Pompeu Fabra
Encyclopedia
Pompeu Fabra i Poch (Barcelona
1868 - Prada de Conflent 1948) was a Catalan
grammarian, the main author of the normative reform of contemporary Catalan language
.
Trained as a chemical engineer, from a quite young age he dedicated himself to the study of the Catalan language. Through a group called L'Avenç, he promoted a campaign to reform Catalan orthography
(1890–91), publishing in (1904) with Jaume Massó i Torrents and Joaquim Casas i Carbó a Tractat d'ortografia catalana. He participated actively in the First International Congress of the Catalan language (1906). In 1912 he published his Gramática de la lengua catalana (in Spanish).
Fabra moved from Bilbao
to Barcelona
in 1911, to become a professor (catedràtic) of Catalan — a position created by the diputació (local government) of Barcelona — and a member of the department of philology
at the newly created Institut d'Estudis Catalans
, of which he later became president.
The Institute published the Normes ortogràfiques in 1913, the Diccionari ortogràfic in 1917, and its official Gramàtica catalana in 1918.
In 1918, Fabra edited the textbook Curs mitjà de gramàtica catalana, published by l'Associació Protectora de l'Ensenyança Catalana (1918).
His "Converses filològiques", first published in the newspaper "La Publicitat", were later collected as "Popular Barcino". Probably his most famous work was the Diccionari general de la llengua catalana (1932), the first edition of which later became the Institute's official dictionary.
In 1932, owing to his scientific prestige, he was unanimously named a professor (catedràtic) of the Republican Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (not to be confused with the later Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona created in the 1960s during the Francoist régime).
Imprisoned in 1934 (during the Second Spanish Republic
), he later (1939) went into exile in France
, where he was to live in Paris
, Montpellier
and Prada de Conflent. He presided over the literary competition of Jocs Florals in Montpellier
in 1946. Every year, his tomb in the Cuixà
monastery near Prada, is visited by thousands of Catalans.
The Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona bears his name.
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...
1868 - Prada de Conflent 1948) was a Catalan
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
grammarian, the main author of the normative reform of contemporary Catalan language
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...
.
Trained as a chemical engineer, from a quite young age he dedicated himself to the study of the Catalan language. Through a group called L'Avenç, he promoted a campaign to reform Catalan orthography
Catalan orthography
Like those of many other Romance languages, the Catalan alphabet derives from the Latin alphabet and is largely based on the language’s phonology. The Catalan alphabet consists of the twenty-six letters of the ISO basic Latin alphabet:...
(1890–91), publishing in (1904) with Jaume Massó i Torrents and Joaquim Casas i Carbó a Tractat d'ortografia catalana. He participated actively in the First International Congress of the Catalan language (1906). In 1912 he published his Gramática de la lengua catalana (in Spanish).
Fabra moved from Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
to Barcelona
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...
in 1911, to become a professor (catedràtic) of Catalan — a position created by the diputació (local government) of Barcelona — and a member of the department of philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
at the newly created Institut d'Estudis Catalans
Institut d'Estudis Catalans
The Institut d'Estudis Catalans , also known by the acronym IEC, is an academic institution which seeks to undertake research and study into "all elements of Catalan culture"....
, of which he later became president.
The Institute published the Normes ortogràfiques in 1913, the Diccionari ortogràfic in 1917, and its official Gramàtica catalana in 1918.
In 1918, Fabra edited the textbook Curs mitjà de gramàtica catalana, published by l'Associació Protectora de l'Ensenyança Catalana (1918).
His "Converses filològiques", first published in the newspaper "La Publicitat", were later collected as "Popular Barcino". Probably his most famous work was the Diccionari general de la llengua catalana (1932), the first edition of which later became the Institute's official dictionary.
In 1932, owing to his scientific prestige, he was unanimously named a professor (catedràtic) of the Republican Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (not to be confused with the later Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona created in the 1960s during the Francoist régime).
Imprisoned in 1934 (during the Second Spanish Republic
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
), he later (1939) went into exile in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where he was to live in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
and Prada de Conflent. He presided over the literary competition of Jocs Florals in Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
in 1946. Every year, his tomb in the Cuixà
Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa
Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa is a Benedictine abbey located in the territory of the commune of Codalet, in the Pyrénées-Orientales département, in southwestern France...
monastery near Prada, is visited by thousands of Catalans.
The Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona bears his name.