Galician Association of Language
Encyclopedia
Galician Language Association is a reintegrationist
association established in 1981 which seeks the full restoration ("re-integration") of Galician
as a branch of Galician-Portuguese
. It also aims for the official incorporation of Galicia into the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. It was originally formed by professional linguists only, although membership was soon made available to individuals showing an interest in the promotion of Galician culture, language, and the ideas of linguistic reintegracionism.
(Royal Galician Academy) published in 1982. The AGAL norm was somewhat based in the 1979 official draft for the Galician language prepared under the direction of professor Carvalho Calero. With the dismissal of Carvalho Calero due to political reasons and the subsequent approval of a different set of spelling norms the debate between isolacionists and reintegrationists
(led by AGAL) was ignited.
AGAL considers that "Galician" is the denomination that Galician-Portuguese language should receive in Galicia, and assumes that the international name is Portuguese
. Following the reintegracionist ideas, AGAL defends that Galician and Portuguese are two varieties of the same language, in other words, two versions of the same diasystem
. This view is based on the facts that Galician and Portuguese share an almost identical grammar
, syntax
, morphology
, vocabulary
and that natural mutual intelligibility
is over ninety per cent.
Members of AGAL have been regularly present at the meetings of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries). In 2008, AGAL delegates were invited as speakers to the Portuguese Parliament when discussing the new spelling norms
for Portuguese language.
Although AGAL was first founded under the auspices and guidance of Carvalho Calero, its first president was writer Xavier Alcalá (1981–82), followed by Maria do Carmo Henríquez Salido (1982–2001). The president from 2001 to 2007 was Bernardo Penabade. Alexandre Banhos held the presidency from June 2007 to May 2009, when he was replaced by the current president Valentim Rodrigues Fagimhttp://www.agal-gz.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4401.
Since 1995 it has edited the quarterly Agália. Agália is in fact considered a reference journal in the domain of Galician and Portuguese culture and linguistics, although it also deals with a wide array of topics. Likewise, AGAL fosters the Universália, Criaçom, Música and Clássicos book collections. Through its web portal AGAL also provides for electronic publishing
through GZ e-editora. The web portal also hosts an exhaustive dictionary, the e-Estraviz http://www.agal-gz.org/estraviz, among other free resources.
AGAL has been accused by some of being closely linked to extreme-left minority groups. Indeed, such groups often use the AGAL orthography and some AGAL members may militate in them. However AGAL - as an institution - has successfully managed to separate itself from any particular political camp and remain "neutral", focusing only on the scientific aspects of linguistics.
Reintegrationism
Reintegrationism is the linguistic and cultural movement in Galicia which defends the unity of Galician and Portuguese as a single language. In other words, it postulates that Galician and Portuguese languages did not only share a common origin and literary tradition, but that they are in fact...
association established in 1981 which seeks the full restoration ("re-integration") of Galician
Galician language
Galician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
as a branch of Galician-Portuguese
Galician-Portuguese
Galician-Portuguese or Old Portuguese was a West Iberian Romance language spoken in the Middle Ages, in the northwest area of the Iberian Peninsula. It was first spoken in the area bounded in the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and the Douro River in the south but it was later extended south...
. It also aims for the official incorporation of Galicia into the Community of Portuguese Language Countries. It was originally formed by professional linguists only, although membership was soon made available to individuals showing an interest in the promotion of Galician culture, language, and the ideas of linguistic reintegracionism.
History and theoretical foundations
AGAL made its name in the public domain in 1983, when its Comissom Lingüística (Linguistic Commission) passed a new set of rules and norms for the Galician language with the title Estudo crítico das «Normas Ortográficas e Morfolóxicas do Idioma Galego» ("Critical study of 'Galician Language Spelling and Morphological Rules'"). This study radically diverged from the norms of the Real Academia GalegaReal Academia Galega
The Royal Galician Academy is an institution dedicated to the study of Galician culture and especially the Galician language; it promulgates norms of grammar, spelling, and vocabulary and works to promote the language. The Academy is based in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain. The current president is...
(Royal Galician Academy) published in 1982. The AGAL norm was somewhat based in the 1979 official draft for the Galician language prepared under the direction of professor Carvalho Calero. With the dismissal of Carvalho Calero due to political reasons and the subsequent approval of a different set of spelling norms the debate between isolacionists and reintegrationists
Reintegrationism
Reintegrationism is the linguistic and cultural movement in Galicia which defends the unity of Galician and Portuguese as a single language. In other words, it postulates that Galician and Portuguese languages did not only share a common origin and literary tradition, but that they are in fact...
(led by AGAL) was ignited.
AGAL considers that "Galician" is the denomination that Galician-Portuguese language should receive in Galicia, and assumes that the international name is Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
. Following the reintegracionist ideas, AGAL defends that Galician and Portuguese are two varieties of the same language, in other words, two versions of the same diasystem
Diasystem
In the field of structural dialectology, a diasystem or polylectal grammar is an analysis set up to encode or represent a range of related varieties...
. This view is based on the facts that Galician and Portuguese share an almost identical grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
, syntax
Syntax
In linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing phrases and sentences in natural languages....
, morphology
Morphology (linguistics)
In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...
, vocabulary
Vocabulary
A person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge...
and that natural mutual intelligibility
Mutual intelligibility
In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is recognized as a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related languages can readily understand each other without intentional study or extraordinary effort...
is over ninety per cent.
Members of AGAL have been regularly present at the meetings of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries). In 2008, AGAL delegates were invited as speakers to the Portuguese Parliament when discussing the new spelling norms
Spelling reforms of Portuguese
This article is about the spelling reforms of the Portuguese language.-Historical background:Portuguese began to be used regularly in documents and poetry around the 12th century...
for Portuguese language.
Although AGAL was first founded under the auspices and guidance of Carvalho Calero, its first president was writer Xavier Alcalá (1981–82), followed by Maria do Carmo Henríquez Salido (1982–2001). The president from 2001 to 2007 was Bernardo Penabade. Alexandre Banhos held the presidency from June 2007 to May 2009, when he was replaced by the current president Valentim Rodrigues Fagimhttp://www.agal-gz.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=4401.
Scientific and cultural production
AGAL has published a large number of titles on linguistics, Galician language and culture http://www.agal-gz.org/modules.php?name=Publications.Since 1995 it has edited the quarterly Agália. Agália is in fact considered a reference journal in the domain of Galician and Portuguese culture and linguistics, although it also deals with a wide array of topics. Likewise, AGAL fosters the Universália, Criaçom, Música and Clássicos book collections. Through its web portal AGAL also provides for electronic publishing
Electronic publishing
Electronic publishing or ePublishing includes the digital publication of e-books and electronic articles, and the development of digital libraries and catalogues. Electronic publishing has become common in scientific publishing where it has been argued that peer-reviewed scientific journals are in...
through GZ e-editora. The web portal also hosts an exhaustive dictionary, the e-Estraviz http://www.agal-gz.org/estraviz, among other free resources.
Criticism
The orthographic reform campaign held by the AGAL is not officially supported by any of the Galician political parties currently represented in the Galician Parliament, although some members support it individually or express a sympathy towards its theoretical foundations.AGAL has been accused by some of being closely linked to extreme-left minority groups. Indeed, such groups often use the AGAL orthography and some AGAL members may militate in them. However AGAL - as an institution - has successfully managed to separate itself from any particular political camp and remain "neutral", focusing only on the scientific aspects of linguistics.
Further reading
- AGAL (1983 and 1989): Estudo crítico das normas ortográficas e morfolóxicas do idioma galego. AGAL, Corunha
- AGAL (1985): Prontuário ortográfico galego. AGAL, Corunha
- Henríquez Salido, M. [ed.] et al. (1992): Actas do III Congresso Internacional da Língua Galego-Portuguesa na Galiza, 1990. AGAL, Corunha
- Henríquez Salido, M. [ed.] et al. (1996): Actas do IV Congresso Internacional da Língua Galego-Portuguesa na Galiza, 1993. AGAL, Corunha
- Penabade, B. (2001): "Xavier Alcalá escritor e primeiro presidente da AGAL", in Agália, no. 67/68, p. 193-222
- Souto Cabo, J.A. and Villarino Pardo, C. (2001): "As Dinámicas da AGAL através dos Congressos", in Agália, no. 67/68, p. 55-75
External links
- Portal Galego da Língua - PGL (AGAL's official site)
- AGAL Web ("old" site of the AGAL, now within the PGL portal)
- Revista Agália
- (Parte do) Estudo Crítico
- Revista Portugaliza
- Academia Galega da Língua Portuguesa
See also
- ReintegrationismReintegrationismReintegrationism is the linguistic and cultural movement in Galicia which defends the unity of Galician and Portuguese as a single language. In other words, it postulates that Galician and Portuguese languages did not only share a common origin and literary tradition, but that they are in fact...
- Carvalho Calero
- Galician languageGalician languageGalician is a language of the Western Ibero-Romance branch, spoken in Galicia, an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain, where it is co-official with Castilian Spanish, as well as in border zones of the neighbouring territories of Asturias and Castile and León.Modern Galician and...
- Portuguese languagePortuguese languagePortuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
- Galician-PortugueseGalician-PortugueseGalician-Portuguese or Old Portuguese was a West Iberian Romance language spoken in the Middle Ages, in the northwest area of the Iberian Peninsula. It was first spoken in the area bounded in the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and the Douro River in the south but it was later extended south...
- Spelling reformSpelling reformMany languages have undergone spelling reform, where a deliberate, often officially sanctioned or mandated, change to spelling takes place. Proposals for such reform are also common....
- Spelling reforms of PortugueseSpelling reforms of PortugueseThis article is about the spelling reforms of the Portuguese language.-Historical background:Portuguese began to be used regularly in documents and poetry around the 12th century...
- Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries