The dissemination of information about the Canarian dialect aims to strengthen speakers' confidence and combat ingrained prejudices. Despite its current stability and recognition outside the Canary Islands, there is growing concern about the disappearance of languages and dialects worldwide.
A recent report from El País, published on March 28, 2026, warned about the extinction of over a hundred languages in Europe alone, and the serious danger faced by others like Mócheno, spoken by barely a thousand people in a town in the Italian province of Trento. This scenario raises questions about the distinction between language and dialect, a complex concept even for experts.
The 'intercommunication test' is often used to differentiate between dialects of the same language and distinct languages. If speakers of two modalities understand each other without difficulty, they are considered dialects of the same language (like Canarian and Rioplatense with respect to Spanish). If mutual understanding requires translation, they are different languages (like Castilian and Catalan).
The term 'Castilian' can cause confusion due to its polysemy, referring both to the Spanish language in contrast to other vernacular languages of Spain (Galician, Basque, Catalan) and to the dialectal variety spoken in the peninsular north-central region. Along with other Spanish and American dialects, all form part of the rich diversity of the Spanish language.
Dialectal variation is not exclusive to Spanish; it is observed in all languages with a wide territorial spread, such as English, which has variants like British, American, or Australian. Speakers identify with the features of their dialect, which reflect their culture and closest community, maintaining common ties with other dialects of the same language.
Despite the current good health of the Canarian dialect, the risks of a possible dissolution of its peculiarities should not be ignored. External influences, intentional or not, could weaken cohesive forces and lead to linguistic uniformity that denies the cultural richness of diversity.
The evolution of dialect is undeniable, with gradual changes such as the progress of yeísmo or the aspiration of final 's' sounds. However, the responsibility for the potential loss of characteristic features lies with the speakers themselves if they consciously renounce their peculiarities in favor of others considered more prestigious.
A self-assessment test is proposed for Canarian speakers to reflect on whether they have consciously adopted pronunciations or lexical uses from other Spanish varieties, such as pronouncing the interdental 'z' and 'c', using 'vosotros' instead of 'ustedes', or preferring 'patata' and 'autobús' instead of 'papa' and 'guagua'. Answering affirmatively to these questions could indicate an overestimation of other modalities and a mistaken conception of dialectal features, suggesting the need for greater educational efforts and the example set by institutions and media.
