Joan Bastardas i Parera facts for kids

Joan Bastardas i Parera in 2008

Joan Bastardas i Parera (born in Barcelona, 1919 – died 2009) was a Spanish expert in Latin and other languages that grew from Latin, like Catalan and Spanish. He was the son of Albert Bastardas i Sampere, a lawyer and politician. Joan Bastardas studied at the University of Barcelona. He wrote a very important research paper about old Latin, which won him a special award called the Antonio de Nebrija Prize in 1951.

His Studies and Early Career

Joan Bastardas started his career teaching at the University of Barcelona. Over time, he became a full professor of Latin studies in 1976. He spent a lot of time researching Latin from the Middle Ages, especially Latin used in Spain. He also studied the early forms of the Catalan language before it was widely written down.

The Glossarium Mediae Latinitatis Cataloniae

From 1960 to 1985, Joan Bastardas led a big project called the Glossarium Mediae Latinitatis Cataloniae. This project created a dictionary of Medieval Latin used in Catalonia, a region in Spain. This dictionary was part of an even bigger international project to create a global dictionary of Medieval Latin.

Other Important Work

Joan Bastardas was also part of the Fundació Bernat Metge. This group publishes old Greek and Latin books with Catalan translations. He also helped create the Enciclopedia Lingüística Hispánica, which is an encyclopedia about the languages of Spain.

Important Roles and Awards

In 1972, Joan Bastardas became a member of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans, a very important academic group. He was even the vice-president of this group from 1983 to 1986. He also led their "Lexicographic Office," which works on dictionaries and words.

In 1977, he joined another important group called the Acadèmia de Bones Lletres de Barcelona. His first speech there was about the Usatges de Barcelona. These were old laws and customs from Barcelona that date back to the 12th century.

Joan Bastardas received many awards for his work:

• The "Creu de Sant Jordi" (Cross of Saint George) from the Generalitat de Catalunya in 1991. This is one of the highest honors in Catalonia.
• The Manuel Sanchis Guarner prize in 1996.
• An essay prize from the Institució de les Lletres Catalanes in 1997.
• A medal from the Institut d’Estudis Catalans in 1997.

Selected Works

Joan Bastardas wrote many books and articles. Here are a few examples:

• Particularidades sintácticas del latín medieval (1953): This was his important research paper about Medieval Latin.
• Usatges de Barcelona. El codi a mitjan segle XII (1984): He edited this book about the old laws of Barcelona.
• La llengua catalana mil anys enrere (1995): This book is about the Catalan language from a thousand years ago.

See also

In Spanish: Joan Bastardas para niños