lingua Hispanica
feminine
In Latin, the term for the Spanish language is lingua Hispanica. Wiktionary also lists lingua Castillana.
Meaning: Romance language of Spain and the Americas (name)
Ways to say it
| Latin | Note |
|---|---|
| lingua Hispanica | feminine |
| lingua Castillana | feminine |
These terms are used to refer to the Romance language of Spain and the Americas.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase lingua Hispanica literally means "Spanish language", composed of lingua (language) and Hispanica (pertaining to Hispania/Spain).
Which one should you use?
While lingua Hispanica refers to the Spanish language in general, lingua Castillana specifically refers to Castilian, the dialectal root of modern Spanish.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions, lingua Castillana is used to express "Spanish" in Latin.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective hispanicus must agree in gender with the noun it modifies: use hispanicus for masculine, hispanica for feminine and hispanicum for neuter nouns.
Did you know?
- Latin serves as the direct ancestor to the language described by lingua Hispanica, meaning the phrase is used to name its own descendant.
- In the Roman Empire, Hispania was the name for the entire Iberian Peninsula, which included what is now Portugal and Spain.
- Ancient Romans may have changed dingua to lingua because it sounded like the verb lingō, which means 'to lick'.
Examples in context
- Lingua Hispanica est soror linguae Gallicae.The Spanish language is sister to the French language.This sentence is useful for illustrating the relationship between the Spanish and French languages using lingua Hispanica.Tatoeba #12078041 by carlosalberto, translation #12078019 by carlosalberto
- In Hispania lingua Hispanica loquuntur.In Spain, one speaks Spanish.
Example conversation
Lucius and Claudia are discussing their studies.
- LuciusQuae lingua est haec, Claudia?Which language is this, Claudia?
- ClaudiaHaec est lingua Hispanica, Luci.This is the Spanish language, Lucius.
- LuciusEstne lingua Hispanica difficilis?Is the Spanish language difficult?
- ClaudiaNon nimis, sed exercitatio necessaria est.Not too much, but practice is necessary.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spanish” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lingua, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
