Royal Spanish Academy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Royal Spanish Academy

Real Academia Española
Arms of the Royal Spanish Academy
Headquarters of the Royal Spanish Academy on Felipe IV Street, 4, in the Jerónimos neighborhood of Madrid.
Abbreviation	RAE
Formation	1713; 312 years ago (1713)
Founder	The Duke of Escalona
Purpose	Linguistic prescription and research
Headquarters	Madrid, Spain
Region served	Hispanophone regions and populations
Official language	Spanish
Protector	Felipe VI (as King of Spain)
Director	Santiago Muñoz Machado
Main organ	Governing Board
Affiliations	Association of Spanish Language Academies

The Royal Spanish Academy (Spanish: Real Academia Española, often called RAE) is Spain's official organization for the Spanish language. Its main job is to make sure the Spanish language stays strong and united. The RAE is located in Madrid, Spain. It works closely with other Spanish language academies in 22 different countries where Spanish is spoken. These academies are part of the Association of Spanish Language Academies.

The RAE helps guide how the Spanish language is used. It creates rules and suggestions to keep the language consistent across all Spanish-speaking areas. This helps everyone understand each other. The RAE shares these language guidelines in many books and publications.

History of the RAE

In 1711, Spain did not have a big dictionary like France or Italy. This dictionary would list all Spanish words and their meanings.

How the Academy Started

That same year, a group of eight scholars began meeting. They met in the library of Juan Manuel Fernández Pacheco's palace. Pacheco was the Duke of Escalona. His palace was in Madrid.

The Spanish Academy was officially started on August 3, 1713. It was Pacheco's idea. The goal was to "fix the voices and words of the Castilian language." This meant making sure Spanish was used in the best, most proper, and purest way. They wanted to keep the language as strong as it was in the 16th and 17th centuries. The RAE looked to the Italian Accademia della Crusca (founded 1582) and the French Académie Française (founded 1635) as examples.

The first official meeting of the new Academy was on July 6, 1713. It took place at Pacheco's home.

Royal Approval and Growth

King Philip V of Spain officially approved the Academy on October 3, 1714. He gave it the name "Royal Spanish Academy." This meant its members had special rights, like those who served the Royal Household. The Academy first had its home on Valverde Street. Later, it moved to its current location on Felipe IV Street.

The RAE chose a special symbol: a fiery pot over a fire. Its motto was Limpia, fija y da esplendor. This means "cleans, fixes, and gives splendor." The Academy wanted to be useful to everyone. This made it different from other groups that were just for literary meetings.

Setting Language Rules

The RAE started making rules for Spanish spelling in 1741. Their first spelling book was called Ortographía. From the second edition, it was spelled Ortografía. By 1844, these rules became official in Spain. Other Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas also started using them.

In 1959, new rules for pronunciation and spelling were added. Since 1951, the RAE has worked closely with other Spanish language academies. They work together on many projects. The 1999 spelling book was the first one created by all 22 academies together. The most recent spelling rules were published in 2010.

The RAE's main building opened in 1894. It is on Calle Felipe IV in Madrid. It is near the Museo del Prado. In 2007, the Center for the Studies of the Royal Spanish Academy opened nearby.

Juan Manuel Fernández Pacheco, Marquis of Villena around 1700

What the RAE Does

RAE motto from the title page of one of its publications.

Inauguration of the RAE building in Madrid by Alfonso XIII, 1894

Title page of Fundación y estatútos de la Real Académia Españóla (Foundation and statutes of the Royal Spanish Academy) (1715)

The RAE does not create language rules out of nowhere. Instead, it studies how people use the language. It collects information and then shares what it finds. The rules of a language come from how people actually speak and write. The Academy then records these common uses. It also teaches people how to read and write correctly.

The RAE's main goal is to make sure the Spanish language stays unified. Even as it changes over time, it should keep its core identity. This helps Spanish speakers all over the world understand each other. The Academy also works to make the language shine.

To do this, the RAE:

• Studies the history and current state of Spanish.
• Shares important writings, both old and new.
• Remembers famous writers from Spain and the Americas.

The RAE is part of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language. It works closely with other academies in Spanish-speaking countries.

Who Are the Members?

Partial view of the library at the RAE

The members of the Academy are called Académicos de número. They are chosen from famous people in arts and sciences. Many are well-known Spanish-language authors. They are sometimes called "The Immortals," like members of the French Academy. Once chosen, they are members for life.

Each member holds a special seat marked with a letter from the Spanish alphabet. Both uppercase and lowercase letters are used for different seats. Only a few letters of the alphabet have never been used for a seat.

Countries with a Spanish language academy

The Academy has included members from Latin American countries for a long time. Many Spanish-speaking countries also have their own language academies.

Current Members

Famous Past Members

View of the front facade of the RAE building

Learn More

• List of language regulators

See also

In Spanish: Real Academia Española para niños