According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), the Spanish word comes from Provencal espaignol, and this from the Latin medieval Hispaniolus, which means "de Hispania" (Spain). The Latin form HĬSPĀNĬOLUS comes from the Latin name of the province of HĬSPĀNĬA that included the Iberian peninsula, rather, of its ultracorrecta form. It should be remembered that in late Latin the / H./ was not pronounced. The opening of the / Ĭ / Latin brief in / e / would have given therefore in protorromance: ESPAŇO