The Linguistic Foundations of Neoclassicism in 18th Century Spain

Neoclassicism and the Bourbon Dynasty in Spain

In 1700, a significant event occurred in Spain: the death of King Carlos II without heirs. This led to a change of dynasty. The French suitor, Felipe V, ascended the throne, initiating the House of Bourbon (from which King Juan Carlos I descends).

The Royal Spanish Academy (RAE)

The establishment of institutions like the Royal Spanish Academy, the National Library, and the Prado Museum marked this era. Castilian incorporated a large number of French words, many of which still retain their Gallicisms.

Felipe V supported the RAE, which was founded with the mission of defending the purity of the Castilian language against a "Gallic invasion" of spelling and grammar. Its motto is clear: "Cleanses, Fixes, and Gives Splendor."

Characteristics of Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism emphasized a return to the classics. Its main characteristics include:

• Reason prevails over feelings: Emotions must never be expressed.
• Didactic purpose: The work must have a finality that is didactic.
• Poetry: Often uninspired, cold, and lacking lyricism.
• Theater: Adheres to the classical tradition of the **Three Unities** (time, place, and action).
• Narrative: Narrative genres (novels) were less cultivated.
• The Essay: This genre acquired great diffusion during the 18th century.

Basic Morphology and Word Formation

In morphology, words are classified based on their structure, which consists of lexemes and morphemes:

• **Simple:** Consisting of a single lexeme.
• **Derived:** Consisting of a lexeme and one or more derivational morphemes.
• **Parasintéticas (Parasynthetic):** Formed simultaneously by composition and derivation.

Ferdinand de Saussure and the Linguistic Sign

Ferdinand de Saussure defined the linguistic sign, which consists of two components: the **signifier** (sound image) and the **signified** (concept).

Semantic Meaning

Meaning may be:

• **Denotative:** The literal meaning.
• **Connotative:** The associated or subjective meaning.

Semantic Relationships

• **Polysemy:** One signifier having multiple related meanings.
• **Homonymy:** Two words having the same or similar signifier (sound/spelling) but different, unrelated meanings.

Grammatical Categories (Parts of Speech)

The main grammatical categories are:

• **Noun (Name):** Names people, animals, or objects.
• **Determiner:** Updates or specifies the noun.
• **Pronoun:** Replaces the noun.
• **Adjective:** Expresses qualities of the noun.
• **Verb:** Expresses action and indicates notions of time.
• **Adverb:** Modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
• **Preposition/Conjunction:** Joins together words, phrases, or sentences.

The Noun: Structure and Classification

The noun is formed by a lexeme and morphemes, expressing **gender** (male or female) and **number** (singular or plural).

Derivational Morphemes

Derivational morphemes are used to create new words. According to their position relative to the lexeme, they include prefixes, suffixes, and augmentative/diminutive suffixes (including derogatory nicknames).

Types of Nouns (Substantives)

Nouns can be classified as:

• **Common:** Used to refer to all members of a species or class.
• **Proper:** Individualize a specific reality. These are classified into **Toponyms** (place names) and **Anthroponyms** (personal names).
• **Concrete:** Name sense-perceptible realities.
• **Abstract:** Name realities not perceptible to the senses.