April 23rd, Spanish Language Day
- María Molina
- 4 days ago
- 1 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Let's celebrate Spanish Language Day by learning fascinating facts about our language:
Did you know that Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world, with over almost 600 million speakers?
In addition, it has a history full of surprises and peculiarities that make it unique. For example, did you know that the letter “ñ” was not always part of the alphabet? It originated in the Middle Ages as a shortened form of the letter “nn”, and eventually became a distinctive symbol of the Spanish language.
O which has roots in Latin, but also has words that come from Arabic (about 4% of the lexicon) and Native American languages.
Spanish has many words that change meaning depending on the country: For example, in Mexico, “carro” means car, while in other countries, “carro” can refer to a supermarket cart.
The language has many unique idiomatic expressions: Phrases such as “estar en las nubes” (daydreaming), “tener la sartén por el mango” (to be in control) or “buscarle tres pies al gato” (to look for complications) reflect the creativity and richness of Spanish.
Spanish has different accents and dialects. From the Spanish of Spain to the Rio de la Plata, Caribbean, Andean and Mexican Spanish, each region has its own pronunciation, vocabulary and expressions, making Spanish a very diverse and colorful language.
The Spanish language has influenced other languages. Many English words, such as “barrio,” “guacamole” or “tornado,” come from Spanish.
Celebrating Spanish Language Day is a perfect opportunity to appreciate the beauty, diversity and richness of our language - let's keep learning and enjoying Spanish every day!
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