You all made a great search about this word!
And the article Elaina offered us is really worth it to read (
did I write this well? May I have a confirmation, please, as I'm doubtful?).
I think the same happens more or less in Spanish with the term
vulgar, but I don't think, as Rusty has already said, that it has become the same grade of crudeness in Spanish that it seems to have become in English. For instance, we use the phrase
latín vulgar to mean the Latin common people usually spoke during the Empire and Middle Ages. Of course, in this case, you are not conveying any nuance of vileness or crudeness, but only the fact that this was widely used by common people.
On the other hand, you can also use the word
vulgar (Spanish) with a derogative sense. Although it's used so, I think you are being a little snob in that case.
