Is there a pure variety of Spanish?
The question as to whether or not there is a pure variety of Spanish is directly linked to the existence of the language itself, especially since, as is the case with Spanish, each region speaks it with a different accent and it has spread to becomethe main language spoken in several countries throughout the world.
In reality the short answer is no. There is not a pure variety of Spanish, but it is interesting to examine why this question exists. First of all, the Iberian Peninsula itself is at the center of this debate. In this part of the world we can find several accents.
Andalusian Spanish is considered “elegant” and it is characterized by the “pronunciation of thec before e,i and z as s”, while out of all the varieties the Spanish from Murcia is regarded as the most difficult to understand. Galician Spanish is characterized by a catchy and pronounced accent, while it often sounds like people from Valencia are singing when they speak.
However, in the center of Spain, especially in Valladolid, Burgos and nearby provinces, speakers lack a pronounced accent. But this does not make it a purer form of Spanish. The correctness of a language is not related to its pronunciation. If this were the case, only a robot with a constant rhythm and intonation would really speak Spanish purely.
A language is spoken correctly when its use fits the context of a given situation. The context of a given situation will govern the correct form of language to use. This is why there are polite, colloquial and vulgar forms of Spanish. All of these are equally correct and pure, as long as they are used in an appropriate context and the vocabulary is not modified, a condition which is difficult to analyze in the contexts where slang and vulgar Spanish are being used.
This debate has also surfaced at an international level with some people arguing about which countries use the purest variety of Spanish. Often the Spanish from Colombia receives the most recognition because its speakers constantly use polite vocabulary, while the Cuban variety is one of the least highly regarded because its speakers regularly use slang words no matter the type of conversation.
However, all of these countries use Spanish correctly and their varieties are the logical result of the evolution of the language in different geographical locations, to the extent that the way a society uses Spanish is what determines the pureness of each variety of this language.