Canary Islands

 

Canary Islands

 
Language
The official language is Castilian Spanish, and this is what is taught in the schools. That spoken on the streets is South American Spanish, though to be strictly correct, Latin American Spanish should be termed Canarian Spanish. Many of those who emigrated to Latin America originally came from the Canary Islands, and the Canaries still retain very strong links with South America. The language spoken on the streets also has a high proportion of Guanche words, though it is a mystery as to how the Guanches, a race who pre-date the Spanish conquest, had a word for bus - guagua.

The incorporation of the Canary Islands into the kingdom of Castile began in 1385 and reached completion at the end of the 15th century. Andalusians appear to have had a pre-eminent role in both the subjugation of the Islands (including the elimination of the native Guanche population) and the establishment of the new civic, religious and political apparatus. Las Palmas, for example, fell under the same fuero or political charter as Seville. Documents from the Colonial period frequently contain injunctions from local magistrates or government officials to conduct business according to Sevillian precedents.
 
The connections with Andalusia continued for centuries; in particular the Canaries were crucial stepping-stones on the flotilla routes that linked Andalusian ports to the Caribbean . Not surprisingly, then, Canary Island Spanish has developed along very similar lines to Andalusian Spanish.
 
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