medievalSpanish

Medieval Spanish refers to the stages of the Spanish language spoken in the Iberian Peninsula from roughly the 10th century until the 15th century. It evolved from Vulgar Latin, alongside other Ibero-Romance languages. Early forms of medieval Spanish are often referred to as Castilian, named after the Kingdom of Castile, which became increasingly dominant politically and culturally during this period.

Key developments during the medieval period include the gradual divergence from Latin and the influence of other languages spoken in Iberia, most notably Arabic due to the long Moorish presence. This linguistic contact introduced a significant number of Arabic loanwords into the lexicon, particularly in areas like agriculture, science, and administration. The phonological and grammatical structures also underwent changes, moving towards the form of modern Spanish.

The earliest surviving written documents exhibiting distinctively Romance characteristics, which can be considered early medieval Spanish, date from the 9th and 10th centuries, such as the Emilianenses. However, more substantial literary works begin to appear in the 12th and 13th centuries, with the most significant corpus emerging in the later medieval period. The reign of Alfonso X of Castile in the 13th century was particularly important, as his court actively promoted the use of Castilian for legal, historical, and scientific works, helping to standardize the language. By the end of the 15th century, with the Reconquista nearing completion and the publication of Antonio de Nebrija's Gramática Castellana in 1492, medieval Spanish had largely transitioned into Early Modern Spanish.