Bartolomé de Alva
Encyclopedia
Don
Bartolomé de Alva was a Novohispanic
mestizo
secular
priest
and Nahuatl
translator
. He was a younger brother of the chronicler don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitl.
Alva received a bachelor of arts
degree from the University of Mexico in 1622, and subsequently a licentiate
. He probably entered the priesthood in 1625. In 1634 he published a Nahuatl
-language confessionary, for the use of priests administering confession
to Nahuas. Around 1640 he translated and adapted Spanish plays into the Nahuatl language and Nahua culture; these were then used by Horacio Carochi
to draw examples from for his grammar of Nahuatl
, published in 1645. Alva was one of the examiners who approved the grammar for publication, writing that "the author, by dint of study, has attained the ability to explain masterfully in the Mexican [i.e. Nahuatl] and Otomi languages what the very natives, although they reach an understanding of it, hardly manage to express."
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
Bartolomé de Alva was a Novohispanic
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
secular
Secular clergy
The term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or members of a religious order.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, the secular clergy are ministers, such as deacons and priests, who do not belong to a religious order...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
. He was a younger brother of the chronicler don Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitl.
Alva received a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Mexico in 1622, and subsequently a licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
. He probably entered the priesthood in 1625. In 1634 he published a Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
-language confessionary, for the use of priests administering confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
to Nahuas. Around 1640 he translated and adapted Spanish plays into the Nahuatl language and Nahua culture; these were then used by Horacio Carochi
Horacio Carochi
Horacio Carochi was an Italian Jesuit priest and grammarian who was born in Florence, Italy, and died in Mexico. He is known for his grammar of the Classical Nahuatl language.- Life:...
to draw examples from for his grammar of Nahuatl
Arte de la lengua mexicana con la declaración de los adverbios della
The Arte de la lengua mexicana con la declaración de los adverbios della is a grammar of the Nahuatl language in Spanish by Jesuit grammarian Horacio Carochi...
, published in 1645. Alva was one of the examiners who approved the grammar for publication, writing that "the author, by dint of study, has attained the ability to explain masterfully in the Mexican [i.e. Nahuatl] and Otomi languages what the very natives, although they reach an understanding of it, hardly manage to express."