Juan Álvarez Delgado’s research into the indigenous languages of the Canary Islands focuses on the remarkable phonetic diversity found between the islands, particularly between Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and El Hierro [1]. According to the author, the speech of Tenerife is characterized by a strong preference for prepalatal consonants, while in Gran Canaria and El Hierro, velar consonants and, to a lesser extent, labials are more common [1].
Álvarez Delgado argues that this difference is not due to chance or the absence of certain sounds in each language, but rather to a distinct phonetic structure in each insular group [1]. For example, in Tenerife, over forty percent of place names begin with or contain prepalatal consonants, which contrasts with the situation in Gran Canaria and El Hierro, where velars predominate [1].
The author provides concrete examples, such as Guanche phrases from Tenerife recorded by Viana, the fundamental formula of the menceyes, and the indigenous settlement phrase collected by Espinosa, to illustrate the abundance of prepalatals in Tenerife [1]. In contrast, the endechas (laments) from Gran Canaria and El Hierro, as recorded by Torriani, show a predominance of velar and labial sounds [1].
This phonetic diversity is also reflected in other cultural and social aspects, such as the names of princes, terms for butter or spear, the existence of priestly castes, and marital practices, which differ greatly between Tenerife and the group formed by Gran Canaria and El Hierro [1]. For example, in Gran Canaria the prince was called “guanarteme” and there were priestly castes of both sexes, while in Tenerife the term was “mencey” and there are no known priestly castes, only practices of divination [1].
According to Álvarez Delgado, these differences allow for the provisional establishment of at least three linguistic groups in the archipelago: the “guanche” group in Tenerife, the “camita” group in Gran Canaria and El Hierro, and the “armenolde” group in La Gomera, although he acknowledges that this classification is provisional and the situation may be more complex [1]. The author also notes that, despite the differences, there are shared lexical roots among the islands, suggesting possible linguistic contact or fusion in Canarian prehistory [1].