Medieval Catalan Literature and Linguistic Concepts

The Royal Chancery

The Foreign Ministry (Royal Chancery) was an administrative organization created by James I and administered by the Crown of Aragon. In 1264, it provided all the documents written in the Romance language outside of the court.

Chansons de Geste

Songs of Heroic Deeds (Chansons de Geste) were narrative poems narrated by minstrels. In these works, the protagonists appear adorned with the highest chivalric virtues and religious excellence, fighting the enemies of the faith and the Fatherland, whom they defeated thanks to their intelligence and prowess, rather than relying solely on God.

Prosification

Prosification is the action of writing in prose based on a text originally written in verse. This was a technique frequently used by medieval chroniclers.

The Chronicle of James I

This chronicle includes the Confessions of State of the monarch. It speaks of his ancestors and his conquests. Key characteristics include:

• The use of popular and direct language.
• A sense of direct participation in what seems improvised.
• Narrated using the pluralis majestatis (the royal "We").
• A heroic spirit.
• Military-religious sentiment and providentialism.
• A focus on morality and didactics.

The Chronicle of Bernat Desclot

This chronicle covers the reign of Peter II (the Great). The author, who lived in the late 13th century, greatly admires the monarch. The work includes:

• Prosifications of various songs of gesta.
• Use of administrative documentation.
• Inclusion of direct talks and personal testimonies.

The Chronicle of Ramon Muntaner

This is an authentic book of memories regarding the adventures of Muntaner while serving the kings of Aragon. Its main features are:

• Unconditional monarchism, providentialism, and patriotism.
• Religiosity combined with didactic and moralizing thoughts.
• A detailed, sometimes violent and crude, style when describing battles.
• The use of simple and direct language, popular sayings, and common idioms.
• The use of minstrel resources to engage the audience.

The Chronicle of Peter the Ceremonious

The chronicle consists of a prologue written by the monarch himself, six chapters, and an appendix. It discusses his reign, diplomatic efforts, and political intrigues, among other topics. Characteristics include:

• An elegant and solemn language, filled with administrative formulas and legal syntax.
• Well-organized syntax with long, balanced, and well-finished sentences.
• Written as an autobiography of the King, incorporating personal memories and administrative documents of the time.

Linguistic Fundamentals

Language as a Capacity

Language is the human capacity to communicate through a system of linguistic signs.

Language as a System

A language is the specific system of signs used by a particular linguistic community.

Speech

Speech is the concrete realization of the language system by an individual.

Idiolect

An idiolect is the unique manner in which a single individual speaks a language.

Dialect

A dialect is the manner of speaking a language shared by a specific collective or group.