Spanish Translation Services
Language History
The Spanish language derived from Vulgar Latin around 2000 years ago when it originated in the Iberian Peninsula. The region, which later became known as Hispania, was conquered by Islamic groups from Northern Africa called Moors. Arabic and a related dialect called Mozarabic was then widely spoken in Hispania before Christian kingdoms reconquered Moorish Spain, reclaiming the country as well as the language. Vulgar Latin became dominant and in the 1200’s, the standardized Spanish language was formed, based on a dialect called\nCastilian. This dialect gained wide acceptance in Spain, becoming the written and educational standard in the country until this very day.
Source: alsintl.com
Where is Spanish spoken?
Alongside Castilian which is spoken by 99% of the population, the most prominent Spanish languages are Catalan (or Valencian) spoken by 17%, Galician by 7%, and Basque by 2% of the population.
Did you know
Spanish is one of the top 10 languages for mobile app localization.
Did you know
Latin America is the 2nd fastest growing region in the world for game revenues. newzoo.com
Spanish is the official language in the following countries:
Puerto Rico, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia,\nCosta Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,\nEl Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala,\nHonduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama,\nParaguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay & Venezuela.
Guess what ?
Within the next 50 years, Spanish is expected to be the first language of 50% of U.S population. takelessons.com
Spanish Words that have no English Translation
Sobremesa – The conversation held at the table after a meal, which can last for hours. • Estrenar – To wear something for the first time
Friolento/Friolero – A person who’s sensitive to cold
Punctuation Marks
Exclamation and question marks are placed before the text in Spanish. They are also inverted – (¡) and (¿). In fact, these upside down punctuation marks do not exist in any other language.
Genders and Plurals
In Spanish, words always have gender and plural suffixes according to the core of a sentence: \nIn the following example, the core of the subject is “houses” in plural. “Houses” is plural and feminine in\nSpanish, thus all the elements of the sentence will have to match these.\n“These (plural) red (singular) houses (plural) are (plural) similar (singular)”\n“Estas (plural, feminine) casas (plural, feminine) rojas (plural, feminine) son (plural) parecidas (plural,\nfeminine).”
Guess what ?
www.internetworldstats.com
Modern Spanish has over 4,000 words with Arabic roots. Spanish borrowed many words from Mozarabic, after the region was conquered by Islamic groups in AD 719.
| Name | Origin in Classical Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Almohada | miẖaddah | Pillow |
| Mazmorra | maṭmūrah | Dungeon |
| Barrio | barrī | Neighbourhood |
| Aceituna | zaitun | Olive |
| Alcalde | qāḍī | Mayor |
| Azúcar | sukkar | Sugar |
| Hazaña | ḥasanah | Achievement |
Spanish is the official language in the following countries:
| English | Peninsular Spanish (Spain) | Mexican Spanish (Mexico) | Rioplatense Spanish (Argentina) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car | Coche | Carro | Auto |
| Suitcase | Maleta | Petaca | Valija |
| Shirt | Camisa | Playera | Remera |
| Pen | Bolígrafo | Pluma | Lapicera |
Top Ten Spanish Speaking Countries of the World, 2014
| Country | Total Spanish Speakers | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico | 110,637,916 |
| 2 | U.S.A | 50,700,000 |
| 3 | Spain | 46,456,779 |
| 4 | Colombia | 45,4 16,736 |
| 5 | Argentina | 40,655,093 |
| 6 | Venezuela | 28,70 7,328 |
| 7 | Peru | 25,804,803 |
| 8 | Chile | 17,127,711 |
| 9 | Ecuador | 14,024,376 |
| 10 | Guatemala | 12,408,479 |
| Total Spanish Speakers | 517,423,452 |
Population vs. Internet Penetration
Population
46,070,146
Internet users
40,148,353
Penetration
87.1%
As of 2017. Source: www.internetworldstats.com
Spanish Translation Tips
- Identify your target market – there are several regional versions of Spanish and each one has variations in its grammar, formalities and words.
- Spanish translations automatically become 30% longer and lengthier than its English source text.
- Most nouns in Spanish such as objects and places have genders. E.g. objects that end in -a are feminine, while those ending in -o are masculine.
- There are 6 different spellings for verb tenses while adjectives usually come after the noun.
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