A Brief History of the Spanish Language

Pharies clearly and concisely charts the evolution of Spanish from its Indo-European roots to its present form... After introductory chapters on what it means to study the history of a language, the concept of linguistic change and the nature of language families, Pharies traces the development of Spanish from its Latin roots... In the core sections of the book readers are treated to an engaging and remarkably succinct presentation of the genealogy and development of the language, including accounts of the structures and peculiarities of Latin, the historical and cultural events that deeply influenced the shaping of the language, the nature of Medieval Spanish, the language myths that have become attached to Spanish, and the development of the language beyond the Iberian Peninsula, especially in the Americas. Focusing on the most important facets of the language's evolution this compact work makes the history of Spanish accessible to anyone with a knowledge of Spanish and a readiness to grasp basic linguistic concepts.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Nonfiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.