The Dialects of Spanish
A Lexical Introduction

The first of its kind, this book analyses the origin, diversity, and geographic distribution of a range of Spanish words.

Travis D. Sorenson (Author)

9781108831789, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 8 April 2021

300 pages
24 x 16 x 2.5 cm, 0.5 kg

'The book is an excellent addition to the literature of Spanish dialectology, and I celebrate its author for the extensive research he put into it.' Patricia Gubitosi, Hispania

Spanish is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world, and there is extensive lexical variation between its numerous dialects. This book, the first of its kind, focuses uniquely on the origin, diversity, and geographic distribution of portions of the lexicon. The hundreds of words analysed – related to food, clothing, vehicles, and certain miscellaneous items – provide a representative study not only of the many etymological routes by which they have entered the Spanish language over time, but of the considerable diatopic variety which they display across the different Spanish-speaking nations and regions. Representative maps are provided to illustrate several instances of these astounding dialectal differences. This variation is also discussed in terms of its evident link to the historical developments of Spanish. Providing a compelling overview of lexical variety in the Spanish-speaking world, this book will interest anyone who wants to delve into the richness of this fascinating language.

Introduction
1. Food-related items
2. Clothing and accessory items
3. Motor vehicle-related items
4. Miscellaneous items
5. Discussion and conclusions
Maps
Glossary of technical terms used in the text
References
Word index (English-Spanish).

Subject Areas: Lexicography [CFM], Dialect, slang & jargon [CFFD], Linguistics [CF]