Overview

This book is a general introduction to the structures of the different medieval Romance vernaculars most commonly known as Old or Medieval Spanish, as preserved in texts from Spain from the eleventh to the fifteenth centuries. After discussing general methodological questions concerning the description and analysis of an earlier historical stage of a modern language, the individual chapters in the first part of the book describe the orthography, phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, and vocabulary of medieval Hispano-Romance. Steven N. Dworkin offers the first systematic description of the language in English, and compares its structures with those found in the modern variety. In the second part of the book, the features of medieval Hispano-Romance are exemplified in an anthology of selected texts, one from each of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries, accompanied by linguistic commentary. The volume will be of interest to scholars and students of Romance linguistics, Spanish historical linguistics, and Spanish medieval literary and cultural studies.

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9780199687329

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Reviews

Never have I reviewed a book more pleasurable to read - and that contains so much valuable information for both the novice and the seasoned scholar in so few pages - than this one. * Joel Rini, Bulletin of Spanish Studies * Dworkin succeeds in focusing on the essential. He presents the controversies in an even-handed manner and provides the reader with the information and references necessary to form their own judgement. * Romanische Forschungen [translated] * Dworkin's categorization of his book as a guide as opposed to a grammar is highly accurate, not in terms of what it does not cover, but in the sense that it accomplishes more than what one would expect from a grammar. In fact, Dworkin's use of the term is quite fortuitous in that it reflects the notion of a Spanish guion in its true augmentative sense as a 'large or comprehensive guide' rather than its more common usage as a 'script' or 'outline.' Both its accessibility and the comprehensive nature of its content make it an appealing read for a wide audience of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as scholars both within and outside of Hispanofilia. * John M. Ryan, Linguist List *

"Never have I reviewed a book more pleasurable to read -- and that contains so much valuable information for both the novice and the seasoned scholar in so few pages -- than this one. * Joel Rini, Bulletin of Spanish Studies * Dworkin succeeds in focusing on the essential. He presents the controversies in an even-handed manner and provides the reader with the information and references necessary to form their own judgement. * Romanische Forschungen [translated] * Dworkin's categorization of his book as a ""guide"" as opposed to a ""grammar"" is highly accurate, not in terms of what it does not cover, but in the sense that it accomplishes more than what one would expect from a grammar. In fact, Dworkin's use of the term is quite fortuitous in that it reflects the notion of a Spanish ""guion"" in its true augmentative sense as a 'large or comprehensive guide' rather than its more common usage as a 'script' or 'outline.' Both its accessibility and the comprehensive nature of its content make it an appealing read for a wide audience of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as scholars both within and outside of Hispanofilia. * John M. Ryan, Linguist List *"

"Never have I reviewed a book more pleasurable to read — and that contains so much valuable information for both the novice and the seasoned scholar in so few pages — than this one. * Joel Rini, Bulletin of Spanish Studies * Dworkin succeeds in focusing on the essential. He presents the controversies in an even-handed manner and provides the reader with the information and references necessary to form their own judgement. * Romanische Forschungen [translated] * Dworkin's categorization of his book as a ""guide"" as opposed to a ""grammar"" is highly accurate, not in terms of what it does not cover, but in the sense that it accomplishes more than what one would expect from a grammar. In fact, Dworkin's use of the term is quite fortuitous in that it reflects the notion of a Spanish ""guion"" in its true augmentative sense as a 'large or comprehensive guide' rather than its more common usage as a 'script' or 'outline.' Both its accessibility and the comprehensive nature of its content make it an appealing read for a wide audience of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as scholars both within and outside of Hispanofilia. * John M. Ryan, Linguist List *"

Author Information

Steven N. Dworkin is Professor of Romance Linguistics at the University of Michigan, where he has been based since 1979. He received his PhD in Romance Philology from the University of California-Berkeley, taught for four years at Arizona State University, and has held visiting professorships at the Universities of Heidelberg, Tübingen, Seville, Oslo, and Calgary. The primary focus of his research and teaching is Romance historical linguistics, with a particular focus on Spanish. He is the author of A History of the Spanish Lexicon: A Linguistic Perspective (OUP, 2012) and co-editor, with Dieter Wanner, of New Approaches to Old Problems: Issues in Romance Historical Linguistics (Benjamins, 2000).

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