Editing Spanish language (section)

== Name of the language and etymology ==
{{Main|Names given to the Spanish language}}

=== Name of the language ===
In Spain and some other parts of the Spanish-speaking world, Spanish is called not only {{lang|es|[[wikt:español#Spanish|español]]}} but also {{lang|es|[[wikt:castellano#Spanish|castellano]]}} (Castilian), the language from the [[Kingdom of Castile]], contrasting it with other [[languages of Spain|languages spoken in Spain]] such as [[Galician language|Galician]], [[Basque language|Basque]], [[Asturian language|Asturian]], [[Catalan language|Catalan/Valencian]], [[Aragonese language|Aragonese]], [[Occitan language|Occitan]] and other minor languages.

The [[Spanish Constitution of 1978]] uses the term {{lang|es|castellano}} to define the [[official language]] of the whole of Spain, in contrast to {{lang|es|las demás lenguas españolas}} ({{lit|the other [[languages of Spain|Spanish languages]]}}). Article III reads as follows:

{{blockquote|{{lang|es|El castellano es la lengua española oficial del Estado.&nbsp;... Las demás lenguas españolas serán también oficiales en las respectivas Comunidades Autónomas...}}<br />
Castilian is the official Spanish language of the State.&nbsp;... The other Spanish languages shall also be official in their respective Autonomous Communities...}}

The [[Real Academia Española|Royal Spanish Academy]] ({{Lang|es|Real Academia Española}}), on the other hand, currently uses the term {{lang|es|español}} in its publications. However, from 1713 to 1923, it called the language {{lang|es|castellano}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Problemas de la lengua española (I): La lengua, los niveles y la norma {{!}} Fundación Juan March |url=https://www.march.es/es/madrid/conferencia/problemas-lengua-espanola-i-lengua-niveles-norma |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=www.march.es |language=es}}</ref>

The {{lang|es|[[Diccionario panhispánico de dudas]]}} (a language guide published by the Royal Spanish Academy) states that, although the Royal Spanish Academy prefers to use the term {{lang|es|español}} in its publications when referring to the Spanish language, both terms—{{lang|es|español}} and {{lang|es|castellano}}—are regarded as synonymous and equally valid.<ref>Diccionario panhispánico de dudas, 2005, p.&nbsp;271–272.</ref>

===Etymology===
The term {{lang|es|castellano}} is related to [[Kingdom of Castile|Castile]] ({{lang|es|Castilla}} or archaically {{lang|osp|Castiella}}), the kingdom where the language was originally spoken. The name ''Castile'', in turn, is usually assumed to be derived from {{lang|es|castillo}} ('castle').

In the [[Middle Ages]], the language spoken in Castile was generically referred to as {{lang|es|Romance}} and later also as {{lang|es|Lengua vulgar}}.<ref name="espania" /> Later in the period, it gained geographical specification as {{lang|es|Romance castellano}} ({{Lang|es|romanz castellano}}, {{Lang|es|romanz de Castiella}}), {{Lang|es|lenguaje de Castiella}}, and ultimately simply as {{lang|es|castellano}} (noun).<ref name="espania">{{Cite journal|title=De nuevo sobre los nombres medievales de la lengua de Castilla|first=Rafael|last=Cano Aguilar|doi=10.4000/e-spania.22518|journal=E-Spania|year=2013|volume=15 |issue=15|doi-access=free| issn = 1951-6169}}</ref>

Different etymologies have been suggested for the term {{lang|es|español}} (Spanish). According to the Royal Spanish Academy, {{lang|es|español}} derives from the [[Occitan language|Occitan]] word {{Lang|oc|espaignol}} and that, in turn, derives from the [[Vulgar Latin]] *{{lang|la|hispaniolus}} ('of Hispania').<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dle.rae.es/?id=GUSX1EQ |title=español, la |work=Diccionario de la lengua española |publisher=Real Academia Espańola |access-date=13 July 2021 |url-status=live |archive-date=24 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424193620/http://dle.rae.es/?id=GUSX1EQ}}</ref> [[Hispania]] was the Roman name for the entire [[Iberian Peninsula]].

There are other hypotheses apart from the one suggested by the Royal Spanish Academy. Spanish philologist [[Ramón Menéndez Pidal]] suggested that the classic {{lang|la|hispanus}} or {{lang|la|hispanicus}} took the suffix {{Lang|la|-one}} from [[Vulgar Latin]], as happened with other words such as {{lang|es|bretón}} (Breton) or {{lang|es|sajón}} (Saxon).