Grammar of the Castilian language
In August 1492, the grammarian and linguist Antonio de Nebrija presented the first grammar book to be written about a European language that was not Latin. Want to know more?
Salamanca University Library (12-03-2022)Fundación Antonio de Nebrija
In 15th-century Europe, Latin was still the language of culture, knowledge, universities, and official records. Other languages were known as vulgar languages, and none of them had been given an official linguistic structure in the way that Latin had.
Spanish Grammar (1492) by Antonio de NebrijaOriginal Source: Spanish National Library
Nebrija decided to write the first grammar of the Castilian language. He successfully attempted to give the language a framework of rules and standards, through which he sought to give it uniformity, stability, perpetuity, knowledge, studies, and a relationship with other languages.
The structure and fundamentals of the grammar book
The grammar book is divided into five books: Spelling, Prosody, Etymology, Syntax, and Introductions to the Castilian language for those of another language who wish to learn it.
Spanish Grammar (1492) by Antonio de NebrijaOriginal Source: Spanish National Library
The first four books are arranged in order of increasing complexity. It begins with easier elements: sounds and how to write them (spelling), and then moves onto prosody, etymology, and syntax. He called this "the natural order of grammar."
Spanish Grammar (1492) by Antonio de NebrijaOriginal Source: Spanish National Library
Spelling
The first chapter covers spelling. Nebrija wrote, "words should be pronounced as they are written, and written as they are pronounced." Thus, he gave Spanish cleaner, clearer, more straightforward rules of spelling, making it easier to study and understand it.
Later, Nebrija published a Latin-Spanish Dictionary and a Spanish-Latin Dictionary. Both appeared after his grammar book, and after the arrival of Columbus in the Americas; hence the inclusion of the first word that was Native American in origin: canoa, meaning canoe.
Spanish Grammar (1492) by Antonio de NebrijaOriginal Source: Spanish National Library
Sounds and letters
He named the sounds that were the same in Latin and Castilian, owned sounds (for example, the 'm' in mensa > mesa , meaning table), and the sounds that were specific to Castilian, borrowed sounds.
Spanish Grammar (1492) by Antonio de NebrijaOriginal Source: Spanish National Library
Spanish as a foreign language
After those first four books came a fifth, called, Introductions to the Castilian language for those of another language who wish to learn it. This part contained a methodological guide that was quite different to the previous four books.
To differentiate it from the natural order of grammar, Nebrija called it the order of instruction. Unlike the first part, it was not aimed at native students, but at those of a migrant language who wish to gain knowledge of ours.
Marine Navigation Chart (Carta Marina Navigatoria) (1516 (facsimile edition 1960)) by Martín WaldseemüllerOriginal Source: Biblioteca del Instituto Geográfico Nacional
Companion of empire
At the beginning of his Castilian Grammar, Nebrija introduced an expression: the companion of empire. Thus, he presented his book as one that would assist the possible expansion of Castile, not toward the Americas, but into Africa.
Folding Screen with Indian Wedding and Flying Pole (Biombo con desposorio indígena y palo volador) (c 1690) by UnknownLos Angeles County Museum of Art
Native American languages
Nebrija's book also left its mark on the arts and vocabularies of indigenous languages in the Spanish colonies. Its influence spread as far as the American continent, where it gave a linguistic structure to the languages of that part of the world.
The intentions behind Nebrija's works
Spanish Grammar (1492) by Antonio de NebrijaOriginal Source: Spanish National Library
That all Spanish speakers learning their own language could learn and study it in depth.
Spanish Grammar (1492) by Antonio de NebrijaOriginal Source: Spanish National Library
To create a starting point for those wishing to gain an in-depth knowledge of Latin, using a well-ordered, similar structure.
Spanish Grammar (1492) by Antonio de NebrijaOriginal Source: Spanish National Library
To give those who wished to learn Spanish access to the language, in the same way that today's universities provide teaching in Spanish as a Foreign Language.
Information taken from the contributions by Darío Villanueva in the MOOC Antonio de Nebrija: Apología del Saber (Antonio de Nebrija: Apologia on Knowledge).
With information from Antonio de Nebrija: La Lengua y la Verdad (Antonio de Nebrija: Language and Truth) (2021).
Curator: Rodrigo Díaz
