Why is Andalusian considered vulgar?
Andalucía is a community located in the south of Spain, representing the second largest region of the country and the most populated one. It is known not only for its fantastic locations and weather, but also because of Andalusians particular way of speaking that has never been free of controversy.
Andalusian main characteristics are three: Intervocalic ‘d’ is omitted, final consonants are dropped and gemination of obstruents and sonorants. These particularities make the dialect quite identifiable for anyone who lives in Spain.
But why is its value reduced? The prejudice that speaking Andalusian supposes lack of culture is partly associated with the movement of working classes. During difficult times in this country, they had to migrate to northern regions. First people think ‘Andalusians do not know how to write due to their way of speaking’, then ‘that must be because they are uneducated’, and finally, ‘their opinion has less worth than mine’.
Besides that, the media had an important role in diminishing its value, since they have always made a wrong representation of Andalusians making them the dumbest characters in movies. This fact has led to a very extended practice in Spain: if you want to be taken seriously, you need to speak in a neutral way.
In my opinion, the way we speak is a reaffirmation of our personality, and that should not be hidden. I am very proud of my origins and of all the contributions Andalucía had to the Spanish culture.