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Portuguese and Spanish are similar due to shared Latin roots, with much overlap in vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. However, they differ notably in pronunciation, with Portuguese having more nasal sounds and distinct phonetics. Vocabulary also has some variations, and while written forms may seem familiar, spoken Portuguese can be harder for a Spanish speaker to understand due to these pronunciation differences.

Yes, the Visigoths had a subtle but noteworthy influence on the Spanish language. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Visigoths, a Germanic tribe, ruled over the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th century. While the Visigothic influence is not as substantial as that of Latin, it contributed words, cultural elements, and some structural features to Old Spanish. Many of the words of Germanic origin that survived in Spanish relate to war, governance, and social structure, as the Visigoths brought their own administrative and legal systems. The Visigothic impact on Spanish is relatively minor in comparison to Latin, Arabic, and later French influences, but it remains a unique component of the language’s historical tapestry.