Spanish Influence on the English Language: History and Impact

Introduction

Language and linguistics can often be rather perplexing — much like the age-old question of what came first, the chicken or the egg. The English language is filled with words and phrases that derived their meanings in less than crystal-clear circumstances. Influence has spread over the centuries at all levels, from kings and scholars to peasants and working people. Through economic, political, and cultural exchanges, Spanish has influenced much of the English language, and this pattern will likely continue as long as the two languages are intertwined by goals and interests common to both England and Spain.

The Spanish language uses similar but markedly unique syntax, structure, semantics, and forward word transfer (Gorman and Kester, 1996). It is not often apparent where the influences have occurred, since most people looking for outside language influence cannot easily see these differences in written or spoken language. Languages frequently exert influence on one another in ways that are less apparent than direct word usage or vocabulary. Sometimes words are borrowed from one language and inserted into sentences spoken in another. Many people who are first learning a language exhibit this form of language mixing (Gorman and Kester, 1996).

Early English Theater

Shifts in the English language that occurred due to Spanish influence are often very difficult to discern and trace back to their roots. This evolution has occurred very slowly for the most part, with a few very rapid and very extreme exceptions. Language tends to change gradually, as each generation develops and adopts new, more modern linguistic structures and vocabularies. The history of Spanish influence on the English language goes back hundreds of years and is exhibited as a long, slow, steady change. Many factors have worked together over the years to shape the English language.

Influences on the English language and its derivations are apparent when one studies the roots of English theater (The Restoration of Drama, 2009). During its height, English theater represented a melting pot of ideas among many European countries and states. The origins of many of the most famous plays are found in these countries, and during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, English theater exploded in its influence and scope (The Restoration of Drama, 2009). Most of the general population could not read during those times, and the most universal way for communication to take place was through live performance. Whether hinting at subversive elements in political relationships or communicating the basic human need for love and affection, drama was a way for the common man and woman to escape reality and journey into fantasy. It should come as no surprise, then, that much linguistic give-and-take happened through these plays. Theater at this time would have been an excellent venue for foreign linguistic influences to spread both to the wealthy and to the poor.

English universities were held in high esteem during this time period. Ideas from far and wide were collected there, and the most wealthy and influential people in Europe began to trade influences and intellectual property. Many Spanish visiting scholars would be asked to teach or lecture at these universities, which were the breeding grounds of hundreds of English playwrights, authors, and wordsmiths. At this level, a transfer of knowledge also occurred. One great example, as noted in "The Restoration of Drama" (2009), is the Spanish scholar Juan Luis Vives' visit to England's Corpus Christi College at Oxford. King Henry VIII himself asked Vives to serve as a reader there, having been impressed with some of Vives' earlier works. At the highest level of society, Spanish influences were at work shaping the outcome of English theater and the English language.

These connections and influences are no better exemplified than in early English theater. Many scholars like to compare the development of the English language with that of the French language, which had a relatively large influence on English; but the Spanish connections are far easier to see in early English dramatic works. Many of the sources of famous English plays are directly linked to Spanish playwrights and native Spanish speakers. "The Restoration of Drama" (2009) points out that no fewer than thirty of the 16th and 17th centuries' most iconic plays and dramas have Spanish roots or were adapted from earlier Spanish dramas.

Give and Take: Borrowed Words

A good example is the fact that many playwrights in Shakespeare's time who were seeking romantic dramatic inspiration abroad turned their eyes toward Italy, in an attempt to avoid all Spanish material due to the political and military feuds that had occurred between Spain and England during this period (The Restoration of Drama, 2009). These playwrights were looking far and wide, and the fact that they considered Spain to be an excellent source of material — even given the political climate — suggests that both before and after England and Spain were sworn enemies, there likely existed an open exchange of ideas in the theatrical realm as well as many others.

Languages borrow words from each other all the time. This has been happening between English and Spanish for centuries, aided in part by the close geographic proximity of the United States — one of the largest native English-speaking countries — to Mexico. Understanding that borrowed words did not arise only in the past two hundred years, we must look at the earlier connections between these two languages in order to better understand the symbiosis that has developed over time.

The influence of language that occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries through cowboy work and other trade between the U.S. and Mexico is apparent in many shared words (Erichsen, 2009). Words like macho, rodeo, and sombrero, all of which carry a recognizably Spanish sound, have been adopted by English speakers not just in the U.S. but worldwide (Erichsen, 2009). There are literally thousands of words that have been adopted or adapted for use in the English vocabulary. The cowboy culture, which many consider uniquely American, actually came from the Spanish caballero tradition. The Spanish were among the first in the Old World to domesticate horses and use them as agricultural and commercial tools. Horses were also used by the Spanish to help conquer the native tribes of the New World in both North and South America. Cowboy hats, which many people do not think of as having Spanish roots, can trace their origins back to the sombrero, originally worn by Spanish-speaking workers and caballeros of old. Millward (1996) argues that the very structure of language needs to be examined in order to reveal the deep connections that exist between English and other languages such as Spanish.

Conclusion

It is evident in many ways that the English language has been influenced by the Spanish language. There exist cultural, political, historical, and literary connections between the two that span more than half a millennium. English scholars and playwrights were often influenced by Spanish culture and language, which in turn influenced the rest of English society at every level. Even the kings and queens of the era exerted great influence on the development and evolution of the English language, whether they were aware of it or not. Over the centuries, the common interests of both nations also played a pivotal role in the development and change of the English language. The close geographic proximity to Mexico shared by many U.S. states has created a melting pot of culture and language in that region. Many traditions beyond language have also been adopted there and elsewhere, in testament to the fact that throughout history, one culture has often played a major role in the future development of another — as exemplified through the influence of the Spanish Conquistadors in Central and South America.