ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Languages of Gibraltar

In Gibraltar, people speak different languages, kind of like how you and your friends might speak different languages at school or on the playground. There are four main languages spoken in Gibraltar: English, Spanish, Llanito, and Haketia.

English is the official language of Gibraltar, which means it's the one that the government uses and that everyone learns in school. Lots of people speak English because Gibraltar used to be a British colony, which means it was ruled by England for a long time. So, many families who live there now have ancestors who spoke English.

Spanish is also really important because Gibraltar is right next to Spain, so lots of people speak Spanish too. In fact, many people who live in Gibraltar also work in Spain, so they have to know Spanish to get around.

Now, Llanito is a language that has developed in Gibraltar over time because of all the different cultures that are mixed together there. Llanito is a mix of English, Spanish, and even some Portuguese, Italian, and Hebrew too! It's a really unique language because it borrows words and grammar from so many different places.

Lastly, Haketia is a language that comes from Sephardic Jews who used to live in Spain and Morocco. When they came to Gibraltar, they brought their language with them, which has a mix of Hebrew and Spanish. Even though not many people speak Haketia anymore, it's still an important part of Gibraltar's history and culture.

So, in short, people in Gibraltar speak different languages because it's a place where lots of different cultures come together, and each language tells a different story about the history of the people who live there.