The Moors Ruled Spain for 781 Years. Why Is Almost No Arabic Left?

Muslim rulers held parts of Spain from 711 to 1492: 781 years. So why do Spaniards speak a language that grew out of Latin, and not Arabic? The usual answer is "the Reconquista." That's true, but it's only part of it. In this video I go through three details that don't fit it. First, many people under Muslim rule kept speaking a Romance language at home. It's called Andalusi Romance, and it used to be known as Mozarabic. Second, the border kept moving south, so most of Spain was under Muslim rule for far less than 781 years. Toledo, for example, had about 374. Third, Arabic never fully left. Arabic was banned in 1526 and again in 1567. Then came the Alpujarras rebellion and the expulsion of the Moriscos from 1609 to 1614. Together these scattered and expelled Spain's last Arabic-speaking communities. Still, roughly 4,000 Spanish words come from Arabic, counting the ones built from Arabic roots. Nobody knows the exact number. Ojalá is one of them.