By contrast with phonological, morphological and syntactical systems, the lexical systems of language are inherently open-ended, and it is not intended here to attempt an exhaustive treatment of the Spanish lexis (such a treatment is, in any case, by definition impossible) or to account in detail for the cultural conditions which were responsible for borrowings from various sources. Partial discussion of these matters will be found in the various sections of the Introduction (1.1–5); in the sections that follow, the intention is to examine in outline the main sources of the vocabulary of Spanish, using a minimum of exemplification.

Vocabulary inherited from Latin

The core vocabulary of Spanish, including many hundreds of the most frequent words, as well as many less frequent items, has descended from spoken Latin, passed on orally in unbroken succession from generation to generation, and undergoing the various phonological changes detailed in chapter 2. Such words have already been defined (see 2.2.1) as popular words.

However, it should be noted that semi-learned words (see 2.2.3), over which there has been much controversy, are here regarded also as orally inherited, differing from popular words only to the extent that semi-learned words have undergone one or more modifications of form due to the influence exerted upon them by the pronunciation with which related Latin words were read aloud at various periods, either as part of the offices of the Church or in legal/administrative circles.