# Language in the Canary Islands



## iva

Hello everyone, I'm new on this forum. I currently live in the U.S., but plan to move back to Europe next year. I'm used to living on islands, so I thought that the Canary Islands may be a good fit for me. I first had the Balearics in mind, but then I read that they speak Catalan there and I'm only familiar with Castellano and like this language much better. What language do they speak in the Canaries? Is it similar to the Spanish they speak, say in Madrid or southern Spain? I tried to research this, but could only find information about the local whistling language. 

And then I was also wondering about the current crime rate there. Does anybody live there or visited recently? Has it gone worse since the economic depression? Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated. I know the job situation is pretty bad right now in Spain, but since I'm self-employed (Internet business) and can work from anywhere in the world, I wouldn't have to find a job there.


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## Pesky Wesky

iva said:


> Hello everyone, I'm new on this forum. I currently live in the U.S., but plan to move back to Europe next year. I'm used to living on islands, so I thought that the Canary Islands may be a good fit for me. I first had the Balearics in mind, but then I read that they speak Catalan there and I'm only familiar with Castellano and like this language much better. What language do they speak in the Canaries? Is it similar to the Spanish they speak, say in Madrid or southern Spain? I tried to research this, but could only find information about the local whistling language.
> 
> And then I was also wondering about the current crime rate there. Does anybody live there or visited recently? Has it gone worse since the economic depression? Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated. I know the job situation is pretty bad right now in Spain, but since I'm self-employed (Internet business) and can work from anywhere in the world, I wouldn't have to find a job there.


 
Hello!
I've never been to the Canaries, but I know they DO speak Spanish with almost a South American accent. Of course, there are words and sayings which are only used in the islands, but it's not a different language. There is a whistling language too, where people comminicate over large distances by whistling, but don't worry, you shouldn't need that for day to day communication!!


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## linsell

*Spanish and English*

Spanish and English are both spoken.


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## Joppa

linsell said:


> Spanish and English are both spoken.


And German on Lanzarote!


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## iva

Thanks for your answers. That's good to know that they speak the "regular" Spanish and English as well.


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## xabiaxica

linsell said:


> Spanish and English are both spoken.


is English an official language there?

or is it just that a lot of people speak it?


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## Pesky Wesky

xabiachica said:


> is English an official language there?
> 
> or is it just that a lot of people speak it?


I would be VERY surprised to learn that English is an official language in Spanish territory. I think there are enough problems with Basque Catalan Gallego etc etc

And here's a link to a BBC article about the whistling languageBBC NEWS | Europe | Canary Island whistles again


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## xabiaxica

Pesky Wesky said:


> I would be VERY surprised to learn that English is an official language in Spanish territory. I think there are enough problems with Basque Catalan Gallego etc etc
> 
> And here's a link to a BBC article about the whistling languageBBC NEWS | Europe | Canary Island whistles again


.....and not to forget Valenciano!

I'd be surprised too if it was official - but I've learned not to make assumptions any more where Spain is concerned

I'd never heard of Silbo Gomero

I found a youtube link







that's one I don't think I'll try learning!


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## littleredrooster

iva said:


> Thanks for your answers. That's good to know that they speak the "regular" Spanish and English as well.


Tenerife is probably a safe bet for mainly American style Spanish though you'll have to get used to English,English and also hope you don't meet any Glaswegians.


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## MaidenScotland

I used to have a villa on Lanzarote and so visited there many many times, plus the other islands.
The Spanish that is spoken is a mixture of all dialects as the majority of Spanish who work in restaurants etc are from all over mainland Spain and bring their dialect with them.


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## Sallymarie

iva said:


> Hello everyone, I'm new on this forum. I currently live in the U.S., but plan to move back to Europe next year. I'm used to living on islands, so I thought that the Canary Islands may be a good fit for me. I first had the Balearics in mind, but then I read that they speak Catalan there and I'm only familiar with Castellano and like this language much better. What language do they speak in the Canaries? Is it similar to the Spanish they speak, say in Madrid or southern Spain? I tried to research this, but could only find information about the local whistling language.
> 
> And then I was also wondering about the current crime rate there. Does anybody live there or visited recently? Has it gone worse since the economic depression? Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated. I know the job situation is pretty bad right now in Spain, but since I'm self-employed (Internet business) and can work from anywhere in the world, I wouldn't have to find a job there.


Hiya,

I live in Fuerteventura so can only speak for here. Spanish is spoken here with perhaps a harsher accent than the mainland. My Mum lives in Murcia and it takes her a few days for her ear to tune into the accent.

Crime rate is very low on this Island although we have had an increase in theft due to the current crisis.

Toursim has been very slow but is gradually picking up. This makes work hard to come by.

Although we are trying to move to the mainland, Fuerteventura is a fabulous place to live. The people are wonderful, the place magic and the weather brilliant.

If I can be of any further assistance let me know.

Sally


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## AlexBramwell

Spanish is the official language in the Canary Islands. English is widely spoken in the resorts but not so much in the towns and cities. 

Canarian Spanish is like South American Spanish. We don't change the S and C sounds to a TH, and use words like guagua for bus and papa for potato. The vosotros tense is ever used here.

The Canary Islands are a very safe place to live and to visit. Unless you are staggering about drunk in the wee hours you are very unlikely to get mugged. 

If you work via the internet then the good news is that you can get decent internet connections in most towns these days.


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## xabiaxica

AlexBramwell said:


> Spanish is the official language in the Canary Islands. English is widely spoken in the resorts but not so much in the towns and cities.
> 
> Canarian Spanish is like South American Spanish. We don't change the S and C sounds to a TH, and use words like guagua for bus and papa for potato. The vosotros tense is ever used here.
> 
> The Canary Islands are a very safe place to live and to visit. Unless you are staggering about drunk in the wee hours you are very unlikely to get mugged.
> 
> If you work via the internet then the good news is that you can get decent internet connections in most towns these days.


we say 'papas' for potatoes too


and vosotros isn't a tense - it's a conjugation


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## AlexBramwell

The funniest mistranslation I have ever seen was in a Las Palmas menu:

"Papas arrugadas" translated as "wrinkly popes".


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## Guest

xabiachica said:


> we say 'papas' for potatoes too
> 
> and vosotros isn't a tense - it's a conjugation


In the canaries Spanish is spoken, if TVe is to be believed.

I was going to ask this question as well - what other word is there for papa, patata or what?

But really people, you are so euro-centric! 'American' spanish contains many localisms and accents, not to mention the 50 odd languages spoken in mesoamerica alone - which affect the Spanish spoken there. 

The south of Spain is where people eat some letters - un coco, unos coco. :confused2: Which I associate more with the Caribbean. I've heard a couple of different theories on this.

I have never been to the canaries but the TV coverage there and my spanish friends indicates this phenomenon is even more pronounced in the canaries. And people from about the latitude of Madrid northward can be snobs about it!


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## xabiaxica

bobería said:


> In the canaries Spanish is spoken, if TVe is to be believed.
> 
> I was going to ask this question as well - what other word is there for papa, patata or what?
> 
> But really people, you are so euro-centric! 'American' spanish contains many localisms and accents, not to mention the 50 odd languages spoken in mesoamerica alone - which affect the Spanish spoken there.
> 
> The south of Spain is where people eat some letters - un coco, unos coco. :confused2: Which I associate more with the Caribbean. I've heard a couple of different theories on this.
> 
> I have never been to the canaries but the TV coverage there and my spanish friends indicates this phenomenon is even more pronounced in the canaries. And people from about the latitude of Madrid northward can be snobs about it!


of course Castellano is spoken all over Spain - & of course there are regional variations in accent & vocabulary - there isn't a different language 'down south' as much as a different accent & pronunciation of some letters, and a variation of vocabulary

a dictionary will translate 'potoatoes' as 'patatas' - but in many areas they will be known as 'papas' - & there are too many other examples to go into

some parts of Spain though also have a local language - where I live they also speak Valenciano

other official languages are Catalán, Gallego & Euskera, & also Asturleonés which is recognised but not 'official'

I don't know where the euro-centric comment comes in - yes I know what it means - but since we are IN Spain & talking ABOUT Spain & not any other Spanish-speaking country _of course _we will talk about the Spanish we speak here - the Spanish spoken anywhere else is immaterial


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## xabiaxica

ooh & I forgot this one - specifically a Canaries language - El Silbo Gomero


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