Skip to main content

A brief history of Spanish - Ilan Stavans

440,115 Views

6,574 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Beginning in the third century BCE, the Romans conquered the Iberian peninsula. This period gave rise to several regional languages in the area that’s now Spain, including Castilian, Catalan, and Galician. One of these would become Spanish— but not for another 1,500 years. Those years tell the origin story of what’s become a global modern language. Ilan Stavans traces the evolution of Spanish.

What role have dictionaries played in the history of Spanish?

Sign in to answer question

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Ilan Stavans
  • Director Hernando Bahamon
  • Narrator Ilan Stavans
  • Composer Manuel Borda
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Associate Producer Abdallah Ewis

More from Playing with Language