Project Designation: AMERLEX 1: Americanismos léxicos en las lenguas española e inglesa documentados en textos sobre América anteriores a 1700: AMERLEX-DATABASE (PID2019-104199GB-I00)
Researcher: Rita Queirós de Barros (RG5)
Principal Researcher: Alicia Rodríguez Álvarez, Full Professor, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Departamento de Filología Moderna, Traduccíon e Interpretacíon (English section)
Co-responsible: María Teresa Cáceres Lorenzo, Full Professor, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Departamento de Filología Hispánica Clásica y de Estudios Árabes y Orientales (Spanish section)
Research Unit: Instituto Universitario de Análisis y Aplicaciones Textuales de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Duration: 01/06/2020 – 29/02/2024
Overall description: From 1492 onwards, a process of communication begins in which the New World is described by means of new designations that European languages progressively assimilate. The new American voices are not only documented in different textual typologies characterised by the general purpose of reporting truthfully on the discovery, exploration, conquest and colonisation of America, but also become part of the inventory of entries in Spanish and English dictionaries.
The general objective of this project is the elaboration of an online and open database (AMERLEX-DATABASE) that systematically gathers lexical Americanisms (Amerindian and from Spain) present in a selection of Spanish and English texts about America published during the 16th and 17th centuries. This research follows a documentary methodology based on the collection of the following data on the Americanisms identified: lemma, spelling, work, year of publication, edition number, textual typology, author and origin, grammatical category, lexical area, language of origin, area where it is recorded, sample in Spanish and English texts, definition in Spanish and English texts, definition in Spanish and English texts, and the name of the language of origin.
The data obtained from the AMERLEX-DATABASE will make it possible to achieve the following specific objectives:
- To identify and collate the lexical Americanisms found in a selection of Spanish and English texts and dictionaries from the 17th and 18th centuries.
- To analyse the comments and linguistic ideas expressed by Spanish and English authors on lexical Americanisms in general.
- To study the vitality and frequency of use of American words appearing in a selection of Spanish and English texts.
- To establish what could be called the canon of Spanish authors used by English authors in the composition of original and translated works on America.
Detailed information may be found at https://iatext.ulpgc.es/es/amerlex-database and AMERLEX (ulpgc.es)