ABSTRACT
The Iberian Peninsula is shut off from other lands by the sea on three sides, and by the Pyrenees mountains on the north. In reality, neither sea nor mountain barrier has protected it from many invasions, and even that geographic unity which, one would think, ought to contribute to its political unity, is more apparent than real. The strong political, administrative, judicial and religious organization of Rome was undermined by the growth of Christianity and by the rotting of its own structure. Arabic gave a more important increment to the Spanish dictionary. It is easy to recognize on account of the special aspect of the words. The discovery of America introduced a few exotic words into Spain, whence they almost all passed to the rest of Europe. Among modern European languages, two have added notably to the Spanish vocabulary, chiefly by literary pressure.
