ABSTRACT
The Hispanic linguistic tradition extends over centuries and closely parallels the development of a nation-state built around centralizing policy agendas put forward by powerful monarchs, as initially discussed by Haugen: the de facto promotion of Castilian as the official language via extensive cultural activities during the reign of Alfonso X; the strengthening of a central administration by the Catholic Monarchs; and followed by an intense elaboration and codification of Castilian from the 16th century onwards as Spain spread its influence within and beyond the old continent. Perhaps one of the main challenges to the study of linguistic traditions comes from the field of Linguistics itself, or from the underlying ideologies that guide some of the research. This chapter explores the main trends and shifts in the use of hispanico since the 20th century and frames the question within the two most important paradigms in the study of the Spanish language: the Pidalian paradigm and the Hispanic paradigm.
