The Demographics of Colonization in Paraguay and the Emergence of Paraguayan Guarani

Abstract

Paraguay is the only country in Latin America where an originally indigenous language has both gained official status and is spoken by the vast majority of the population. The typological, structural and lexical features of this language and its sociolectal varieties, known in the literature as Paraguayan Guarani, have been analyzed in language contact studies alongside contemporary sociolinguistic aspects of Paraguayan bilingualism. However, an account of how the language emerged as a result of particular circumstances during conquest and early colonization is still missing. The initial socio-demographic circumstances became decisive factors in the early emergence of Paraguayan Guarani. Such circumstances include, among others: a) the size and composition of the Guarani population at the time of conquest; b) the size and pattern of early Spanish immigration and settlement in Paraguay; and c) the patterns of settlement and organization of Guarani population both in Spanish and Indian villages. This contribution addresses the emergence of Paraguayan Guarani from a social and demographic point of view, focusing on the first century of Spanish colonization.