| Old Spanish | |
| Also Known As: | Old Castilian |
| Nativename: | roman, romançe, romaz |
| Pronunciation: | pronounced as /roˈman/ |
| States: | Crown of Castile |
| Region: | Iberian peninsula |
| Ethnicity: | Castilians, later Spaniards |
| Era: | 9th–15th centuries |
| Familycolor: | Indo-European |
| Fam2: | Italic |
| Fam3: | Latino-Faliscan |
| Fam4: | Latin |
| Fam5: | Romance |
| Fam6: | Italo-Western |
| Fam7: | Western Romance |
| Fam8: | Gallo-Iberian |
| Fam9: | Ibero-Romance |
| Fam10: | West Iberian |
| Fam11: | Castilian[1] |
| Ancestor: | Old Latin |
| Ancestor2: | Vulgar Latin |
| Ancestor3: | Proto-Romance |
| Iso3: | osp |
| Glotto: | olds1249 |
| Glottorefname: | Old Spanish |
| Linglist: | osp |
| Script: | Latin Aljamiado (marginal) |
| Notice: | IPA |
Old Spanish, also known as Old Castilian (Spanish; Castilian: castellano antiguo; roman[2] pronounced as /roˈman/, romançe,[2] romaz[2]), or Medieval Spanish (Spanish; Castilian: español medieval), was originally a dialect of Vulgar Latin spoken in the former provinces of the Roman Empire. It provided the root for the early form of the Spanish language that was spoken on the Iberian Peninsula from the 9th century until roughly the beginning of the 15th century, before a series of consonant shifts gave rise to modern Spanish. The poem [[Cantar de Mio Cid]] ('The Poem of the Cid'), published around 1200, is the best known and most extensive work of literature in Old Spanish.
The phonological system of Old Spanish was quite similar to that of other medieval Romance languages.
| Labial | Dental | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | ||||
| Stop/Affricate | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | ||
| pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |||
| Fricative | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | ||||
| pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | ||||||
| Approximant | pronounced as /link/ ~ pronounced as /link/ | ||||||
| Lateral | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | |||||
| Trill | pronounced as /link/ | ||||||
| Flap | pronounced as /link/ | ||||||
| Front | Central | Back | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | ||||||
| Mid | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ | - | Open-mid | pronounced as /link/ | pronounced as /link/ --> | ||
| Open | pronounced as /link/ |
Among the consonants, there were seven sibilants, including three voiceless/voiced pairs:
The set of sounds is identical to that found in medieval Portuguese and almost the same as the system present in the modern Mirandese language.
The Modern Spanish system evolved from the Old Spanish one with the following changes:
Changes 2–4 all occurred in a short period of time, around 1550–1600. The change from pronounced as /link/ to pronounced as /link/ is comparable to the fluctuation occurring in the sj-sound of Modern Swedish.
The Old Spanish spelling of the sibilants was identical to modern Portuguese spelling. Examples of words before spelling was altered in 1815 to reflect the changed pronunciation:[5]
The x in Old Spanish xeque and xerife reflects their origins from Arabic sheikh and sharif.
The voiced bilabial stop and fricative were still distinct sounds in early Old Spanish, judging by the consistency with which they were spelled as and respectively. (pronounced as //b// derived from Latin word-initial pronounced as //b// or intervocalic pronounced as //p//, while pronounced as //β// derived from Latin pronounced as //w// or intervocalic pronounced as //b//.) Nevertheless, the two sounds could be confused in consonant clusters (alba~alva 'dawn') or in word-initial position, perhaps after pronounced as //n// or a pause. The two appear to have merged in word-initial position by about 1400 CE and in all other environments by the mid–late 16th century at the latest. In Modern Spanish, many earlier instances of were replaced with, or vice versa, to conform to Latin spelling.[6]
At an archaic stage, there would have existed three allophones of pronounced as //f// in approximately the following distribution:
By the early stages of Old Spanish, the allophone pronounced as /[h]/ had spread to all prevocalic environments and possibly before pronounced as /[j]/ as well.[7]
Subsequently, the bilabial allophones of pronounced as //f// (that is, those other than pronounced as /[h]/) were modified to the labiodental pronounced as /link/ in 'proper' speech, likely under the influence of the many French and Occitan speakers who migrated to Spain from the twelfth century onward, bringing with them their reformed Latin pronunciation. This had the effect of introducing into Old Spanish numerous borrowings beginning with a labiodental pronounced as /[f]/. The result was a phonemic split of pronounced as //f// into pronounced as //f// and pronounced as //h//, since the native pronounced as /ˈhoɾma/ 'last' was now distinct from the borrowed pronounced as /ˈfoɾma/ 'form' (both ultimately derived from the Latin Latin: forma). Compare also the native pronounced as /ˈhaβla/ 'speech' and borrowed pronounced as /ˈfaβula/ 'fable'. In some cases, doublets appear in apparently native vocabulary, possibly the result of borrowings from other Ibero-Romance varieties; compare modern Spanish; Castilian: hierro 'iron' and Spanish; Castilian: fierro 'branding iron' or the names Hernando and Fernando.
Old Spanish was generally written with some variation of the Latin script. In addition, the Arabic script was used by crypto-Muslims for certain writings in dialectal Spanish or Aragonese in a writing system called Aljamiado.[8]
The palatal nasal pronounced as /link/ was written (nn) (the geminate Latin: nn being one of the sound's Latin origins), but it was often abbreviated to (ñ) following the common scribal shorthand of replacing an (m) or (n) with a tilde above the previous letter. Later, (ñ) was used exclusively, and it came to be considered a letter in its own right by Modern Spanish. Also, as in modern times, the palatal lateral pronounced as /link/ was indicated with (ll), again reflecting its origin from a Latin geminate.
Old Spanish had, just as Modern Spanish does, which represents a development of earlier *pronounced as //jt// (still preserved in Portuguese), in most cases from Latin (ct). The use of for pronounced as /link/ originated in Old French and spread to Spanish, Portuguese, and English despite the different origins of the sound in each language:
The Graeco-Latin digraphs (digraphs in words of Greek-Latin origin) (ch), (ph), ((r)rh) and (th) were eventually reduced to (c), (f), ((r)r) and (t), respectively in Modern Spanish:
Word-initial pronounced as /[i]/ was spelled (Y), which was later simplified to (I) in Modern Spanish.
In Old Spanish, perfect constructions of movement verbs, such as ir ('(to) go') and venir ('(to) come'), were formed using the auxiliary verb ser ('(to) be'), as in Italian and French: Las mugieres '''son llegadas''' a Castiella was used instead of Spanish; Castilian: Las mujeres han llegado a Castilla ('The women have arrived in Castilla').
Possession was expressed with the verb aver (Modern Spanish Spanish; Castilian: haber, '(to) have'), rather than tener: Pedro ha dos fijas was used instead of Spanish; Castilian: Pedro tiene dos hijas ('Pedro has two daughters').
In the perfect tenses, the past participle often agreed with the gender and number of the direct object: María '''ha cantadas''' dos canciones was used instead of Modern Spanish Spanish; Castilian: María ha cantado dos canciones ('María has sung two songs'). However, that was inconsistent even in the earliest texts.
The prospective aspect was formed with the verb ir ('(to) go') along with the verb in infinitive, with the difference that in Modern Spanish it's included the preposition Spanish; Castilian: a:
Al Çid beso la mano, la senna '''ua''' tomar. (Cantar de mio Cid, 691)
Spanish; Castilian: Al Cid besó la mano, la enseña '''va a''' tomar. (Modern Spanish equivalent)
Personal pronouns and substantives were placed after the verb in any tense or mood unless a stressed word was before the verb.
The future and the conditional tenses were not yet fully grammaticalised as inflections; rather, they were still periphrastic formations of the verb aver in the present or imperfect indicative followed by the infinitive of a main verb. Pronouns, therefore, by the general placement rules, could be inserted between the main verb and the auxiliary in these periphrastic tenses, as still occurs with Portuguese (mesoclisis):
E dixo: ― Tornar-'''m'''-é a Jherusalem. (Fazienda de Ultra Mar, 194)
Spanish; Castilian: Y dijo: ― '''Me''' tornaré a Jerusalén. (literal translation into Modern Spanish)
Portuguese: E disse: ― Tornar-'''me'''-ei a Jerusalém. (literal translation into Portuguese)
And he said: "I will return to Jerusalem." (English translation)
En pennar '''gelo''' he por lo que fuere guisado (Cantar de mio Cid, 92)
Spanish; Castilian: '''Se lo''' empeñaré por lo que sea razonable (Modern Spanish equivalent)
Portuguese: Penhorar-'''lho'''-ei pelo que for razoável (Portuguese equivalent)
I will pawn them it for whatever it be reasonable (English translation)
When there was a stressed word before the verb, the pronouns would go before the verb: non '''gelo''' empeñar he por lo que fuere guisado.
Generally, an unstressed pronoun and a verb in simple sentences combined into one word. In a compound sentence, the pronoun was found in the beginning of the clause: la manol va besar = Spanish; Castilian: la mano le va a besar.
The future subjunctive was in common use (fuere in the second example above) but it is generally now found only in legal or solemn discourse and in the spoken language in some dialects, particularly in areas of Venezuela, to replace the imperfect subjunctive.[9] It was used similarly to its Modern Portuguese counterpart, in place of the modern present subjunctive in a subordinate clause after Spanish; Castilian: si, Spanish; Castilian: cuando etc., when an event in the future is referenced:
Si vos assi lo '''fizieredes''' e la ventura me '''fuere''' complida
Mando al vuestro altar buenas donas e ricas (Cantar de mio Cid, 223–224)
Spanish; Castilian: Si vosotros así lo '''hiciereis''' y la ventura me '''fuere''' cumplida,
Spanish; Castilian: Mando a vuestro altar ofrendas buenas y ricas (Modern Spanish equivalent)
Portuguese: Se vós assim o '''fizerdes''' e a ventura me '''for''' cumprida,
Portuguese: Mando a vosso altar oferendas boas e ricas. (Portuguese equivalent.)
If you do so and fortune is favourable toward me,
I will send to your altar fine and rich offerings (English translation)
| Latin | Old Spanish | Modern Spanish | Modern Portuguese | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latin: acceptāre, captāre, effectum, respectum|italic=no | acetar, catar, efeto, respeto|italic=no | Spanish; Castilian: aceptar, captar, efecto, respecto, respeto|italic=no | Portuguese: aceitar, captar, efeito, respeito|italic=no | |
| Latin: et, nōn, nōs, hīc|italic=no | e, et; non, no; nós; í|italic=no | Spanish; Castilian: y, e; no; nosotros; ahí|italic=no | Portuguese: e; não; nós; aí|italic=no | |
| Latin: stābat; habuī, habēbat; facere, fecisti|italic=no | estava; ove, avié; far/fer/fazer, fezist(e)/fizist(e)|italic=no | Spanish; Castilian: estaba; hube, había; hacer, hiciste|italic=no | Portuguese: estava; houve, havia; fazer, fizeste|italic=no | |
| Latin: hominem, mulierem, īnfantem|italic=no | omne/omre/ombre, mugier/muger, ifante|italic=no | Spanish; Castilian: hombre, mujer, infante|italic=no | Portuguese: homem, mulher, infante|italic=no | |
| Latin: crās, māne (māneāna); numquam|italic=no | cras, man, mañana; nunqua/nunquas|italic=no | Spanish; Castilian: mañana, nunca|italic=no | Portuguese: manhã, nunca|italic=no | |
| Latin: quandō, quid, quī (quem), quōmodo|italic=no | quando, que, qui, commo/cuemo|italic=no | Spanish; Castilian: cuando, que, quien, como|italic=no | Portuguese: quando, que, quem, como|italic=no | |
| Latin: fīlia|italic=no | fyia, fija|italic=no | Spanish; Castilian: hija|italic=no | Portuguese: filha|italic=no |
The following is a sample from [[Cantar de Mio Cid]] (lines 330–365), with abbreviations resolved, punctuation (the original has none), and some modernized letters.[10] Below is the original Old Spanish text in the first column, along with the same text in Modern Spanish in the second column and an English translation in the third column.
{{poem quote|text=Ya [[Christian God|sennor glorioso]], [[God the Father|padre]] que en [[Heaven|çielo]] estas, [[Book of Genesis|Fezist]] çielo e tierra, el terçero el mar, Fezist estrelas e luna, e el sol pora escalentar, Prisist [[Incarnation of Jesus|en carnaçion]] en [[Mary, mother of Jesus|sancta maria madre]], En [[Bethlehem|belleem]] apareçist, commo fue tu veluntad, Pastores te glorificaron, ovieron de a laudare, [[Three Magi|Tres Reyes]] de [[arabia]] te vinieron adorar, [[Biblical Magi|Melchior e gaspar e baltasar]], [[gold|oro]] e [[frankincense|tus]] e [[myrrh|mirra]] Te offreçieron, commo fue tu veluntad. Saluest a [[Jonah|jonas]] quando cayo en la mar, Saluest a [[Daniel (biblical figure)|daniel]] con los leones en la mala carçel, Saluest dentro en [[Rome|Roma]] al sennor [[Saint Sebastian|san sabastián]], Saluest a [[Saint Susanna|sancta susanna]] del falso criminal, Por tierra andidiste xxxii annos, sennor spirital, Mostrando [[miracles of Jesus|los miraculos]], por en auemos que fablar, [[Marriage at Cana|Del agua fezist vino]] e dela piedra pan, Resuçitest a [[Lazarus of Bethany|Lazaro]], ca fue tu voluntad, Alos judios te dexeste prender, do dizen monte [[Calvary|caluarie]] [[Crucifixion of Jesus|Pusieron te en cruz]], por nombre en [[Golgotha|golgota]], Dos ladrones contigo, estos de sennas partes, El vno [[Dismas|es en parayso]], ca [[Gestas|el otro]] non entro ala, Estando en la cruz vertud fezist muy grant, [[Saint Longinus|Longinos]] era çiego, que nuquas vio alguandre, Diot con la lança enel costado, dont yxio la sangre, Corrio la sangre por el astil ayuso, las manos se ouo de vntar, Alçolas arriba, legolas a la faz, Abrio sos oios, cato atodas partes, En ti crouo al ora, por end es saluo de mal. Enel monumento Resuçitest e [[Harrowing of Hell|fust alos ynfiernos]], Commo fue tu voluntad, Quebranteste las puertas e saqueste los padres sanctos. Tueres [[king of Kings|Rey delos Reyes]] e de todel mundo padre, Ati adoro e creo de toda voluntad, E Ruego a [[Saint Peter|san peydro]] que me aiude a Rogar Por mio [[El Cid|çid el campeador]], que dios le curie de mal, Quando oy nos partimos, en vida nos faz iuntar.
Spanish; Castilian: {{poem quote|text=Oh Señor glorioso, Padre que en el cielo estás, Hiciste el cielo y la tierra, al tercer día el mar, Hiciste las estrellas y la luna, y el sol para calentar, Te encarnaste en Santa María madre, En Belén apareciste, como fue tu voluntad, Pastores te glorificaron, te tuvieron que loar, Tres reyes de Arabia te vinieron a adorar, Melchor, Gaspar y Baltasar; oro, incienso y mirra Te ofrecieron, como fue tu voluntad. Salvaste a Jonás cuando cayó en el mar, Salvaste a Daniel con los leones en la mala cárcel, Salvaste dentro de Roma al señor San Sebastián, Salvaste a Santa Susana del falso criminal, Por tierra anduviste treinta y dos años, Señor espiritual, Mostrando los milagros, por ende tenemos qué hablar, Del agua hiciste vino y de la piedra pan, Resucitaste a Lázaro, porque fue tu voluntad, Por los judíos te dejaste prender, en donde llaman Monte Calvario Te pusieron en la cruz, en un lugar llamado Golgotá, Dos ladrones contigo, estos de sendas partes, Uno está en el paraíso, porque el otro no entró allá, Estando en la cruz hiciste una virtud muy grande, Longinos era ciego que jamás se vio, Te dio con la lanza en el costado, de donde salió la sangre, Corrió la sangre por el astil abajo, las manos se tuvo que untar, Las alzó arriba, se las llevó a la cara, Abrió sus ojos, miró a todas partes, En ti creyó entonces, por ende se salvó del mal. En el monumento resucitaste y fuiste a los infiernos, Como fue tu voluntad, Quebrantaste las puertas y sacaste a los padres santos. Tú eres Rey de los reyes y de todo el mundo padre, A ti te adoro y en ti creo de toda voluntad, Y ruego a San Pedro que me ayude a rogar Por mi Cid el Campeador, que Dios le cuide del mal, Cuando hoy partamos, en vida haznos juntar.