Spanish in the Maghreb. A new variety?

Abstract

The Spanish spoken in the Maghreb has not yet been defined as a variety and, although the linguistic phenomena of this region are known, no studies have addressed the extent of their diffusion. While studies exist on ethnographic, lexical or code-switching aspects, there is lack of in-depth research examining the dialect features of Spanish in the region. This article provides an account of the Spanish spoken in northern Africa, based on fieldwork in which spontaneous oral samples from over hundred speakers were collected. The results reveal the considerable (socio)linguistic complexity of this area and also show the existence of a variety, called Maghrebí Spanish, which exhibits a series of specific phonetic, morphological and syntactic characteristics.