Discover the Fascinating History of Spanish-Arabic Linguistic Connections

Arabic has had a significant influence on the Spanish language dating back to the Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula between 711 and 1492. The influence is mainly from the large number of Arabic loanwords and derivations in Spanish, plus a few other less obvious effects. The lexical influence of Arabic reached its greatest level during the Christian Reconquista when the Kingdom of Castile conquered large territories from Moorish rulers. The influence of the Arabized Mozarabic and of Arabic itself is more noticeable in the Spanish dialects from regions with a longer history of Moorish domination than those where it was shorter-lived. Spanish words of Arabic origin are common in most varieties of Modern Spanish. It is estimated that there are about one thousand Arabic roots, and approximately three thousand derived words, for a total of around four thousand words or 8% of the Spanish dictionary. The high point of Arabic word use in Spanish was in late medieval times and has declined since then, but hundreds are still used in normal conversation. Arabic has had a significant influence on Spanish vocabulary, and there are thousands of place names derived from Arabic in the Iberian peninsula including provinces and regions, cities, towns, villages, and even neighborhoods and streets.