Imperial domains and local resistance

The implementation of Spanish in the social time of the West Indies

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze the installation global processes and the mechanisms used by the Spanish crown to establish the linguistic unit (Castilian) and the local resistances in the West Indian kingdoms. In particular, it discusses the classical hegemonic and imposing function assigned to Spanish, making visible the dynamics of other dominant languages, recognizing glocal processes. As a result, it is concluded that the intended project of a single language was slowed down for centuries, among other factors, by the domains and socio-cultural and linguistic resistance of the new world, forcing the crown to establish multiple strategies and mechanisms to install and legitimize Castilian in the Indies.