Spanish language in South America

This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (September 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Spanish language
A manuscript of the Cantar de mio Cid, 13th century
Overview
Pronunciation stress Orthography Names
History
Old Middle Influences
Grammar
Determiners Nouns gender Pronouns personal object Adjectives Prepositions Verbs conjugation irregular verbs
Dialects
Andalusian Andean Argentine Belizean Bolivian Canarian Caribbean Central American Chilean Colombian Costa Rican Cuban Dominican Ecuadorian Equatoguinean Guatemalan Honduran Mexican Murcian New Mexican Nicaraguan Paraguay Panamanian Peninsular Peruvian Philippine status Puerto Rican Rioplatense Saharan Salvadoran Standard Uruguayan Venezuelan
Dialectology
Seseo Yeísmo Voseo Leísmo Loísmo
Interlanguages
Llanito Jopara Judaeo-Spanish Portuñol Spanglish Castrapo Creoles Roquetas Pidgin Chavacano or Chabacano Palenquero or Palenque
Teaching
Hispanism RAE Instituto Cervantes
v t e

The Spanish language in South America varies within the different countries and regions of the continent. The term "South American Spanish" (Spanish: español sudamericano or español suramericano) is sometimes used as a broad name for the dialects of Spanish spoken on the continent, but such a term is only geographical and has little or no linguistic relevance. Spanish is the most widely spoken language of the South American continent, followed closely by Portuguese.

The diverse Spanish dialects of the continent have no unifying feature to set them apart from non-South American varieties. The Spanish of the Andean highlands is historically conservative, having some traits in common with the Spanish of central Mexico, while varieties spoken in Argentina and Venezuela share some phonological innovations with the Spanish spoken on Caribbean islands. In some cases a single South American country—for example Colombia—presents a broad spectrum of conservative and innovative dialects.

• Amazonic Spanish (Mainly in Eastern Peru, also in nearby Ecuador and Southeast Colombia)
• Andean Spanish (Mainly in highlands of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru; also in Southwest Colombia, Northern Chile and Northwest Argentina)
• Caribbean Spanish (Venezuela and the Caribbean coast of Colombia)
• Chilean Spanish
  • Chilote Spanish
  • Cuyo Spanish (A branch of Chilean Spanish spoken in Western Argentina and influenced by Rioplatense Spanish)
• Varieties of Colombian Spanish
• Equatorial Spanish (Pacific coast of Colombia, Ecuador and Northern Peru)
• Paraguayan Spanish (Paraguay, Northeast Argentina and Eastern Bolivia)
• Peruvian Coast Spanish
• Rioplatense Spanish (Coastal Argentina and Uruguay)