The Galician Language

The beautifully soft and melodic Galician language might sound no different from Spanish to those who don’t speak either one, but it is much older and is closer to the original Latin root from which both languages developed. It also retains some influences of the languages spoken by the Central European settlers who established themselves in Galicia over the centuries.

When looking for landmarks, take into account the fact that signs can be either in Galician or in Spanish. For example:

- The word “street” is “calle” in Spanish, “rúa” in Galician, or “ruela” if very small.

- The word “plaza” (“square” in British English) is “plaza” in Spanish, “praza” in Galician.

- The word “church” is “iglesia” in Spanish, “igrexa” in Galician.

The names of some towns and geographical locations also change. For example:

- Cape Finisterre is “Finisterre” in Spanish, “Fisterra” in Galician.

- The letter “j” in Spanish usually becomes “x” in Galician; thus, the “Street of Jerusalem” in Compostela is called “Calle de Jerusalén” in Spanish, “Ruela de Xerusalén” in Galician.

- The Spanish articles “el” or “la” (meaning “the”) become “o” and “a” in Galician; thus, “La Coruña” in Spanish becomes “A Coruña” in Galician.

- The genders of nouns often change. For example, “the Roman bridge” is “el puente romano” in Spanish, and “a ponte romana” in Galician.

- The double “L” in Spanish becomes a single “L” in Galician; thus, the Galician language is called gallego in Spanish, and galego in Galician.

- The word “dos” in Galician means “of the,” unlike in Spanish where it means “two.” Thus, the Hostal dos Reís Católicos means the “Hotel of the Catholic Monarchs.”