‘Mexican’ is not a language: Spanish is spoken

‘Mexican’ is not a language: Spanish is spoken in Mexico

Can there be such a thing as a ‘Mexican’ language? No. What is spoken in Mexico is Spanish, with variations in vocabulary and pronunciation that are insufficient to constitute a separate language. The issue flares up when one participant quotes the assertion that ‘Mexican’ is the fourth language, and others reject it. From there, the conversation drifts into disputes about ownership and politics.

Does ‘Mexican’ exist as a language?

No, it does not. What is spoken in Mexico is Spanish, with variations that do not form a separate language. The Quijote is mentioned in the thread as a central work of that language. The discussion about the name—Castilian, Spanish, Mexican—runs through the thread.

How many words does Latin America add to Castilian?

The calculation used in the conversation is that Castilian has around 100,000 words, of which between 5,000 and 10,000 are used in daily speech, and between 20,000 and 30,000 are managed by a cultured speaker. Latin America—not just Mexico—would add about 10,000 more, almost all of which are colloquialisms. The analogy that circulates is: adding dice to the rearview mirror doesn't convert a car into another model.

Where is Spanish spoken besides Spain?

The thread mentions Mexico, with a figure thrown out of 150 million people. Equatorial Guinea also appears in a question about how the ‘Mexican’ got there. And an anecdote: a traveler recalls seeing the safety sign of an airplane in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and ‘Brazilian’.

The underlying conflict: Hispanity, empire, and migration

Beneath the linguistic matter lies a political discussion. One participant defends the bond through common language and maintains that the capital of this imaginary community would not be in Madrid, but in Mexico City. Another rejects such closeness and asserts that a mutual rejection exists which is impossible to digest. Neither provides surveys: these are positions, not measurements.

The migratory issue intersects through the middle. Some claim that in 2025 more Latin Americans have entered Spain than Jovenlandeses in 700 years, an assertion made without statistical series to support it. The linguistic discussion devolves into a debate about migration.

In the thread, the disagreement is not settled on any point: neither on the number of speakers, nor on the name of the language, nor on who has the right to decide about it.

In the end, there remains an open discussion regarding the name of the language, its ownership, and national pride.