Joan Coromines facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joan Coromines
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Joan Coromines el 1980
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| Born | 21 March 1905  |
| Died | 2 January 1997 (aged 91) |
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Joan Coromines i Vigneaux (born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain in 1905 – died in Pineda de Mar, Catalonia, Spain, in 1997) was a very important linguist. A linguist is a scientist who studies languages. He made huge contributions to understanding the Catalan, Spanish, and other Romance languages. These are languages that developed from Latin.
Contents
Joan Coromines: A Language Expert
Joan Coromines was a brilliant scholar who spent his life studying words. He wanted to know where words came from and how they changed over time. This field of study is called etymology. He wrote many large books that are still used by language experts today.
His Amazing Work
Coromines created several huge dictionaries. These books explain the history and origin of words.
- His Diccionario crítico etimológico de la lengua castellana was a four-volume dictionary of Spanish words. He also made a shorter version for easier use.
- He wrote the Diccionari etimològic i complementari de la llengua catalana. This dictionary, with nine volumes, explores the origins of most words in the Catalan language.
- The Onomasticon Cataloniae is another massive work. It documents the names of places and people, both old and new, across all Catalan-speaking areas. This project has eight volumes.
- With another expert, José Antonio Pascual, he created the Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico. This is considered the most complete dictionary of Spanish word origins available.
His research also helped us understand how far the Basque language spread in the Pyrenees mountains a long time ago.
A Life of Learning and Challenges
Joan Coromines studied at the University of Barcelona. He started working on language studies when he was very young. He always felt a strong connection to Catalan culture and language.
After the Spanish Civil War, he had to leave Spain. He later became a professor at the University of Chicago in 1948. Eventually, he returned to Catalonia. He spent his last years working on his main projects, the huge dictionaries and the Onomasticon.
Standing Up for Catalan
Coromines was very dedicated to the Catalan language. He even refused several awards from the Spanish government. He did this to protest how the Catalan language and culture were treated in Spain.
To honor his work, the University of Chicago started the Càtedra Joan Coromines d'Estudis Catalans in 2006. This is a special teaching position for professors who visit to teach about Catalan language and literature.
See also
In Spanish: Joan Coromines para niños
