Languages of Texas

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Of the languages spoken in Texas, none has been designated the official language. As of 2020, 64.9% of residents spoke only English at home, while 28.8% spoke Spanish at home. [1] Throughout the history of Texas, English and Spanish have at one time or another been the primary dominant language used by government officials, with German recognized as a minority language from statehood until the first World War. Prior to European colonization, several indigenous languages were spoken in what is now Texas, including Caddoan, Na-Dené and Uto-Aztecan languages.

Contents

Official language status

Texas currently does not have an official language, although historically there have been laws giving both official status and recognition to English, Spanish, German and Norwegian.

In 1834, Degree No. 270 of Coahuila y Tejas gave both English and Spanish official status in Texas. [2] In 1836, the Provisional Government of Texas, in establishing the Judiciary of Texas, provided that Court of Records may be in English. [3]

In 1837, the Congress of the Republic of Texas passed a joint resolution directing the Secretary of State provide an official Spanish translation of general laws, [4] and the act of congress incorporating the City of San Antonio provided that public schools be erected that taught in English, [5] later in 1841 the Spanish Language law was suspended [6] for one year until being reenacted in 1842 [7]

In 1846, the newly admitted State of Texas enacted legislation required that the laws of Texas be translated into German in addition to Spanish. [6]

In 1856, an act was passed allowed for legal proceedings in Justice of the Peace courts in counties west of the Guadalupe River (excluding Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio) to be conducted solely in Spanish if the Judge and all parties spoke Spanish. [8]

In 1858, an act was passed requiring public schools teach primarily in English.; [9] In the same year the law requiring the translation of Texas criminal law was briefly extended to Norwegian for two years. [10]

In 1893, State law was passed requiring all public schools to teach exclusively in English. [11]

In 1925, it was made a criminal offense to give instruction in Spanish in Public schools, this law was amended in 1927 to allow Spanish instruction in Elementary schools located in counties bordering Mexico with at least one city of 5,000 population. [12]

Nevertheless, English (specifically, American English) is the language used for legislation, regulations, executive orders, treaties, education, federal court rulings, and all other official pronouncements; Spanish is also heavily spoken in Texas due to the large number of Tejanos, Mexicans and other local and foreign Spanish-speakers.[ citation needed ] The Government of Texas has been required since 1837 by joint resolution of the Congress of the Republic of Texas to provide Spanish translation of laws through Section 2054.116 of the Government Code, mandates that state agencies provide information on their website in Spanish to assist residents who have limited English, [13] and the Secretary of State since January 1842 French, German, Czech, and Polish are strong minority languages due to several old communities hailing from their respective mother countries. French is most prevalent in Northeastern Texas, near Louisiana, understandably while Southwestern Louisiana Creole language is spoken in Southeastern Texas (Houston, Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange). German, Polish, Sorbian, and Czech are mainly spoken in Central Texas, mainly near San Antonio and Austin.

History

Tombstone in Dallas. Facts in English, but Bible verse in German English-German tombstone in Texas.jpg
Tombstone in Dallas. Facts in English, but Bible verse in German

Native American languages

Prior to Spanish colonization, several Native American languages such as Caddo, the language from which the state derives its name (i.e. táysha’ /tɑ́iʃɑ̀ʔ/ “friend, ally”), were spoken in present-day Texas. A few of those languages were unique to Texas, with no relatives documented elsewhere, such as Tonkawa, Karankawa, Atakapa, and Aranama, all of which became extinct. Other language isolates such as Coahuilteco and Cotoname, sometimes grouped under Pakawan, were once spoken in Southern Texas.

Other Caddoan languages such as Wichita and Kitsai were also spoken in Northeast Texas before speakers were forced to relocate to Oklahoma. Comanche had once an important presence in the state, as did Lipan Apache, which is still spoken near the border with Mexico. Additionally, the Muskogean language Koasati has a few speakers in Livingston in Polk County.[ citation needed ] In the 17th century, speakers of Southern Tiwa relocated to Ysleta del Sur near El Paso, after the Pueblo Revolt.

European languages

Spanish was the first European language to be used in Texas, especially during the years when Texas was a province of Mexico and Spanish was the official language. Other early immigrants arriving directly from Europe such as Germans, Poles, Czechs, [14] and Sorbs [15] (also called Wends) also brought their own languages, sometimes establishing separate towns where their native tongues became the dominant language. Texas German and Texas Silesian are varieties of German and Silesian, a language closely related to Polish, that are indigenous to Texas. Today the dominant language in Texas, as in most states of the United States, is English.

Creole languages

There once were speakers of Louisiana Creole in the area around Beaumont, Houston, Port Arthur, and Galveston, but it is unclear whether there are still any speakers in Texas. [16] [17]

Afro-Seminole Creole, a dialect of Gullah spoken by Black Seminoles, was spoken in Brackettville as recently as the 1970s, but all speakers at that time were elderly and it is not known whether any speakers survive. [18]

Texan English

Contrary to popular belief, there is no exclusive Texan dialect of American English. However, some linguists contest that there is a unique subset of Southern English spoken in Texas. [19] According to the Phonological Atlas of the University of Pennsylvania virtually all native Texans speak [20] Southern American English, while other studies claim that Texas is home to several dialects of American English. All of East Texas and usually most of central and north Texas are classified as speaking the Southern dialect, which is the same dialect being spoken in north Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, and northern Alabama. Usually it is portions of far West Texas and lower South Texas that are classified as speaking a Western or Southwestern dialect. According to the University of Tampere atlas, the same Southwestern dialect is spoken in South and West Texas and southern California, extreme southern Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. [21] The Gulf Southern dialect is spoken in most of Central, East, and North Texas with the Texas Panhandle speaking the Midland South dialect, which is shared by those who live in Kansas, Missouri, and Southern Nebraska. [21]

Other languages

Recent immigrants from other US regions and foreign countries are causing a linguistic shift in Texas. Spanish speakers have risen to almost a third of the population; Vietnamese and Chinese [22] have replaced German and French to become the third and fourth most spoken languages in Texas, respectively; with Hindi, Korean, Kurdish especially from Abtaf, from the Asad Beig tribe , and Tagalog filling out the top nine most spoken languages in Texas. [22] Large numbers of non-native Texas residents are picking up some dialectal traits of Southern English, [23] while other linguistic traits are being subdued into a national homogenizing trend. [23]

There were also several smaller language groups, including Czechs (several thousands Moravians) and Polish. Texas German is a dialect of the German language that is spoken by descendants of German immigrants who settled in the Texas Hill Country region in the mid-19th century. [24]

Spanish in Texas

Spanish has been an important language in Texas since the Spanish and Mexican periods. The Spanish dialects spoken by some Tejanos are becoming more influenced by Mexican Spanish [ citation needed ] due to a large influx of recent immigrants from Mexico. One remnant of 18th and 19th-century Texan Spanish could be found in the community of Moral, west of Nacogdoches, which historically spoke a variety of Sabine River Spanish.

In 1999 Rene Oliveira proposed a bill that would require all state high school students to take at least two years of Spanish; at that time actual state law stated that students could choose which foreign language to take. [25] Did it pass?

In 2003 larger numbers of Hispanics in Texas reported that they spoke only English. [26] In August 2004, the community of El Cenizo, along the U.S.-Mexico border, made Spanish its official language. [27]

Since 2007 Texas has provided yearly academic tests in both Spanish and English. [28]

Asian languages

As of 2014, Vietnamese is the third most commonly spoken language, [29] Chinese is the fourth most commonly spoken language, and Hindi is the fifth most commonly spoken language in the state. [30] Tagalog is sixth place, and is mostly spoken in small Filipino American communities in Houston. [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of the United States</span>

The United States does not have an official language at the federal level, but the most commonly used language is English, which is the de facto national language. In addition, 32 U.S. states out of 50 and all five U.S. territories have declared English as an official language. The majority of the U.S. population (77.5%) speaks only English at home as of 2023. The remainder of the population speaks many other languages at home, most notably Spanish, according to the American Community Survey (ACS) of the U.S. Census Bureau; others include indigenous languages originally spoken by Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and native populations in the U.S. unincorporated territories. Other languages were brought in by people from Europe, Africa, Asia, other parts of the Americas, and Oceania, including multiple dialects, creole languages, pidgin languages, and sign languages originating in what is now the United States. Interlingua, an international auxiliary language, was also created in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas German language</span> German dialects of south-central Texas

Texas German is a group of German language dialects spoken by descendants of mid-19th century German settlers, Texas Germans. They settled the Texas German Country, running from Houston to the Hills Region, and founded the towns of Bulverde, New Braunfels, Fredericksburg, Boerne, Pflugerville, Walburg and Comfort in the Texas Hill Country; Muenster in North Texas; and Schulenburg, Brenham, Industry, New Ulm and Weimar in East Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spanish language in the United States</span>

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States. Over 43.4 million people aged five or older speak Spanish at home (13.7%). Spanish is also the most learned language other than English, with about 8 million students. Estimates count up to 58.9 million native speakers, heritage language speakers, and second-language speakers. There is an Academy of the Spanish Language located in the United States as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spanish-based creole languages</span> Creole language family

A Spanish creole, or Spanish-based creole language, is a creole language for which Spanish serves as its substantial lexifier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of the Philippines</span>

There are some 130 to 195 languages spoken in the Philippines, depending on the method of classification. Almost all are Malayo-Polynesian languages native to the archipelago. A number of Spanish-influenced creole varieties generally called Chavacano along with some local varieties of Chinese are also spoken in certain communities. The 1987 constitution designates Filipino, a standardized version of Tagalog, as the national language and an official language along with English. Filipino is regulated by Commission on the Filipino Language and serves as a lingua franca used by Filipinos of various ethnolinguistic backgrounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sul Ross State University</span> Public university in Alpine, Texas

Sul Ross State University (SRSU) is a public university in Alpine, Texas. The main campus is the primary institution of higher education serving the nineteen-county Big Bend region of far West Texas. Branch campuses, branded as Rio Grande College, are located in Del Rio, Uvalde, Eagle Pass, and Castroville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana Creole</span> French-based creole in Louisiana

Louisiana Creole is a French-based creole language spoken by fewer than 10,000 people, mostly in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Also known as Kouri-Vini, it is spoken today by people who may racially identify as white, black, mixed, and Native American, as well as Cajun and Creole. It should not be confused with its sister language, Louisiana French, a dialect of the French language. Many Louisiana Creoles do not speak the Louisiana Creole language and may instead use French or English as their everyday languages.

The Convention of 1832 was the first political gathering of colonists in Mexican Texas. Delegates sought reforms from the Mexican government and hoped to quell the widespread belief that settlers in Texas wished to secede from Mexico. The convention was the first in a series of unsuccessful attempts at political negotiation that eventually led to the Texas Revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afro-Seminole Creole</span> Creole spoken in Southern US

Afro-Seminole Creole (ASC) is a dialect of Gullah spoken by Black Seminoles in scattered communities in Oklahoma, Texas, and Northern Mexico.

Hans Peter Mareus Neilsen Gammel was an author and bookseller. He served as editor and publisher of a series of books reporting Texas legislation enacted by each congressional and legislative session. His first publication consisted of 10 volumes and covered 75 years of Texas legal history. The Laws of Texas 1822-1897 has long been a primary resource for the study of Texas legal history during the Nineteenth Century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Mexico</span>

The Constitution of Mexico does not declare an official language; however, Spanish is the de facto national language spoken by over 99% of the population making it the largest Spanish speaking country in the world. Due to the cultural influence of the United States, American English is widely understood, especially in border states and tourist regions, with a hybridization of Spanglish spoken. The government also recognizes 63 indigenous languages spoken in their communities out of respect, including Nahuatl, Mayan, Mixtec, etc.

Quitman Independent School District is an Independent school district based in Quitman, Texas.

The languages of North America reflect not only that continent's indigenous peoples, but the European colonization as well. The most widely spoken languages in North America are English, Spanish, and to a lesser extent French, and especially in the Caribbean, creole languages lexified by them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Nicaragua</span>

The official language of Nicaragua is Spanish; however, Nicaraguans on the Caribbean coast speak indigenous languages and also English. The communities located on the Caribbean coast also have access to education in their native languages. Additionally, Nicaragua has four extinct indigenous languages.

Texan English is the array of American English dialects spoken in Texas, primarily falling under Southern U.S. English. As one nationwide study states, the typical Texan accent is a "Southern accent with a twist". The "twist" refers to inland Southern U.S., older coastal Southern U.S., and South Midland U.S. accents mixing together, due to Texas's settlement history, as well as some lexical (vocabulary) influences from Mexican Spanish. In fact, there is no single accent that covers all of Texas and few dialect features are unique to Texas alone. The newest and most innovative Southern U.S. accent features are best reported in Lubbock, Odessa, somewhat Houston and variably Dallas, though general features of this same dialect are found throughout the state, with several exceptions: Abilene and somewhat Austin, Corpus Christi, and El Paso appear to align more with Midland U.S. accents than Southern ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Court of the Republic of Texas</span>

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Texas was the court of last resort for legal matters in the Republic of Texas from the Republic's independence from Mexico in 1836 until its annexation by the United States of America in 1846. The current Supreme Court of Texas was established that year.

Peters Colony is a name applied to four empresario land grant contracts first by the Republic of Texas and then the State of Texas for settlement in North Texas. The contracts were signed by groups of American and English investors originally headed by William Smalling Peters. Samuel Browning, Peters' son-in-law signed the first contract with the Republic of Texas in Austin on August 30, 1841. Ownership of the empresario company changed many times during the life of the contracts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portuguese-speaking world</span>

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References

  1. ↑ "Explore Census Data".
  2. ↑ Neilsen, Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus (25 November 1898). "The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 1". The Portal to Texas History.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ Neilsen, Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus (25 November 1898). "The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 1". The Portal to Texas History.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ State., Texas (Republic). Secretary of (25 November 2018). "Laws of the Republic of Texas, in two volumes. Volume 02". The Portal to Texas History.
  5. ↑ Neilsen, Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus (25 November 1898). "The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 1". The Portal to Texas History.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. 1 2 Neilsen, Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus (25 November 1898). "The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 2". The Portal to Texas History.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Neilsen, Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus (25 November 1898). "The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 2". The Portal to Texas History.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ Neilsen, Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus (25 November 1898). "The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 4". The Portal to Texas History.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Neilsen, Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus (25 November 1898). "The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 4". The Portal to Texas History.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ Neilsen, Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus (25 November 1898). "The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 4". The Portal to Texas History.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Neilsen, Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus (25 November 1898). "The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897 Volume 10". The Portal to Texas History.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ Neilsen, Gammel, Hans Peter Mareus (25 November 2018). "The Laws of Texas, 1927 [Volume 25]". The Portal to Texas History.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ "Sec. 2054.001." Texas Legislature. Retrieved on June 27, 2010.
  14. ↑ Cope, Lida. 2016. Texas Czech Legacy Project: Documenting the past and Present for the Future. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 238:105-126.
  15. ↑ Malinkowa, Trudla. 2009. Shores of Hope: Wends of Overseas. Austin: Concordia University Press.
  16. ↑ Wendte, N.A (2018). "Language and Identity Among Louisiana Creoles in Southeast Texas: Initial Observations". Southern Journal of Linguistics. 42: 1–16.
  17. ↑ Wendte, N. A. (2020). Creole - a Louisiana label in a Texas Context. New Orleans, LA: Lulu Press, Inc. ISBN   978-1-716-64756-7. OCLC   1348382332.
  18. ↑ Hancock, Ian (March 28, 2014). "Creoles in Texas – "The Afro-Seminoles"". Kreol Magazine. Retrieved 2024-12-03. Archived January 28, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ "Do You Speak American . Sea to Shining Sea . American Varieties . Texan - PBS". www.pbs.org.
  20. ↑ "South Regional Map". www.ling.upenn.edu.
  21. 1 2 "Introduction to American English, Department of Translation Studies, University of Tampere". Archived from the original on 2006-06-29. Retrieved 2006-05-08.
  22. 1 2 languageline.com Languages Spoken in Texas Archived 2006-03-22 at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
  23. 1 2 "American Varieties: Southern". PBS .
  24. ↑ Boas, Hans C. (2009). The Life and Death of Texas German. Publication of the American Dialect Society. Duke University Press. ISBN   9780822367161.
  25. ↑ "Bill would require students in Texas to learn Spanish." The Victoria Advocate . 53rd year, No. 298. March 1, 1999. p.1. Retrieved on September 10, 2012.
  26. ↑ Cantú, Hector. "Language shift speaks volumes More Texas Hispanics report English as their only tongue." The Dallas Morning News . September 1, 2003. Retrieved on September 10, 2012.
  27. ↑ Neuliep, James W. Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach. SAGE, November 6, 2008. 7. Retrieved from Google Books on September 10, 2012. ISBN   1412967708, 9781412967709.
  28. ↑ "Spanish TAKS test is a 'big step". Houston Chronicle. February 21, 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  29. ↑ Railey, Kimberley. "Cornyn aims to draw Vietnamese-Americans to GOP" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News . July 7, 2014. Retrieved on September 22, 2014.
  30. 1 2 Railey, Kimberley. "Cornyn seeks to lure Chinese Americans to GOP" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News . September 3, 2014. Retrieved on September 22, 2014.
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