Spanish Language in the Americas: Origins and Features
The Spanish American Language
With the arrival of the Spanish in 1492, the Spanish language became the common tongue of colonizers and colonized. Although influenced by American Indian languages, the first colonizers were primarily from Extremadura, Andalusia, and the Canary Islands. Many presented typical features of southern dialects, such as lisping, yeísmo, and the aspiration of ‘-s’ in syllable-final position or at the end of words.
Linguistic Features
Phonetic Features
- The lisp: Pronunciation
Literary Devices & Genre Classifications
Literary Devices: Enhancing Communication
Literary devices are the language tools used to enhance communication and create specific effects in writing.
Sound Devices (Phonic Resources)
- Alliteration
- Repetition of one or more initial consonant sounds in close proximity.
- Onomatopoeia
- Use of words that imitate the sounds they represent.
- Paronomasia
- Repetition of words that sound very similar, often for a pun or wordplay.
Syntactic Devices (Morphosyntactic Resources)
- Anaphora
- Repetition of the same word or phrase
19th Century Spain: History, Monarchy, and Romanticism
Historical Context: 19th Century Spain
The 19th century in Spain was marked by decadence, as well as ideological confrontations and social conflicts. In Europe, liberal ideas sparked many revolutions, which sought to annul the old regime’s economy. The Industrial Revolution was underway, and the bourgeoisie was threatened by the new class, thereafter known as the proletariat.
Three important dates:
- 1808: Start of the War of Independence
- 1868: Deposition of Isabella II
- 1898: Loss of Spain’s Atlantic colonies
Spanish
Read MoreEdgar Allan Poe: Master of Gothic Horror and Detective Fiction
Poe and the Gothic Tradition
Few would challenge the long-standing opinion that Poe was a master of the Gothic horror tale. However, many might not readily be aware that he did not invent Gothic fiction. When Poe began to attract widespread attention by publishing several macabre tales in the Southern Literary Messenger in early 1835, critics sounded negative notes concerning his “Germanism,” a synonym for Gothicism. They deplored his wasting talents on what they deemed an outmoded type of fiction.
Read MoreAma Ata Aidoo’s ‘The Message’: Themes and Literary Analysis
Ama Ata Aidoo’s “The Message”: An Introduction
This extract is from The Message, a one-act poetic drama by the acclaimed African writer Ama Ata Aidoo, published in 1967. The play reflects the reaction of Africans in South Africa to the introduction of modern technology and medical practices.
Context and Themes
The story centers on a woman undergoing a Cesarean operation in a city hospital. It follows her mother-in-law’s journey to visit her, highlighting the significant societal reactions and concerns
Read MoreEssential Concepts in Text, Media, and Communication
Understanding Textual Communication Concepts
Statements
A statement is a set of words pronounced with a particular intonation, communicating a complete idea.
Text (Linguistic Unit)
A text is the highest linguistic unit, consisting of a group of statements that share the same content and purpose.
Adequacy
Adequacy refers to how a text adjusts to the circumstances of communication.
Consistency
Consistency is the logical relationship between statements that form a text, always serving its global significance.
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