existed; today’s immigrants continue to bring variation.
If you are asking which language has been spoken for longer in a certain region, then the answer would be English. However, if you are referring to the age of the language itself, then Spanish is older than English. Spanish, the language of the Iberian Peninsula, is thought to have existed several hundred years before English. While English has been written for a long time, and as a written language it’s probably older than Spanish, Spanish hasn’t been written as long as English.
If you are referring to the age of the language itself, then Spanish is older than English. However, if you are asking which language has been spoken for longer in a certain region, then the answer would be English. Spanish, the language of the Iberian Peninsula, is thought to have existed several hundred years before English.
So we’ve established that English has been written for a long time, and while it gets more and more difficult to understand, the further back we go, as a written language it’s probably older than Spanish. Spanish, on the other hand, hasn’t been written as long as English.
More interesting questions on the topic
Is English older than Spanish? Response to this: Is the English language older than Spanish? Yes. Old English originates around the 5th Century as a Germanic dialect. But the main reason is that English, unlike Spanish and many other languages has no single root language.
Has Spanish or English been around longer? So we’ve established that English has been written for a long time, and while it gets more and more difficult to understand, the further back we go, as a written language it’s probably older than Spanish.
Additionally, What language came before English? Answer to this: English is a fascinating language that has evolved over the centuries, and today it is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world. The English language has its roots in Anglo-Saxon, a West Germanic language spoken by the Anglo-Saxons who settled in Britain in the 5th century.
How old is Spanish as a language?
The answer is: Most scholars agree that modern Spanish was established in a standard written form in the 13th century in the Kingdom of Castile in the Spanish city of Toledo.
In this way, How old is Spanish compared to English? Response to this: In other words, you could go 800 years back in time and still find a language that could be understood by a Modern English speaker. (More or less). So for the sake of argument, let’s say that English is 800 years old. Now what about Spanish? When Did Latin Become Spanish? As mentioned before, Spanish originally evolved from Latin.
One may also ask, How old is a language?
Language evolution is like biological evolution—it happens minutely, generation by generation, so there’s no distinct breaking point between one language and the next language that develops from it. Therefore, it’s impossible to say that one language is really older than any other one; they’re all as old as humanity itself.
Just so, When did Old Spanish become a thing?
The response is: This began in around the year 900, which is also the period where linguists consider "Old Spanish" to really become a thing. Old Spanish, which was the predecessor of Modern Spanish, or Castillian Spanish, was just one out of several dialects spoken at the time.
Also asked, What languages were spoken during the Spanish era? Old Spanish, which was the predecessor of Modern Spanish, or Castillian Spanish, was just one out of several dialects spoken at the time. From their time in the North, they had been influenced by the Basque language and to some extent, a few Germanic languages.
How old is Spanish compared to English?
Answer will be: In other words, you could go 800 years back in time and still find a language that could be understood by a Modern English speaker. (More or less). So for the sake of argument, let’s say that English is 800 years old. Now what about Spanish? When Did Latin Become Spanish? As mentioned before, Spanish originally evolved from Latin.
Simply so, What is the difference between Old Spanish and Portuguese spelling? The answer is: The Old Spanish spelling of the sibilants was identical to modern Portuguese spelling, which, unlike Spanish, still preserves most of the sounds of the medieval language, and so is still a mostly faithful representation of the spoken language. Examples of words before spelling was altered in 1815 to reflect the changed pronunciation:
Also Know, What languages were spoken during the Spanish era?
Old Spanish, which was the predecessor of Modern Spanish, or Castillian Spanish, was just one out of several dialects spoken at the time. From their time in the North, they had been influenced by the Basque language and to some extent, a few Germanic languages.
Just so, How old is a language? Answer to this: Language evolution is like biological evolution—it happens minutely, generation by generation, so there’s no distinct breaking point between one language and the next language that develops from it. Therefore, it’s impossible to say that one language is really older than any other one; they’re all as old as humanity itself.