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José Antonio Pascual
headshot photo of José Antonio Pascual, in a library wearing a suit and glasses
Born (1942-03-29) 29 March 1942 (age 83)
Nationality Spanish
Alma mater Universidad de Salamanca
Occupation professor, linguist
Notable work
Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, Hablando claro
Title Professor at Charles III University of Madrid, Accademia della Crusca, Institut d'Estudis Catalans
Awards Caballero de las Artes y las Letras, Premio Nacional de Investigación Ramón Menéndez Pidal (2006)
Seat k of the Real Academia Española
Assumed office
10 March 2002
Preceded by Rafael Lapesa

José Antonio Pascual Rodríguez was born on March 29, 1942, in Monleras, Salamanca, Spain. He is a very important expert in languages, known as a linguist. He taught the Spanish language as a professor at Charles III University of Madrid.

He is a member of two big language organizations: the Royal Spanish Academy for Spanish and the Accademia della Crusca for Italian. These groups help keep their languages correct and up-to-date.

Mr. Pascual joined the Royal Spanish Academy in 2002. He was even the vice president from 2007 to 2015. He is famous for his work on a huge dictionary called Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico. He also worked on a TV show called Hablando claro in the 1980s.

Early Life and Education

José Antonio Pascual was born in a small town called Monleras. It is located in the Salamanca province of Spain. He grew up there and later went to college.

He studied at the Universidad de Salamanca. This is one of the oldest and most famous universities in Spain. There, he learned a lot about languages and how they work.

A Career in Language

After finishing his studies, José Antonio Pascual became a professor. He taught the Spanish language to students. He worked at the University of Seville and later at the Charles III University of Madrid.

As a linguist, he studies languages very deeply. He looks at their history and how words change over time. This field is called historical linguistics.

Important Language Organizations

José Antonio Pascual is a member of several important groups. These groups work to protect and develop languages.

The Royal Spanish Academy

The Royal Spanish Academy is a very old and respected institution in Spain. Its main job is to make sure the Spanish language is used correctly. They publish dictionaries and grammar books.

Mr. Pascual became a member of this academy in 2002. He held the "k" seat, which is a special position. From 2007 to 2015, he was the vice president. This shows how important his work is.

Accademia della Crusca

He is also a member of the Accademia della Crusca. This is a similar organization, but for the Italian language. It helps keep Italian pure and correct. Being part of both academies shows his wide knowledge of Romance languages.

His Famous Works

José Antonio Pascual is known for two major projects. One is a huge dictionary, and the other is a television series.

The Big Dictionary Project

One of his most important works is the Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico. This is a very detailed dictionary of Spanish words. He worked on it with another famous linguist, Joan Coromines.

This dictionary explains where Spanish words come from. It shows how words have changed over hundreds of years. It was published in several volumes between 1983 and 1991.

Hablando claro TV Show

Mr. Pascual also worked on a television series called Hablando claro. This means "Speaking Clearly" in English. It was shown in Spain in the late 1980s.

The show helped people understand the Spanish language better. It made learning about words and grammar fun and easy.

Awards and Recognition

José Antonio Pascual has received many awards for his work. These awards recognize his important contributions to language studies.

In 2006, he won the Premio Nacional de Investigación Ramón Menéndez Pidal. This is a very high honor in Spain for research. It is named after another famous Spanish linguist. He also received the Caballero de las Artes y las Letras.

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