Joan Coromines
Encyclopedia
Joan Coromines i Vigneaux (ʒuˈaŋ kuɾuˈminəs) (sometimes also referred to as Joan Corominas; Barcelona
, Catalonia
, Spain
1905 — Pineda de Mar
, Catalonia
, Spain
, 1997) was a linguist who made important contributions to the study of Catalan
, Spanish
and other Romance languages
.
His main works are the Diccionari etimològic i complementari de la llengua catalana, which investigates the origin of most words in the Catalan language (9 volumes), the Onomasticon Cataloniae, documenting place and person names, old and new, in all the Catalan-speaking territories
(8 volumes), and the Diccionario Crítico Etimológico Castellano e Hispánico
. Following this research, he made key contributions to the study of the Basque language´s geographical extent across the Pyrenees during the Early Middle Ages along with Koldo Mitxelena
.
Coromines studied at the University of Barcelona, and started working on linguistics from an early age. At the same time, he held strongly Catalanist
convictions all his life. He was forced into exile after the Spanish Civil War
, eventually holding a professorship at the University of Chicago
, in 1948. He returned to Catalonia later, and spent his last years working on his main works, the Etymological Dictionary and the Onomasticon.
He refused several prizes from the Spanish government, in protest at the treatment of the Catalan language and culture in Spain
.
In honor of Coromines, in April 2006 the University of Chicago inaugurated the Càtedra Joan Coromines d'Estudis Catalans, a teaching chair for visiting professors of Catalan language and literature.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
1905 — Pineda de Mar
Pineda de Mar
Pineda de Mar is a municipality in the comarca of the Maresme inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated on the coast between Calella and Santa Susanna.The main N-II road and a RENFE railway line run through the town....
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, 1997) was a linguist who made important contributions to the study of Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and other Romance languages
Romance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
.
His main works are the Diccionari etimològic i complementari de la llengua catalana, which investigates the origin of most words in the Catalan language (9 volumes), the Onomasticon Cataloniae, documenting place and person names, old and new, in all the Catalan-speaking territories
Catalan Countries
The Catalan term Països Catalans refers to the territories where the Catalan language is spoken.The first mentions of the term date back to the late 19th century, but it never surpassed the limits of a small circle of Catalan authors until its strictly cultural dimension became increasingly...
(8 volumes), and the Diccionario Crítico Etimológico Castellano e Hispánico
Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico
The Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico is the updated compilation of the works of the Diccionario crítico etimológico de la lengua castellana by the Spanish Catalan linguist Joan Coromines , written in collaboration with José Antonio...
. Following this research, he made key contributions to the study of the Basque language´s geographical extent across the Pyrenees during the Early Middle Ages along with Koldo Mitxelena
Koldo Mitxelena
Koldo Mitxelena Elissalt was an eminent Basque linguist...
.
Coromines studied at the University of Barcelona, and started working on linguistics from an early age. At the same time, he held strongly Catalanist
Catalan nationalism
Catalan nationalism or Catalanism , is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or full independence of Catalonia....
convictions all his life. He was forced into exile after the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, eventually holding a professorship at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, in 1948. He returned to Catalonia later, and spent his last years working on his main works, the Etymological Dictionary and the Onomasticon.
He refused several prizes from the Spanish government, in protest at the treatment of the Catalan language and culture in Spain
Languages of Spain
The languages of Spain are the languages spoken or once spoken in Spain. Romance languages are the most widely spoken in Spain, of which Spanish is the country's official language...
.
In honor of Coromines, in April 2006 the University of Chicago inaugurated the Càtedra Joan Coromines d'Estudis Catalans, a teaching chair for visiting professors of Catalan language and literature.