Language Diversity and Renaissance Cultural Evolution
Understanding Language Dialects and Varieties
Language dialects are associated with users, meaning individuals or groups of people speaking a language.
Types of Language Varieties
Historical Varieties
These are varieties that have emerged and evolved over time.
Spatial or Geographical Varieties
These relate speakers to their territorial origin.
Social Varieties
These are varieties used by defined social groups.
The Concept of Idiolect
We can refer to the unique linguistic features of each individual speaker, considering their geographical origin, social, and generational context, as an idiolect.
The Standard Language Variety
Over time, language users have collectively created an interdialectal or common variety, also known as the standard language. In this variety, dialectal differences are less pronounced.
Key Features of Standard Language
- It is subject to rules and sub-norms.
- It is disseminated through institutions.
- It is capable of undergoing changes.
Relationship Between Language Varieties and Registers
Any utterance is part of both a dialect and a register.
Social Varieties and Influencing Factors
Society is internally organized into social groups. Several factors contribute to the formation of these groups and, consequently, to social language varieties:
- Age
- Habitat (Environment)
- Profession
- Marginal social groups
- Socio-cultural level
Language Registers and Styles
Varieties of style, or language registers, are patterns associated with each communicative situation within various sectors of society.
Factors Influencing Language Registers
- Topic
- Level of formality
- Relationship between sender and receiver
- Channel (e.g., spoken, written)
- Purpose
Types of Language Registers
Formal Registers
These are characterized by a careful selection of language resources. The formal register, often called the cultivated register, is characterized by a meticulous use of language at all levels: phonetic, morphosyntactic, and lexical. This category also includes standard, technical, scientific, and literary registers.
Informal Registers
These typically occur in interpersonal and spontaneous communication. The colloquial or familiar register refers to the spontaneous use of language through speech. Its features include:
- Spontaneity
- Expressiveness of the speaker
- Economy of linguistic means used
Historical Context: Spain Under Charles I and Philip II
In politics, Charles I continued the line of royal power strengthening established by the Catholic Monarchs: an authoritarian, centralist monarchy that subjected the nobility and and the Church, often in alliance with the lower nobility. Socially, there was a significant shift in trade from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. Religiously and culturally, two distinct stages emerged:
- First, under Charles I, Renaissance humanism expanded.
- Second, under Philip II, the period was marked by the conservative movement of the Counter-Reformation.
Key Historical Stages
The Reign of Charles I
This period represents a moment of political and economic brilliance, optimism, and openness to new European currents.
The Reign of Philip II
In the European territories that formed the empire, the Lutheran movement spread, which led to Protestantism. This marked the beginning of the period known as the Counter-Reformation, characterized by a step towards cultural distrust and isolation from Europe.
Renaissance Culture and Humanism
Renaissance culture reflects the assimilation of humanism, which views the human being as the center of the universe. From this central idea arise all its defining traits:
- Admiration for classical Greco-Roman culture.
- Emphasis on rational thought.
- Defense of a new spirituality based on individual experience.
Renaissance Aesthetics and Artistic Principles
The Renaissance embraced classical beauty, valuing balance, serenity, smoothness, and naturalness. Renaissance art reflected Aristotle’s idea that works of art reflect what is beautiful in reality; that is, art stylizes and beautifies reality. Thus, Renaissance art served an aesthetic purpose, aiming for beauty.
Language and Literature in the Renaissance
The Renaissance model of language aspired to elegance and naturalness, mirroring the ideals in all other areas. In literature, the admiration for Greco-Roman culture explains the aestheticism, Platonism, and imitation of Greek and Latin writers, who were taken as models. Their influence is reflected in both themes and forms.
Key Literary Themes of the Renaissance
- Carpe Diem: “Seize the day” or “enjoy life.”
- Donna Angelicata: Interpreting the beauty of the beloved as angelic.
- Ubi Sunt: A preoccupation with the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death.
- Locus Amoenus: The depiction of an idyllic, pleasant natural setting.
- Beatus Ille: The praise of a simple, tranquil life, away from worldly worries.