The term "Spanish" ...from where? (country, places, people)

[Catbelle]

I have been in USA twice and I was surprised most of the time about the same thing, the real meaning for people about the term Spanish person my question it is always from this kind of conversations:

Are you Spanish?
Yes I am.
From where?
The central area next to the capital
No, I meant from what country?
Spain...

And also I have a friend who told me he has a Spanish workmate, I asked him from where and he told me from Guayaquil (Equator)

My question and my surprise is: why some people don't make difference and call Spanish to all people who is native Spanish speaker? Does this happen in many places? Does it have something to do with language or terminology?

It is a mess as Latin America is quite big.

Thanks guys.

[chascarrillo]

At the beginning I was surprised also, eventually I've noticed that when they speak about Spanish they refer to someone who speaks that language, and when is someone from Spain is spaniard.

Now I use that distinction too.

[ABQConvict]

In New Mexico, many people make a distinction between 'Spanish', being reserved for the descendants of Spanish settlers, and 'Mexican' for people from Mexico or with Mexican heritage. Obviously those who call themselves 'Spanish' are from the United States but have cultural ties closer to Spain than Mexico. We have been visited by the king of Spain more times in the last 20 years than the president of Mexico :-)

Other places I have lived such as New York tend to use 'Hispanic' or 'Latino', reserving the word 'Spanish' for a language, not a culture.

I think maybe in some parts of the world with few Spanish speakers, European or Latin American, 'Spanish' may be a catchall term.

[yodel]

I found it wierd when I first heard people use "Spanish" not referring to Spaniards. I guess I'm used to it by now because I've found myself saying it at times. Do people outside of the US also use Spanish in this way? I've only heard it here.

[theunbrainwashed]

I think most Americans ask about if you are Spanish because they know about the Spanish language, but most don't know that Spanish comes from Spain, more Americans think Spanish comes from Mexico and not Spain. People ask me if I'm Spanish, I say yes because I am ethnically Spanish, but I come from Puerto Rico, USA.

[virulentpeach]

I only use "Spanish" to describe people from Spain. I refer to people from other countries that speak Spanish as whatever the country is (Guatemalan, Mexican, Cuban, etc.) or "Hispanic" if I want to know if they are Latin American.

[Smtchll]

You hear it in the Northeast a lot, usually referring to Puerto Ricans & Dominicans. You might also hear "Latin"

I think it the rest of the country you'll mostly hear "Hispanic" and "Latino" I never hear anyone use "Spanish" in that way here in the South

[Catbelle]

Originally Posted by theunbrainwashed

I think most Americans ask about if you are Spanish because they know about the Spanish language, but most don't know that Spanish comes from Spain, more Americans think Spanish comes from Mexico and not Spain. People ask me if I'm Spanish, I say yes because I am ethnically Spanish, but I come from Puerto Rico, USA.

I am not sure if Spanish can be considered an ethnic apart from a nationality, in your case we say Puerto Rican, and also I think in Puerto Rico is not the same ethnic as in Spain but I don't know you so I don't know you case lol.

This thread becomes interesting.

Originally Posted by virulentpeach

I only use "Spanish" to describe people from Spain. I refer to people from other countries that speak Spanish as whatever the country is (Guatemalan, Mexican, Cuban, etc.) or "Hispanic" if I want to know if they are Latin American.

Yeah exactly, it is what I do (and people do here) we say Equatorian, Peruvian, Argentinian, etc... and if we are not sure we say SouthAmerican.

[Geggo]

Originally Posted by yodel

Do people outside of the US also use Spanish in this way?

In Germany and probably in the rest of Europe Spanish only refers to
- someone from Spain, never from other Spanish-speaking parts of the world
- the language which Spanish people refer to as Castellano.

[ABQConvict]

Originally Posted by theunbrainwashed

I think most Americans ask about if you are Spanish because they know about the Spanish language, but most don't know that Spanish comes from Spain, more Americans think Spanish comes from Mexico and not Spain. People ask me if I'm Spanish, I say yes because I am ethnically Spanish, but I come from Puerto Rico, USA.

You really need to start hanging out with people who did not drop out of school in the 8th grade. I don't think I have met a person who thought Spanish came from Mexico and not Spain who was not a very young child.