Humberto López Morales, secretary general of the Association of Language Schools, presented in Montevideo on 'Dictionary of Americanisms'.
Only those who know that whole scene of the Language Academies English may think that this is some big shots that get together to talk as if it were a social club, says Lopez Morales, who pitched in the Cultural Center of Spain a brand new dictionary that contains more than 60 000 words Hispanic.
The Cuban scholar this presentation began with a tour of Latin America, to introduce into society a great book published by Santillana, invited to discuss the English from an open and multicultural. On these and other issues, the friendly and open academic spoke with El Pais.
Carlos Reyes - oddities What is this dictionary?
- Many earlier dictionaries of Americanisms had been made by one person, and could take about seven thousand words, compared to 60 thousand who have it, with more than 200 thousand meanings. A key change was the methodology. Before calling from Madrid to the schools which addressed words, but for this work was sending from Spain drafts, then the academies of different countries were analyzed and returned.
- technological elements also have helped?
- Sure, we have among other things a program that is made with 152 dictionaries of Americanisms, and every word you enter tells you how many dictionaries appears. This allowed us to take the common elements. Consider that there are many types of dictionaries. The Royal Academy is regulatory, to say what is right and what is wrong. But ours is completely different: no policy at all. Seeks to reflect the uses of Hispanic speakers.
- How do you assess the outcome?
- It's a tough question: we have tried to do my best, but any first edition is perfectible, and that does not create well, thinking of pregnant birds (the expression is in the dictionary.) We have found stuff, and we are reviewing. There are people who have been amazed at the amount of profanity that you have. But hey, this is not a dictionary made for a convent, or to Sisters of Charity. It seeks to reflect as people speak and write.
- You mean you have items to use a dictionary?
- The idea is that if someone is reading a Chilean author and find a word not known, locate there. Another aspect was that it would look sociolinguistic parameters clear. When we say "popular" opposes "cult" and "vulgar" to "distinguished", concepts that were sometimes mixed. We have also introduced aspects that have to do with the pragmatic, such as communicative will of the speaker, they have to do with the context.
- Why in the preface to each academy are encouraged to write their own dictionary?
- This edition has 2,500 pages, which was the cap that could have in one volume. Left out a significant amount of words, close to 3 000. Not much if you consider that there are 60 000 entries, but there are words that are very specific use of an area of \u200b\u200ba country, who use a few hundred speakers. For that is the national dictionaries, to add all that we have not been.
- How was the team?
- We were in Madrid, a team that grew to 22 people, which unfortunately only five were Hispanic. The team was changing over time: even the English Academy was very nice and we lost some of its lexicographers. It had to give lessons, to explain that this was not the Dictionary English Royal Academy, though some could not handle it and returned to the Royal Academy. I think that putting deadlines is terrible for any such projects.
- What was the relationship with indigenous languages?
- Fortunately, in almost all countries where major indigenous languages, there are indigenous academic: in that sense we are very good. But this is not a dictionary of Indian languages, and do not give tickets to any word that has not been transplanted into English. Sometimes transplantation is the Indian word as is, and others modified. I think this dictionary is very realistic: take note of what is, exposes and explains. It has no exclusionary criteria, all countries have been treated equally.
- Were there any particularly difficult entry?
- There were some more difficult than others, but the academies have always been those who took the final decision. The problem begins when it conflicts academia, especially in indigenous languages \u200b\u200bspellings. Peru has given us a great beat, because they could not agree among themselves. Is that there are four or six types of Quechua, and therefore there are several trends different.
(...) - Is there staff at the Royal Academy who are reluctant to panhispánico policy?
- I think are some of the old guard, three or four, which are about to leave this world, and are anchored in the past. But many academics are young, alert, which made panhispánico policy has stalled a lot. I even think that this dictionary has been a wave of praise within the English Academy. It has even been suggested that the DRAE be so, which can not be. It may be better than it is, but that's not because it's another type of dictionary, and we are talking quality.
- Why does the DRAE could be better?
- I think it's a dictionary that is a bit stuck in the past: the DRAE early twentieth century was one of the great European dictionaries, but today is not so. And not because they want academics, but because people who are now in charge of DRAE, or not take up too much, or not always have a substantial training. You are currently in the hands of a second board, and has a very ancient plant: not a single European dictionary of the great, that's like the old-DRAE.
- SAR hispanist not completely agree?
- There are times when the Academy is not academic but some still believe that Spain is still the center of the Hispanic world, but that's a personal capacity of some Carcass. Panhispánico policy has been successful and that's because we are doing many things together. On the other hand, it is clear that the DRAE is very, very improved. It's a shame they are missing the opportunity, because in the year 13, is the third anniversary of the founding of the SAR and would be a great opportunity to get a great dictionary. But no, go out with an issue with some changes: they will get a diccionarito.
- Do you think there is prejudice against academics?
- Yes, it is evident, especially people who do not understand, you do not know what are the academies, or what is your job. Some think it is people who go there to do a series of comments that they're big shots who come together to eat something, like a kind of social club, where former presidents, ambassadors. Themselves were well, especially the Americans more than the English, although English also, because what is inherited is not steals. But that is part of the past.
- also with political clashes have sometimes ...
- Well, politicians are often whipped by the academy, if a English minister said "the members and the members" and things like that, it is natural. But almost never is the Academy as such, unless expressly asked to intervene. In general are some scholars who come to the fore.
El Pais, Uruguay, GDA.
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