Introduction
Comillas are punctuation marks used primarily in Spanish and other Romance languages to denote direct speech, quotations, titles, or special emphasis. The term “comillas” derives from the Spanish word for “little sticks” and refers to the typographic symbols that resemble a pair of quotation marks. In Spanish, the standard form consists of a pair of angled marks (« … ») known as guillemets. However, various typographic conventions exist, including the use of the more familiar left- and right-angled quotation marks (“ ”) in certain contexts, as well as the straight double quotation mark (") in informal or digital contexts. The role of comillas is crucial for clarity in written communication, ensuring that readers can distinguish quoted material from the surrounding narrative.
Etymology and Historical Background
The word comillas is derived from the Spanish noun comilla, which means “little stick” or “small stick.” The origin of the term is tied to the physical appearance of the marks, which resemble two small vertical strokes or sticks positioned on either side of quoted text. The use of such marks dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries in European manuscripts, where scribes would use double quotation marks or angled marks to indicate speech or borrowed phrases. The earliest recorded usage in Spanish literature appears in the works of medieval authors such as Juan Ruiz, the Archpriest of Hita, where he employs a form of quotation to highlight proverbial sayings.
In the early modern period, typographers in Spain and Portugal developed distinct conventions for quotation marks. The angled marks (guillemets) became standard in printing, particularly after the advent of movable type in the 16th century. The guillemets were adopted by printers in Madrid and Lisbon to reflect the typographic norms of French and Italian printing houses, which had already standardized the use of angled quotation marks. By the 19th century, the guillemets had become firmly entrenched as the normative form for Spanish quotations, both in print and later in typewritten documents.
With the rise of digital typesetting and the proliferation of computers in the 20th century, the typographic representation of comillas evolved. Early computer systems primarily supported the straight double quotation mark (") and single quotation mark (') due to limitations in character sets. As Unicode emerged, it incorporated a full set of quotation marks, allowing the display of guillemets (U+00AB and U+00BB) and other typographic variants. Contemporary publishing standards now favor the use of guillemets for formal Spanish texts, although many users still employ the English-style quotation marks, especially in informal digital communication.
Types of Comillas in Spanish Typography
Guillemets (« … »)
The most common form of comillas in Spanish is the guillemet. These angled quotation marks are symmetrical, with a left angle and a right angle. In Spanish, the guillemets are used for direct speech, quotations of other texts, titles of short works, and occasionally for emphasis. The spacing around guillemets is typically narrow, with no extra space before the opening mark or after the closing mark. For example: «El libro que leí ayer fue fascinante.»
English-style Double Quotation Marks (“ ”)
In certain contexts, particularly in informal writing, digital communications, or when using English keyboard layouts, Spanish writers may use the left and right double quotation marks (“ ”). While acceptable for casual contexts, these marks are not considered the normative typographic choice for formal Spanish publications. In printed books and academic papers, the guillemets are preferred.
Straight Double Quotation Mark (")
When typographic resources are limited, the straight double quotation mark is often employed. This is common in plain text files, early word processors, and some email clients that do not support typographic quotation marks. In formal Spanish writing, the straight quotation mark is generally avoided because it lacks the visual distinction of guillemets or the stylistic nuance of angled marks.
Single Quotation Marks (‘ ’)
Single quotation marks are occasionally used in Spanish to denote nested quotations or to highlight a word or phrase. The convention is similar to English usage: if a quotation is placed within another quotation, the inner quotation uses single marks. In print, the guillemets may be used for both outer and inner quotations, with the inner quotation sometimes appearing as a pair of single guillemets (‹ … ›). However, in many modern Spanish texts, single quotation marks are the standard for nested quotations.
Other Variants
- Angle brackets (« … ») are used in certain technical documents, such as legal or legislative texts, to enclose citations or references.
- Curly quotation marks or “smart quotes” are available in many word processors. These often default to the English-style quotation marks but can be configured to display guillemets.
- In some specialized academic fields, particular styles of quotation marks are prescribed by style guides (e.g., the International Organization for Standardization or the American Psychological Association).
Usage Rules and Conventions
Placement of Comillas in Sentences
In Spanish, the opening guillemet («) is placed immediately before the quoted material without any preceding space. The closing guillemet (») follows the quoted material, again without any trailing space. The punctuation that follows a quotation is placed after the closing guillemet. For instance: «El fin es el medio» dijo el filósofo. If the quotation ends a sentence, the period or other terminal punctuation is placed inside the closing guillemet, but a period is also required after the closing guillemet to mark the end of the main sentence. The following example illustrates this rule: «Voy a casa» dijo María. - En este caso, el punto se coloca dentro del cierre y se repite después del cierre.
Nested Quotations
When a quotation contains another quotation, the inner quotation uses single quotation marks or single guillemets. The outer quotation remains enclosed in guillemets. Example: «Yo sé que él dijo: ‘No volveré’» explicó el testigo. This convention mirrors the English practice of alternating quotation marks.
Quotation of Titles and Short Works
In Spanish, titles of short works such as poems, short stories, or articles are placed within guillemets. This is similar to the use of quotation marks for short works in English. Long works, such as books or movies, are typically italicized or underlined rather than quoted. Example: El personaje principal en «El sueño de la Tierra» demuestra resiliencia.
Emphasis and Special Meanings
In certain contexts, comillas may be employed for emphasis or to signal a nonliteral usage. However, this practice is discouraged in formal writing, as it can cause ambiguity. When emphasis is required, italics or bold typeface are recommended.
Comillas in Different Contexts
Legal and Legislative Documents
Legal texts in Spanish often use guillemets to quote statutes, case law, or legislative provisions. The typographic precision of guillemets aids in distinguishing quoted legal material from commentary. In many jurisdictions, the use of guillemets is mandated by legal style guides.
Academic Writing and Bibliographies
In academic publications, particularly in humanities and social sciences, guillemets are used to quote passages from primary sources. In bibliographies, titles of articles and chapters are enclosed in guillemets, while titles of books are italicized. The Chicago Manual of Style and the Turabian style provide specific guidelines for Spanish texts.
Digital Communication and Social Media
On social media platforms, blogs, and informal digital communication, Spanish speakers frequently use the straight double quotation mark due to keyboard constraints. The use of guillemets is less common in these contexts, although some users adopt Unicode guillemets to preserve typographic correctness. In instant messaging, quotation marks may be omitted entirely when the context is clear, but this practice is discouraged in formal or semi-formal digital communication.
Foreign Language Texts in Spanish
When a Spanish text includes foreign language quotations, typographic conventions may vary. Some publishers prefer to use the quotation marks of the original language, while others maintain consistency by using guillemets throughout. In the case of English quotations within Spanish prose, many editors still opt for guillemets, citing the guidelines of the Spanish Royal Academy.
Technical Aspects of Comillas
Encoding in Unicode
Unicode provides comprehensive support for quotation marks. The relevant code points include:
- U+00AB LEFT-POINTING DOUBLE ANGLE QUOTATION MARK («)
- U+00BB RIGHT-POINTING DOUBLE ANGLE QUOTATION MARK (»)
- U+201C LEFT DOUBLE QUOTATION MARK (“)
- U+201D RIGHT DOUBLE QUOTATION MARK (”)
- U+2018 LEFT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK (‘)
- U+2019 RIGHT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK (’)
- U+2039 SINGLE LEFT-POINTING ANGLE QUOTATION MARK (‹)
- U+203A SINGLE RIGHT-POINTING ANGLE QUOTATION MARK (›)
These code points ensure that digital documents can display the correct typographic marks regardless of platform.
Font Support and Rendering
Most modern serif and sans-serif typefaces include proper glyphs for guillemets and other quotation marks. However, some legacy fonts or minimalist typefaces may lack proper glyphs, resulting in placeholder characters or incorrect rendering. In typesetting systems like LaTeX, the babel package with the Spanish language option automatically configures quotation marks to use guillemets. In Microsoft Word, the “Smart Quotes” feature can be set to “Spanish” to display guillemets.
Formatting in LaTeX
To produce guillemets in LaTeX, the following commands are used:
\guillemotleftfor the opening guillemet.\guillemotrightfor the closing guillemet.
Alternatively, the csquotes package provides a higher-level interface for quotations, automatically adapting to the language settings. The command \enquote{texto} will produce the correct quotation marks for Spanish, Latin American Spanish, and other languages.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Using Straight Quotation Marks Instead of Guillemets
In formal Spanish writing, the straight quotation mark is considered a typographic error. While some digital contexts permit its use, it is advisable to replace them with guillemets to meet editorial standards.
Incorrect Placement of Punctuation
A frequent error involves placing a period outside the closing guillemet or forgetting to include the period after a quotation that ends a sentence. The correct practice is to place terminal punctuation inside the closing guillemet and to follow it with an additional period if the quotation itself ends a sentence.
Inconsistent Use of Nested Quotation Marks
When dealing with nested quotations, Spanish style dictates that the inner quotation uses single marks or single guillemets. Mixing styles (e.g., using double marks inside double marks) can cause confusion.
Failure to Distinguish Quoted Material from Emphasis
Comillas should not be used to emphasize text. Using quotation marks for emphasis can mislead readers into interpreting the content as quoted. Instead, italics or bold typeface should be used for emphasis.
Omitting Comillas in Titles of Short Works
In academic writing, titles of short works should be enclosed in guillemets. Failure to do so violates style guidelines and can lead to misidentification of sources.
Cultural and Linguistic Significance
The use of comillas reflects broader typographic traditions and linguistic identities. In Spanish-speaking countries, guillemets are seen as an emblem of linguistic precision and editorial rigor. Their adoption across Latin America, Spain, and even in Spanish-language publications in the United States underscores their cultural importance. In contrast, English-speaking contexts prioritize straight quotation marks or smart quotes, which may lead to cross-linguistic confusion when translating or publishing bilingual materials.
In literature, the strategic use of comillas can signal direct speech, internal monologue, or authorial commentary. Writers often employ them to delineate the boundaries between narrator and character, thereby guiding readers through complex narrative structures. In journalism, the correct placement of comillas is essential for attribution and to avoid plagiarism. In legal texts, precise quotation is critical for the interpretation of statutes and case law, where a single misquoted word can alter legal meaning.
Standardization and Style Guides
Real Academia Española (RAE)
The RAE provides guidelines on the typographic use of quotation marks in Spanish. According to the “Diccionario de la lengua española,” the preferred form for quoting text is the guillemet. The RAE also recommends using single quotation marks for nested quotations and avoiding quotation marks for emphasis.
Guías de Estilo de Editoriales
Major publishing houses in Spanish-speaking countries, such as Editorial Planeta and Editorial Gente, publish style manuals that reaffirm the use of guillemets for formal texts. These manuals often specify the use of guillemets in book introductions, chapters, and bibliographies.
Academic Style Guides
- Chicago Manual of Style (Spanish edition) recommends guillemets for Spanish texts.
- Turabian style (Spanish edition) also prescribes guillemets.
- APA Style (Spanish) recommends guillemets for Spanish-language references.
Legal Style Guides
In Spain, the “Guía de Redacción Jurídica” outlines the use of guillemets for quoting statutes and legal precedents. Similar guidelines exist in Mexican legal publications, emphasizing the need for typographic precision in legal citations.
Future Trends
The digital age has reshaped typographic practices. As Unicode becomes ubiquitous, the correct display of guillemets is increasingly reliable across devices. However, keyboard layouts that lack direct access to guillemets can lead to persistent usage of straight quotation marks in informal contexts. Emerging tools, such as auto-correction and typographic formatting plugins for word processors, aim to reduce these errors by automatically converting straight marks to guillemets where appropriate. Additionally, the rise of open-source typesetting systems such as LaTeX, which have robust language support, promotes adherence to correct typographic conventions in academic publishing.
There is also a growing trend toward bilingual or multilingual publications that maintain typographic consistency across languages. In such contexts, editorial teams must balance the use of guillemets for Spanish sections with quotation marks appropriate to other languages, ensuring that the reader can easily distinguish between linguistic layers.
See also
- Quotation marks
- Guillemet
- Typography in Spanish
- Real Academia Española
- Unicode
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