Different versions of Spanish

Question

Are there many different versions of Spanish in different parts of Spain? Are they completely different from Spanish?

Answer 1

I have some friends from Mexico, and these are some words they use there:

• Pachangas (loud, boisterous, joyful parties)
• Platicar (to chat, talk)
• Padre (other than the traditional "father", also means "great" or "awesome")
• Alberca (pool)

I was also in Costa Rica for a week and a half, and have a friend who is from there, and some words/phrases they use there include:

• Tico (someone from Costa Rica)
• Pura Vida (used to mean "thanks!", "you're welcome!", "hello!" and "goodbye", among other things)

Answer 2

Hola, Mia.

Yes, there are several different dialects in Spain.

You best strategy is to learn standard Spanish which will allow you to speak to people all over the world. While you are in a particular country, or when you make friends from Spanish-speaking countries (Latin America or Spain) you will learn some local vocabulary.

Some interesting words from Guatemala:

• Zancuro (mosquito)

• Grama (lawn or grass)

• Patojo (little kid)

• Huevón (lazy person)

thanks Mariana - mia55, Jul 11, 2012

I agree...great answer! - PumpkinCalabaza, Jul 12, 2012

Answer 3

I guess that the short answer is that there is only one Spanish in Spain.

BUT.

Spain has its official language, Spanish (castellano), and three recognised regional languages, namely Catalan (catalán), Basque (euskera) and Galician (gallego). Natives of Valencia claim their own language, but I get the impression that many Spaniards consider it almost indistinguishable from Catalan.

If you go to Galicia, the Basque Country or Catalonia (from west to east, and left to right across the top of the map below), you will hear these languages as well as castellano, and all road signs will be in the regional language as well as the national language. (Catalan is also spoken in the Balearic Islands, in the Mediterranean.)

Galicia has a Celtic heritage shared with Ireland, Scotland, Wales (País de Gales) and Brittany, in northern France, which you can hear with crystalline clarity in Galician music, and perhaps this can also be heard in the language. I wouldn't know!

Euskera is unique, and apparently completely unrelated to any of the 20+ Indo-European language that include English, Spanish and French, Urdu and Hindi (!). Wherever the original 'euskaldunak' came from, their language survived in the isolation of the mountainous 'Basque Country' which extends both sides of the modern border between France and Spain, and is only one part of Basque culture and identity.

Catalán had almost died out until the 19th Century but is alive and kicking now.

Regional language and identity remain hot potatoes, with Catalonia and the Spain's Basque region by no means reconciled to being permanently part of Spain..

Thanks a lot,Enderby. but to what kind of languages is Basque related - mia55, Jul 31, 2012

Hi, Mia. Wikipedia has this: Though geographically surrounded by Indo-European Romance languages, Basque is classified as a language isolate. It is the last remaining descendant of the pre-Indo-European languages of Western Europe. - Enderby, Aug 11, 2012

And - re the other languages of Spain, see: http://www.vlcciudad.com/valencianos-aragoneses-y-mallorquines-se-manifiestan-en-valencia-contra-el-catalanismo/ - Enderby, Aug 11, 2012

Answer 4

Most likely, like the same in India.....with TAmil...telegu etc.

Thanks a lot - mia55, Jul 11, 2012