Castilian people

Castilians
Castellanos

El Cid Teresa of Ávila Alfonso X John of the Cross Miguel de Cervantes Ponce de León Lope de Vega Duke of Alba Francisco de Quevedo Almagro Lorenzo Hervás Pablo Morillo Isabella I of Castile Fernando Torres Plácido Domingo Andrés Iniesta
Total population
Undefined. At least about 5 million people
Regions with significant populations
Castile
Languages
Spanish language
Religion
Roman Catholicism, Atheism, Agnosticism
Related ethnic groups
Andalusians · Asturians · Leonese · Galicians · Portuguese · Cantabrians · Basques · other Spanish peoples

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Spain Portal

The Castilian people (Spanish: castellanos) are the inhabitants of those regions in Spain where most people identify themselves as Castilian. They include at least Castile-La Mancha, Madrid, and the central and eastern parts of Castile and León. However, not all regions of the medieval Kingdom of Castile think of themselves as Castilian. For this reason, the exact limits of what Castile is today are disputed.

Through the Reconquista and other conquests in the Middle Ages, the Kingdom of Castile (later Crown of Castile) spread over a large part of the Iberian Peninsula, especially towards the southern Spanish regions. After this, since the 15th century, through the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the Castilians also spread over the New World, bringing with them not only their language, but also elements of their culture and traditions.

Language

Castilian (castellano), that is, Spanish, is the native language of the Castilians. Its origin is conventionally ascribed to an area south of the Cordillera Cantábrica, including the upper Ebro valley, in northern Spain, around the 8th and 9th centuries. It is descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, with possible Basque influences. During the Reconquista in the Middle Ages, it was brought to the south of Spain where it replaced the languages that were spoken in the former Moorish controlled zones, such as the local form of related Latin dialects now referred to as Mozarabic, and the Arabic that had been introduced by the Muslims. In this process Castilian absorbed many traits from these languages, some of which continue to be used today. Outside of Spain, Castilian is now usually referred to as Spanish.

Castilian (or Spanish) is the dominant language in Spain, and therefore was the language that was transmitted to the New World by the Conquistadores during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Due to this gradual process, the Hispanophone world was created. As Castilian was the language of the Crown, it became the official language of all Spain, used side by side with other languages in their regions for centuries. During the years of the Franco dictatorship (1939 to 1975) there was an attempt to suppress the regional languages in favour of Castilian as the sole official language, causing a backlash against the use of Castilian in some regions after his death.

In Spanish, the word castellano (Castilian) is often used to refer to the Spanish language, alongside español (Spanish). See Names given to the Spanish language.

See also

People

• Spanish people
• Andalusian people
• Canarian people
• Cantabrian people

Castile

• Castilian Spanish
• Castile (historical region)
• Castile and León
• Castile-La Mancha
• Crown of Castile
• Kingdom of Castile
• Kingdom of León