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88-541: The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California . It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company . During its 18 months of operation beginning in 1860, the Pony Express reduced the time for messages to travel between the east and west US coast to about 10 days. It became

176-425: A Pony Express station located on the then Carson River under present-day Lake Lahontan (reservoir) , not to be confused with the large endorheic Pleistocene lake of the same name ( Lake Lahontan ). One account says the raid was a deliberate attempt to provoke war. Another says the raiders had heard that men at the station had kidnapped two Paiute women, and fighting broke out when they went to investigate and free

264-603: A considerable number of words from Arabic , as well as a minor influence from the Germanic Gothic language through the period of Visigoth rule in Iberia. In addition, many more words were borrowed from Latin through the influence of written language and the liturgical language of the Church. The loanwords were taken from both Classical Latin and Renaissance Latin , the form of Latin in use at that time. According to

352-522: A dramatic change in the pronunciation of its sibilant consonants , known in Spanish as the reajuste de las sibilantes , which resulted in the distinctive velar [x] pronunciation of the letter ⟨j⟩ and—in a large part of Spain—the characteristic interdental [θ] ("th-sound") for the letter ⟨z⟩ (and for ⟨c⟩ before ⟨e⟩ or ⟨i⟩ ). See History of Spanish (Modern development of

440-482: A first language by Spaniards and educated Filipinos ( Ilustrados ). Despite a public education system set up by the colonial government, by the end of Spanish rule in 1898, only about 10% of the population had knowledge of Spanish, mostly those of Spanish descent or elite standing. Spanish continued to be official and used in Philippine literature and press during the early years of American administration after

528-478: A long history in the territory of the current-day United States dating back to the 16th century. In the wake of the 1848 Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty , hundreds of thousands of Spanish speakers became a minoritized community in the United States. The 20th century saw further massive growth of Spanish speakers in areas where they had been hitherto scarce. According to the 2020 census, over 60 million people of

616-508: A primarily Hassaniya Arabic -speaking territory, Spanish was officially spoken as the language of the colonial administration during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Today, Spanish is present in the partially-recognized Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as its secondary official language, and in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf ( Algeria ), where the Spanish language is still taught as

704-523: A quickly moving horse. Whether riders tried crossing the Sierra Nevada in winter is unknown, but they certainly crossed central Nevada. By 1860, a telegraph station was in Carson City , Nevada Territory . The riders received $ 125 a month as pay. As a comparison, the wage for unskilled labor at the time was about $ 0.43–1.00 per day, and for semi-skilled laborers like bricklayers and carpenters

792-617: A second language features characteristics involving the variability of the vowel system. While far from its heyday during the Spanish protectorate in Morocco , the Spanish language has some presence in northern Morocco , stemming for example from the availability of certain Spanish-language media. According to a 2012 survey by Morocco's Royal Institute for Strategic Studies (IRES), penetration of Spanish in Morocco reaches 4.6% of

880-531: A second language, largely by Cuban educators. The number of Spanish speakers is unknown. Spanish is also an official language of the African Union . Spanish was an official language of the Philippines from the beginning of Spanish administration in 1565 to a constitutional change in 1973. During Spanish colonization , it was the language of government, trade, and education, and was spoken as

968-471: A unified transcontinental system of communications could be established and operated year-round. When replaced by the telegraph, the Pony Express quickly became romanticized and became part of the lore of the Old West . Its reliance on the ability and endurance of hardy riders and fast horses was seen as evidence of rugged American individualism of the frontier times. The idea of having a fast mail route to

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1056-416: Is cognate to the root word of satisfacer ("to satisfy"), and hecho ("made") is similarly cognate to the root word of satisfecho ("satisfied"). Compare the examples in the following table: Some consonant clusters of Latin also produced characteristically different results in these languages, as shown in the examples in the following table: In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish underwent

1144-659: Is a hoax (dating no earlier than 1902), as no one has found the ad in contemporary newspaper archives. Express mail Express Mail Service (EMS) is an international express postal service offered by postal-administration members of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). These administrators created the EMS Cooperative in 1998, within the framework of the UPU, to promote the harmonization and development of postal services worldwide. As of January 2015 , EMS

1232-454: Is estimated that about 486 million people speak Spanish as a native language , making it the second most spoken language by number of native speakers . An additional 75 million speak Spanish as a second or foreign language , making it the fourth most spoken language in the world overall after English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindi with a total number of 538 million speakers. Spanish is also

1320-761: Is heavily influenced by Venezuelan Spanish. In addition to sharing most of its borders with Spanish-speaking countries, the creation of Mercosur in the early 1990s induced a favorable situation for the promotion of Spanish language teaching in Brazil . In 2005, the National Congress of Brazil approved a bill, signed into law by the President , making it mandatory for schools to offer Spanish as an alternative foreign language course in both public and private secondary schools in Brazil. In September 2016 this law

1408-732: Is related to Castile ( Castilla or archaically Castiella ), the kingdom where the language was originally spoken. The name Castile , in turn, is usually assumed to be derived from castillo ('castle'). In the Middle Ages , the language spoken in Castile was generically referred to as Romance and later also as Lengua vulgar . Later in the period, it gained geographical specification as Romance castellano ( romanz castellano , romanz de Castiella ), lenguaje de Castiella , and ultimately simply as castellano (noun). Different etymologies have been suggested for

1496-844: Is spoken by very small communities in Angola due to Cuban influence from the Cold War and in South Sudan among South Sudanese natives that relocated to Cuba during the Sudanese wars and returned for their country's independence. Spanish is also spoken in the integral territories of Spain in Africa, namely the cities of Ceuta and Melilla and the Canary Islands , located in the Atlantic Ocean some 100 km (62 mi) off

1584-813: Is the de facto national language of the country, Spanish is often used in public services and notices at the federal and state levels. Spanish is also used in administration in the state of New Mexico . The language has a strong influence in major metropolitan areas such as those of Los Angeles , Miami , San Antonio , New York , San Francisco , Dallas , Tucson and Phoenix of the Arizona Sun Corridor , as well as more recently, Chicago , Las Vegas , Boston , Denver , Houston , Indianapolis , Philadelphia , Cleveland , Salt Lake City , Atlanta , Nashville , Orlando , Tampa , Raleigh and Baltimore-Washington, D.C. due to 20th- and 21st-century immigration. Although Spanish has no official recognition in

1672-859: The Central Nevada Route blazed in 1859 by Captain James H. Simpson of the Corps of Topographical Engineers . This route roughly follows today's US 50 across Nevada and Utah. It crossed the Great Basin , the Utah-Nevada Desert , and the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe before arriving in Sacramento. Mail was transferred and sent by steamer down the Sacramento River to San Francisco . An alternative overland route

1760-713: The Great Platte River Road , cutting through Gothenburg, Nebraska , clipping the edge of Colorado at Julesburg ; and passing Courthouse Rock , Chimney Rock , and Scotts Bluff , before arriving first at Fort Laramie and then Fort Caspar (Platte Bridge Station) in Wyoming. From there, it followed the Sweetwater River , passing Independence Rock , Devil's Gate , and Split Rock , through South Pass to Fort Bridger and then south to Salt Lake City, Utah . From Salt Lake City, it generally followed

1848-568: The Spanish as a First Foreign Language (SAFFL) initiative in March 2005. Spanish has historically had a significant presence on the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba , Bonaire and Curaçao ( ABC Islands ) throughout the centuries and in present times. The majority of the populations of each island (especially Aruba) speaking Spanish at varying although often high degrees of fluency. The local language Papiamentu (Papiamento on Aruba)

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1936-568: The Spanish–American War but was eventually replaced by English as the primary language of administration and education by the 1920s. Nevertheless, despite a significant decrease in influence and speakers, Spanish remained an official language of the Philippines upon independence in 1946, alongside English and Filipino , a standardized version of Tagalog . Spanish was briefly removed from official status in 1973 but reimplemented under

2024-696: The Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe . Today, it is a global language with about 500 million native speakers, mainly in the Americas and Spain , and about 600 million when including second language speakers. Spanish is the official language of 20 countries , as well as one of the six official languages of the United Nations . Spanish is the world's second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese ;

2112-608: The collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. The oldest Latin texts with traces of Spanish come from mid-northern Iberia in the 9th century, and the first systematic written use of the language happened in Toledo , a prominent city of the Kingdom of Castile , in the 13th century. Spanish colonialism in the early modern period spurred the introduction of the language to overseas locations, most notably to

2200-404: The mochila was handed off. The ride began at about 7:15 pm. The St. Joseph Gazette was the only newspaper included in the bag. The identity of the first rider has long been in dispute. The St. Joseph Weekly West (April 4, 1860) reported Johnson William Richardson was the first rider. Johnny Fry is credited in some sources as the rider. Nonetheless, the first westbound rider carried

2288-418: The 20 pounds (9 kg) of material carried on the horse. Eventually, everything except one revolver and a water sack was removed, allowing for a total of 165 pounds (75 kg) on the horse's back. Riders, who could not weigh over 125 pounds (57 kg), changed about every 75–100 miles (120–160 km), and rode day and night. In emergencies, a given rider might ride two stages back to back, over 20 hours on

2376-404: The 2021–2022 school year alone. The local business process outsourcing industry has also helped boost the language's economic prospects. Today, while the actual number of proficient Spanish speakers is around 400,000, or under 0.5% of the population, a new generation of Spanish speakers in the Philippines has likewise emerged, though speaker estimates vary widely. Aside from standard Spanish,

2464-595: The 20th century, Spanish was introduced to Equatorial Guinea and the Western Sahara , and to areas of the United States that had not been part of the Spanish Empire, such as Spanish Harlem in New York City . For details on borrowed words and other external influences upon Spanish, see Influences on the Spanish language . Spanish is the primary language in 20 countries worldwide. As of 2023, it

2552-465: The Americas. As a Romance language, Spanish is a descendant of Latin. Around 75% of modern Spanish vocabulary is Latin in origin, including Latin borrowings from Ancient Greek. Alongside English and French , it is also one of the most taught foreign languages throughout the world. Spanish is well represented in the humanities and social sciences . Spanish is also the third most used language on

2640-729: The EMS Cooperative's Hall of Fame. Since its creation, 182 postal administrations have joined the EMS Cooperative, representing over 85% of EMS operators worldwide. Many transportation logistics firms offer similar accelerated services. DHL Express ("DHL") , Federal Express (" FedEx "), and United Parcel Service ("UPS") are the most popular alternatives. However, in many countries such alternative carriers' shipments have different status for several legal purposes. For example, in Russia, shipments from abroad to individuals for private needs are exempt from customs duties if valued less than €1000 and sent via post or EMS, while when sent by other means

2728-677: The East were finally brought to San Francisco on June 25, 1860. During this brief war, one Pony Express mailing, which left San Francisco on July 21, 1860, did not immediately reach its destination. That mail pouch ( mochila ) did not reach St. Joseph and subsequently New York until almost two years later. In 1860, riding for the Pony Express was difficult work – riders had to be tough and lightweight. An advertisement allegedly read, "Wanted: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred," but one historian, Joseph Nardone, claims that it

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2816-654: The Equatoguinean education system and is the primary language used in government and business. Whereas it is not the mother tongue of virtually any of its speakers, the vast majority of the population is proficient in Spanish. The Instituto Cervantes estimates that 87.7% of the population is fluent in Spanish. The proportion of proficient Spanish speakers in Equatorial Guinea exceeds the proportion of proficient speakers in other West and Central African nations of their respective colonial languages. Spanish

2904-705: The Iberian Peninsula. These languages included Proto-Basque , Iberian , Lusitanian , Celtiberian and Gallaecian . The first documents to show traces of what is today regarded as the precursor of modern Spanish are from the 9th century. Throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era , the most important influences on the Spanish lexicon came from neighboring Romance languages — Mozarabic ( Andalusi Romance ), Navarro-Aragonese , Leonese , Catalan/Valencian , Portuguese , Galician , Occitan , and later, French and Italian . Spanish also borrowed

2992-540: The Old Spanish sibilants) for details. The Gramática de la lengua castellana , written in Salamanca in 1492 by Elio Antonio de Nebrija , was the first grammar written for a modern European language. According to a popular anecdote, when Nebrija presented it to Queen Isabella I , she asked him what was the use of such a work, and he answered that language is the instrument of empire. In his introduction to

3080-551: The Pacific Coast was prompted largely by California's newfound prominence and its rapidly growing population. After gold was discovered there in 1848 , thousands of prospectors , investors, and businessmen made their way to California, at that time a new territory of the U.S. By 1850, California entered the Union as a free state. By 1860, the population had grown to 380,000. The prospect of California and its national role became

3168-501: The Pony Express and how fast it could deliver the U.S. Mail. This was an important event because just four years earlier, in the prior election , it took months to get news of James Buchanan's win.  The election of Lincoln was important because the newly-named president would have to take the country into the Civil War. Prior to the election, Russell hired extra riders to ensure that fresh riders and relay horses were available along

3256-444: The Pony Express mail service existed only briefly in 1860 and 1861, few examples of Pony Express mail survive. Contributing to the scarcity of Pony Express mail is that the cost to send a 1 ⁄ 2 -ounce (14 g) letter was $ 5.00 at the beginning (equivalent to $ 170 in 2023, or 2 1 ⁄ 2 days of semi-skilled labor). By the end of the Pony Express, the price had dropped to $ 1.00 per 1 ⁄ 2 ounce but even that

3344-638: The Pony Express was forced to suspend mail services because of the outbreak of the Paiute Indian War in May 1860. About 6,000 Paiutes in Nevada had suffered during a winter of fierce blizzards that year. By spring, the whole tribe was ready to embark on a war, except for the Paiute chief named Numaga . For three days, Numaga fasted and argued for peace. Meanwhile, a raiding party attacked Williams Station ,

3432-543: The Spanish-speaking world, Spanish is called not only español but also castellano (Castilian), the language from the Kingdom of Castile , contrasting it with other languages spoken in Spain such as Galician , Basque , Asturian , Catalan/Valencian , Aragonese , Occitan and other minor languages. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 uses the term castellano to define the official language of

3520-424: The U.S. government for fast mail delivery. By using a short route and mounted riders rather than traditional stagecoaches , they proposed to establish a fast mail service between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California, with letters delivered in 10 days, which many said was impossible. The initial price was set at $ 5 per 1 ⁄ 2 ounce (14 g), then $ 2.50, and by July 1861 to $ 1. The initial price

3608-502: The U.S. population were of Hispanic or Hispanic American by origin. In turn, 41.8 million people in the United States aged five or older speak Spanish at home, or about 13% of the population. Spanish predominates in the unincorporated territory of Puerto Rico , where it is also an official language along with English. Spanish is by far the most common second language in the country, with over 50 million total speakers if non-native or second-language speakers are included. While English

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3696-457: The administration of Ferdinand Marcos two months later. It remained an official language until the ratification of the present constitution in 1987, in which it was re-designated as a voluntary and optional auxiliary language. Additionally, the constitution, in its Article XIV, stipulates that the Government shall provide the people of the Philippines with a Spanish-language translation of

3784-686: The approximately 1,900-mile-long (3,100 km) route roughly followed the Oregon and California trails to Fort Bridger in Wyoming , and then the Mormon Trail (known as the Hastings Cutoff ) to Salt Lake City, Utah . From there, it followed the Central Nevada Route to Carson City, Nevada Territory, before passing over the Sierra and reaching to Sacramento, California . From there mail

3872-684: The classic hispanus or hispanicus took the suffix -one from Vulgar Latin , as happened with other words such as bretón (Breton) or sajón (Saxon). Like the other Romance languages , the Spanish language evolved from Vulgar Latin , which was brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans during the Second Punic War , beginning in 210 BC. Several pre-Roman languages (also called Paleohispanic languages )—some distantly related to Latin as Indo-European languages , and some that are not related at all—were previously spoken in

3960-500: The consonant written b (a bilabial with plosive and fricative allophones). In modern Spanish, there is no difference between the pronunciation of orthographic b and v . Typical of Spanish (as also of neighboring Gascon extending as far north as the Gironde estuary , and found in a small area of Calabria ), attributed by some scholars to a Basque substratum was the mutation of Latin initial f into h- whenever it

4048-404: The country's constitution. In recent years changing attitudes among non-Spanish speaking Filipinos have helped spur a revival of the language, and starting in 2009 Spanish was reintroduced as part of the basic education curriculum in a number of public high schools, becoming the largest foreign language program offered by the public school system, with over 7,000 students studying the language in

4136-603: The east to St. Joseph, and never directly entered the U.S. mail system. Today, only a single letter is known to exist from the inaugural westbound trip from St. Joseph to Sacramento. It was delivered in an envelope embossed with postage (depicted below) that was first issued by the U.S. Post Office in 1855. The messenger delivering the mochila from New York and Washington, DC , missed a connection in Detroit and arrived in Hannibal, Missouri , two hours late. The railroad cleared

4224-480: The exemption applies to values below €250 only. In some countries legal notification sent by post and EMS are deemed made on the date of dispatch, while for other couriers on the date of delivery only. Spanish language This is an accepted version of this page Spanish ( español ) or Castilian ( castellano ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from

4312-412: The firm, and that in every respect I will conduct myself honestly, be faithful to my duties, and so direct all my acts as to win the confidence of my employers, so help me God. In 1860, the roughly 186 Pony Express stations were about 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 km) apart along the Pony Express route. At each station, the express rider would change to a fresh horse, get a bite to eat, and would only take

4400-683: The following table: Spanish is marked by palatalization of the Latin double consonants ( geminates ) nn and ll (thus Latin annum > Spanish año , and Latin anellum > Spanish anillo ). The consonant written u or v in Latin and pronounced [w] in Classical Latin had probably " fortified " to a bilabial fricative /β/ in Vulgar Latin. In early Spanish (but not in Catalan or Portuguese) it merged with

4488-466: The former British colony of Belize (known until 1973 as British Honduras ) where English is the sole official language, according to the 2022 census, 54% of the total population are able to speak the language. Due to its proximity to Spanish-speaking countries and small existing native Spanish speaking minority, Trinidad and Tobago has implemented Spanish language teaching into its education system. The Trinidadian and Tobagonian government launched

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4576-604: The grammar, dated 18 August 1492, Nebrija wrote that "... language was always the companion of empire." From the 16th century onwards, the language was taken to the Spanish-discovered America and the Spanish East Indies via Spanish colonization of America . Miguel de Cervantes , author of Don Quixote , is such a well-known reference in the world that Spanish is often called la lengua de Cervantes ("the language of Cervantes"). In

4664-506: The internet by number of users after English and Chinese and the second most used language by number of websites after English. Spanish is used as an official language by many international organizations , including the United Nations , European Union , Organization of American States , Union of South American Nations , Community of Latin American and Caribbean States , African Union , among others. In Spain and some other parts of

4752-549: The language's hegemony in an intensely centralising Spanish state were established from the 18th century onward. Other European territories in which it is also widely spoken include Gibraltar and Andorra . Spanish is also spoken by immigrant communities in other European countries, such as the United Kingdom , France , Italy , and Germany . Spanish is an official language of the European Union . Today,

4840-401: The long and arduous route used by the Pony Express, 190 stations were used. The stations and station keepers were essential to the successful, timely, and smooth operation of the Pony Express mail system. The stations were often fashioned out of existing structures, several of them located in military forts, while others were built anew in remote areas where living conditions were basic. The route

4928-529: The mail pouch called a mochila (from the Spanish for pouch or backpack) with him. The employers stressed the importance of the pouch. They often said that, if it came to be, the horse and rider should perish before the mochila did. The mochila was thrown over the saddle and held in place by the weight of the rider sitting on it. Each corner had a cantina, or pocket. Bundles of mail were placed in these cantinas , which were padlocked for safety. The mochila could hold 20 pounds (9 kg) of mail along with

5016-694: The majority of the Spanish speakers live in Hispanic America . Nationally, Spanish is the official language—either de facto or de jure —of Argentina , Bolivia (co-official with 36 indigenous languages), Chile , Colombia , Costa Rica , Cuba , Dominican Republic , Ecuador , El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras , Mexico (co-official with 63 indigenous languages), Nicaragua , Panama , Paraguay (co-official with Guaraní ), Peru (co-official with Quechua , Aymara , and "the other indigenous languages"), Puerto Rico (co-official with English), Uruguay , and Venezuela . Spanish language has

5104-498: The northwest of the African mainland. The Spanish spoken in the Canary Islands traces its origins back to the Castilian conquest in the 15th century , and, in addition to a resemblance to Western Andalusian speech patterns, it also features strong influence from the Spanish varieties spoken in the Americas, which in turn have also been influenced historically by Canarian Spanish. The Spanish spoken in North Africa by native bilingual speakers of Arabic or Berber who also speak Spanish as

5192-418: The operations, they employed 6,000 men, owned 75,000 oxen, thousands of wagons, and warehouses, plus a sawmill, a meatpacking plant, a bank, and an insurance company. Russell was a prominent businessman, well respected among his peers and the community. Waddell was co-owner of the firm Morehead, Waddell & Co. In 1859, C. R. Morehead took the proposal for the Pony Express to President Buchanan. After Morehead

5280-508: The other hand, currently uses the term español in its publications. However, from 1713 to 1923, it called the language castellano . The Diccionario panhispánico de dudas (a language guide published by the Royal Spanish Academy) states that, although the Royal Spanish Academy prefers to use the term español in its publications when referring to the Spanish language, both terms— español and castellano —are regarded as synonymous and equally valid. The term castellano

5368-411: The other side. The first westbound mochila reached Sacramento, on April 14, at 1:00 am. The first eastbound Pony Express trip left Sacramento on April 3, 1860, and arrived at its destination 10 days later in St. Joseph, Missouri. From St. Joseph, letters were placed in the U.S. mails for delivery to eastern destinations. Only two letters are known to exist from the inaugural eastbound trip. As

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5456-481: The population. Many northern Moroccans have rudimentary knowledge of Spanish, with Spanish being particularly significant in areas adjacent to Ceuta and Melilla. Spanish also has a presence in the education system of the country (through either selected education centers implementing Spain's education system, primarily located in the North, or the availability of Spanish as foreign language subject in secondary education). In Western Sahara , formerly Spanish Sahara ,

5544-409: The pouch across the Missouri River ferry to Elwood, Kansas . The first horse-ridden leg of the Express was only about 1 ⁄ 2 mile (800 m) from the Express stables/railroad area to the Missouri River ferry at the foot of Jules Street. Reports indicated that horse and rider crossed the river. In later rides, the courier crossed the river without a horse and picked up his mount at a stable on

5632-436: The route. On November 7, 1860, a Pony Express rider departed Fort Kearny , Nebraska Territory (the end of the eastern telegraph line) with the election results. Riders briskly traversed the route, over snow-covered trails to Fort Churchill, Nevada Territory (the end of the western telegraph line). California's newspapers received word of Lincoln's election only 7 days and 17 hours after the East Coast papers, an "unrivaled feat at

5720-399: The source of bitter partisan debate in Congress. The demand for a faster way to get the mail and other communications to and from this westernmost state became even greater as the American Civil War approached. William Russell , Alexander Majors , and William B. Waddell were the three founders of the Pony Express. They were already in the freighting and drayage business. At the peak of

5808-468: The stations had no one around, possibly for miles, to help defend against the attacks, making working at the stations one of the deadliest jobs in the whole operation. The Paiute War cost the Pony Express company about $ 75,000 ($ 2.54 million in 2023) in livestock and station equipment, not to mention the loss of life. In June of that year, the Paiute uprising had been ended through the intervention of U.S. troops, after which four delayed mail shipments from

5896-431: The term español (Spanish). According to the Royal Spanish Academy, español derives from the Occitan word espaignol and that, in turn, derives from the Vulgar Latin * hispaniolus ('of Hispania'). Hispania was the Roman name for the entire Iberian Peninsula . There are other hypotheses apart from the one suggested by the Royal Spanish Academy. Spanish philologist Ramón Menéndez Pidal suggested that

5984-444: The theories of Ramón Menéndez Pidal , local sociolects of Vulgar Latin evolved into Spanish, in the north of Iberia, in an area centered in the city of Burgos , and this dialect was later brought to the city of Toledo , where the written standard of Spanish was first developed, in the 13th century. In this formative stage, Spanish developed a strongly differing variant from its close cousin, Leonese , and, according to some authors,

6072-465: The third most used language on the Internet , after English and Chinese. Spanish is the official language of Spain . Upon the emergence of the Castilian Crown as the dominant power in the Iberian Peninsula by the end of the Middle Ages, the Romance vernacular associated with this polity became increasingly used in instances of prestige and influence, and the distinction between "Castilian" and "Spanish" started to become blurred. Hard policies imposing

6160-489: The time". The Paiute War was a minor series of raids and ambushes initiated by American expansion into the territory of the Paiute Indian tribe in Nevada, which resulted in the disruption of mail services of the Pony Express. It took place from May through June 1860, though sporadic violence continued for a period afterward. In the brief history of the Pony Express, only once did the mail not go through. After completing eight weekly trips from both Sacramento and Saint Joseph,

6248-649: The track and dispatched a special locomotive called Missouri with a one-car train to make the 206-mile (332 km) trek across Missouri in a record 4 hours and 51 minutes, an average of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). It arrived at Olive and 8th Street, a few blocks from the company's new headquarters in a hotel at Patee House at 12th and Penn Street, St. Joseph, and the company's nearby stables on Penn Street. The first pouch contained 49 letters, five private telegrams , and some papers for San Francisco and intermediate points. St. Joseph Mayor M. Jeff Thompson , William H. Russell, and Alexander Majors gave speeches before

6336-416: The west's most direct means of east–west communication before the first transcontinental telegraph was established (October 24, 1861), and was vital for tying the new state of California with the rest of the United States. Despite a heavy subsidy, the Pony Express was not a financial success and went bankrupt in 18 months, when a faster telegraph service was established. Nevertheless, it demonstrated that

6424-585: The whole of Spain, in contrast to las demás lenguas españolas (lit. "the other Spanish languages "). Article III reads as follows: El castellano es la lengua española oficial del Estado. ... Las demás lenguas españolas serán también oficiales en las respectivas Comunidades Autónomas... Castilian is the official Spanish language of the State. ... The other Spanish languages shall also be official in their respective Autonomous Communities... The Royal Spanish Academy ( Real Academia Española ), on

6512-402: The women. Either way, the war party killed five men and the station was burned. During the following weeks, other isolated incidents occurred when whites in the Paiute country were ambushed and killed. The Pony Express was a special target. Seven other express stations were also attacked; 16 employees were killed, and around 150 express horses were either stolen or driven off. Those who worked at

6600-506: The world's fourth-most spoken language overall after English , Mandarin Chinese, and Hindustani ( Hindi - Urdu ); and the world's most widely spoken Romance language. The country with the largest population of native speakers is Mexico . Spanish is part of the Ibero-Romance language group , in which the language is also known as Castilian ( castellano ). The group evolved from several dialects of Vulgar Latin in Iberia after

6688-443: Was 250 times the price of mail through the normal mail service, which was $ 0.02. The founders of the Pony Express hoped to win an exclusive government mail contract, but that did not come about. Russell, Majors, and Waddell organized and put together the Pony Express in two months in the winter of 1860. The undertaking assembled 80 riders, 184 stations, 400 horses, and several hundred personnel during January and February 1861. Majors

6776-574: Was a religious man and resolved "by the help of God" to overcome all difficulties. He presented each rider with a Pony Express special-edition Bible and required this oath, which they were also required to sign. I, ... , do hereby swear, before the Great and Living God, that during my engagement, and while I am an employee of Russell, Majors, and Waddell, I will, under no circumstances, use profane language, that I will drink no intoxicating liquors, that I will not quarrel or fight with any other employee of

6864-408: Was bought out and moved to Leavenworth to enter the mercantile business, Waddell merged his company with Russell's, changing the name to Waddell & Russell. In 1855, they took on a new partner, Alexander Majors, and founded the company of Russell, Majors & Waddell. They held government contracts for delivering army supplies to the western frontier, and Russell had a similar idea for contracts with

6952-403: Was considered expensive to mail one letter. Only 250 known examples of Pony Express mail remain. Various postmarks were added to the mail to be carried by the Pony Express at the point of departure. William Russell, senior partner of Russell, Majors, and Waddell, and one of the biggest investors in the Pony Express, used the 1860 presidential election , of Abraham Lincoln , as a way to promote

7040-634: Was developed in the cities of Toledo , in the 13th to 16th centuries, and Madrid , from the 1570s. The development of the Spanish sound system from that of Vulgar Latin exhibits most of the changes that are typical of Western Romance languages , including lenition of intervocalic consonants (thus Latin vīta > Spanish vida ). The diphthongization of Latin stressed short e and o —which occurred in open syllables in French and Italian, but not at all in Catalan or Portuguese—is found in both open and closed syllables in Spanish, as shown in

7128-622: Was distinguished by a heavy Basque influence (see Iberian Romance languages ). This distinctive dialect spread to southern Spain with the advance of the Reconquista , and meanwhile gathered a sizable lexical influence from the Arabic of Al-Andalus , much of it indirectly, through the Romance Mozarabic dialects (some 4,000 Arabic -derived words, make up around 8% of the language today). The written standard for this new language

7216-7203: Was divided into five divisions. To maintain the rigid schedule, 157 relay stations were located from 5 to 25 miles (8 to 40 km) apart, as the terrain would allow. At each "swing station", riders would exchange their tired mounts for fresh ones, while "home stations" provided room and board for the riders between runs. This technique allowed the mail to be moved across the continent in record time. Each rider rode about 75 miles (120 km) per day. Missouri: 1. St. Joseph Station Kansas: 2. Troy Station 3. Lewis Station 4. Kennekuk (Kinnekuk) Station 5. Kickapoo, Goteschall Station 6. Log Chain Station 7. Seneca Station 8. Ash Point, Laramie Creek Station 9. Guittard Station (aka Gantard's, Guttard) 10. Marysville Station 11. Cottonwood, Hollenberg Station 12. Atchison Station 13. Lancaster Station Nebraska: 14. Rock House Station 15. Rock Creek Station 16. Virginia City 17. Big Sandy Station 18. Millersville, Thompson's Station 19. Kiowa Station 20. Little Blue, Oak Grove Station 21. Liberty Farm Station 22. Spring Ranch, Lone Tree Station 23. Thirty-two Mile Creek Station 24. Sand Hill, Summit Station 25. Hook's, Kearney, Valley Station 26. Fort Kearney Division Two: Stations between Fort Kearney and Horseshoe Creek Nebraska (continued): 27. Seventeen Mile, Platte Station 28. Garden Station 29. Plum Creek Station 30. Willow Island, Willow Bend Station 31. Cold Water, Midway Ranch Station 32. Gilman's Station 33. Machette's Station (Gothenburg) 34. Cottonwood Springs Station 35. Cold Springs Station 36. Fremont Springs Station 37. O'Fallon's Bluff, Dansey's/Elkhorn Station 38. Alkali Lake Station 39. Gill's, Sand Hill Station 40. Diamond Springs Station 41. Beauvais Ranch Station Colorado: 42. Frontz's/South Platte Station 43. Julesburg Station Nebraska (continued): 44. Nine Mile Station 45. Pole Creek No. 2 Station 46. Pole Creek No. 3 Station 47. Midway Station 48. Mud Springs Station 49. Court House (Rock) Station 50. Chimney Rock Station 51. Ficklin's Springs Station 52. Scott's Bluff(s) Station 53. Horse Creek Station Wyoming: 54. Cold Springs, Spring Ranch/Torrington Station 55. Verdling's, Bordeaux, Bedeau's Ranch/Fort Benard Station 56. Fort Laramie Station 57. Nine Mile, Sand Point, Ward's, Central Star Station 58. Cottonwood Station 59. Horseshoe Creek, Horseshoe Station Division Three: Stations between Horseshoe Creek and Salt Lake City Wyoming (continued) : 60. Elk Horn Station 61. La Bonte Station 62. Bed Tick Station 63. Lapierelle/La Prele Station 64. Box Elder (Creek) Station 65. Deer Creek Station 66. Little Muddy Station 67. Bridger Station 68. Fort Caspar , Platte Bridge/North Platte Station 69. Red Butte (s) Station 70. Willow Springs Station 71. Horse, Greesewood Creek Station 72. Sweetwater Station 73. Devil's Gate Station 74. Plant's, Plante Station 75. Split Rock Station 76. Three Crossings Station 77. Ice Slough, Ice Springs Station 78. Warm Springs Station 79. Rocky Ridge, St. Mary's Station 80. Rock Creek Station 81. Upper Sweetwater, South Pass Station 82. Pacific Springs Station 83. Dry Sandy Station 84. Little Sandy Creek Station 85. Big Sandy Station 86. Big Timber Station 87. Green River Station (crossing Station) 88. Michael Martin's Station 89. Ham's Fork Station 90. Church Buttes Station 91. Millersville Station 92. Fort Bridger 93. Muddy Creek Station 94. Quaking Asp, Aspen, Springs Station 95. Bear River Station Utah: 96. The Needles, Needle Rock(s) Station 97. (Head of) Echo Canyon Station 98. Halfway Station 99. Weber Station 100. Brimville Emergency Station 101. Carson House Station 102. East Canyon Station 103. Wheaton Springs Station 104. Mountain Dell/Dale Station 105. Salt Lake City Station Division Four: Stations between Salt Lake City and Robert's Creek Utah (continued): 106. Trader's Rest, Traveler's Rest Station 107. Rockwell's Station (Hot Springs Hotel and Brewery) 108. Dugout, Joe's Dugout Station 109. Camp Floyd, Fairfield Station 110. Pass, East Rush Valley Station 111. Rush Valley, Faust's Station 112. Point Lookout, Lookout Pass Station 113. Government Creek Station 114. Simpson's Springs, Egan's Springs Station 115. River Bed Station 116. Dugway Station 117. Black Rock Station 118. Fish Springs Station 119. Boyd's Station 120. Willow Springs Station 121. Willow Creek Station 122. Canyon, Burnt Station 123. Deep Creek Station Nevada: 124. Prairie Gate, Eight Mile Station 125. Antelope Springs Station 126. Spring Valley Station 127. Schell Creek Station 128. Egan's Canyon, Egan's Station 129. Bates', Butte Station 130. Mountain Spring(s) Station 131. Ruby Valley Station 132. Jacob's Well Station 133. Diamond Springs Station 134. Sulphur Springs Station 135. Robert's Creek Station Division Five: Stations between Roberts Creek and Sacramento Nevada (continued): 136. Camp Station, Grub(b)s Well Station 137. Dry Creek Station 138. Simpson Park Station 139. Reese River, Jacob's Spring Station 140. Dry Wells Station 141. Smith's Creek Station 142. Castle Rock Station 143. Edward's Creek Station 144. Cold Springs, East Gate Station 145. Middle Gate Station 146. West Gate Station 147. Sand Springs Station 148. Sand Hill Station 149. Carson Sink Station 150. Williams Station 151. Desert, Hooten Wells Station 152. Buckland's Station 153. Fort Churchill Station 154. Fairview Station 155. Mountain Well Station 156. Stillwater Station 157. Old River Station 158. Bisby's Station 159. Nevada Station 160. Ragtown Station 161. Desert Wells Station 162. Miller's, Reed's Station 163. Dayton Station 164. Carson City Station 165. Genoa Station 166. Friday's, Lakeside Station California: 167. Woodford's Station 168. Fountain Place Station 169. Yank's Station 170. Strawberry Station 171. Webster's, Sugar Loaf House Station 172. Moss/Moore, Riverton Station 173. Sportsman's Hall Station 174. Placerville Station 175. El Dorado , Nevada House/Mud Springs Station 176. Mormon Tavern, Sunrise House Station 177. Fifteen Mile House Station 178. Five Mile House Station 179. Pleasant Grove House Station 180. Duroc Station 181. Folsom Station 182. Sacramento Station 183. Benicia Station 184. Martinez Station 185. Oakland Station The first westbound Pony Express trip left St. Joseph on April 3, 1860, and arrived 10 days later in Sacramento, California, on April 14. These letters were sent under cover from

7304-713: Was followed by a vowel that did not diphthongize. The h- , still preserved in spelling, is now silent in most varieties of the language, although in some Andalusian and Caribbean dialects, it is still aspirated in some words. Because of borrowings from Latin and neighboring Romance languages, there are many f -/ h - doublets in modern Spanish: Fernando and Hernando (both Spanish for "Ferdinand"), ferrero and herrero (both Spanish for "smith"), fierro and hierro (both Spanish for "iron"), and fondo and hondo (both words pertaining to depth in Spanish, though fondo means "bottom", while hondo means "deep"); additionally, hacer ("to make")

7392-442: Was offered by more than 190 countries and territories worldwide. An independent auditor measures the express delivery performance of all international EMS operators, and EMS Performance Awards are based on postal operators' performance, including service performance and tracking: gold, silver, or bronze certificate are awarded to EMS Cooperative members depending on their yearly performance. These EMS award winners are recorded in

7480-462: Was revoked by Michel Temer after the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff . In many border towns and villages along Paraguay and Uruguay, a mixed language known as Portuñol is spoken. Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish-speaking country located entirely in Africa, with the language introduced during the Spanish colonial period . Enshrined in the constitution as an official language (alongside French and Portuguese), Spanish features prominently in

7568-620: Was transferred to boats to go downriver to San Francisco or, on occasion, via a combination of riders and ferries to the destination. The route started at St. Joseph, Missouri , on the Missouri River , and then followed what is modern-day U.S. Highway 36 (the Pony Express Highway) to Marysville, Kansas, where it turned northwest following Little Blue River to Fort Kearny in Nebraska. Through Nebraska, it followed

7656-573: Was used for the first month and whenever the steamer departure was missed. The alternative route, roughly following first today's Interstate 80 , then Interstate 680 , then California Route 24 , took the mail by horseback through Benicia, California . This route would then cross the Carquinez Strait via ferry to Martinez , then on horseback onward to Oakland and across the San Francisco Bay by ferry to San Francisco. Along

7744-444: Was usually less than $ 2 per day. Alexander Majors, one of the founders of the Pony Express, had acquired more than 400 horses for the project. He selected horses from around the west, paying an average of $ 200. These averaged about 14.2  hands (58 inches, 147 cm) high and 900 pounds (410 kg) each; thus, the name pony was appropriate, even if not strictly correct in all cases. Beginning at St. Joseph, Missouri ,

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