Association of Academies of the Spanish Language

The Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española; ASALE) is an entity whose end is to work for the unity, integrity, and growth of the Spanish language.[2] It was created in Mexico in 1951 and represents the union of all the separate academies in the Spanish-speaking world. The association publishes reference works on the Spanish language and commemorative editions of Hispanic literature, among other publications.[3][4][5][6]

Association of Academies of the Spanish Language
AbbreviationASALE
Formation1951 (1951)
HeadquartersMadrid, Spain
Official language
Spanish
President
Santiago Muñoz Machado[1]
General Secretary
Francisco Javier Pérez
Main organ
Permanent commission
Websitewww.asale.org

History

Through the initiative of then-president of Mexico Miguel Alemán Valdés, the first congress of academies convened with the purpose of maintaining the integrity of and fostering the further growth of Spanish.[4] The meeting was held from 23 April to 6 May 1951 and resulted in the creation of the association[7] and its permanent commission.[8] The Royal Spanish Academy (Spanish: Real Academia Española or RAE) was not present at the initial meeting but participated in the permanent commission.[8] Ever since the second congress convened in 1956, the RAE has been a regular participant.[citation needed]

In 2000 the association organised the School of Hispanic Lexicography and the Carolina Foundation to promote Spanish lexicography[citation needed], and together with the RAE, the association earned the Prince of Asturias Award for peace.[7]

An academy for Equatorial Guinea was created in 2013 and joined the association in 2016.[9]

Congresses

List of Association of Academies of the Spanish Language congresses
NumberDateCityTerritoryNotes
I23 April – 6 May 1951Mexico CityMexicoThe RAE was not present
II22 April – 2 May 1956MadridSpain
III27 July – 6 August 1960BogotáColombia
IV30 November – 10 December 1964Buenos AiresArgentinaThe Cuban delegation did not participate
V24 July – 19 August 1968QuitoEcuadorDelegations from Cuba and Venezuela were not present
VI20–29 November 1972CaracasVenezuela
VII13–23 November 1976Santiago de ChileChileDelegations from Cuba and Mexico were not present
VIII20–27 April 1980LimaPeruThe Cuban delegation did not participate
IX8–15 October 1989San JoseCosta RicaDelegations from Cuba, Honduras, and Paraguay were not present
X24–29 April 1994MadridSpain
XI15–19 November 1998Puebla de ZaragozaMexico
XII12–15 November 2002San JuanPuerto Rico
XIII21–24 March 2007MedellinColombia
XIV21–25 November 2011Panama CityPanama
XV23–25 November 2015Mexico CityMexico
XVI27–30 March 2019CórdobaArgentina

Works

The collaboration between RAE and the other academies was expressed in the coauthorship, since the 22nd edition published in 2001, of the Dictionary of the Spanish Language (Spanish: Diccionario de la Lengua Española), and the 1999 edition of the Orthography (Spanish: Ortografía) was considered a true pan-Hispanic work. Joint projects include the editing of the Grammar (Spanish: Gramática) and the compilation of the Dictionary of Americanisms (Spanish: Diccionario de americanismos).[citation needed]

Organization

The association convenes every four years, led by a Permanent Commission composed of a President (position held by the Director of the Spanish Royal Academy), a Secretary General (one of the directors of the other academies), a Treasurer (chosen by the Spanish Royal Academy), and at least two board members drawn from the associated academies, whose nomination rotate annually.[3][10][11] During the Third Congress of Academies, held in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1960, an agreement was reached whereby the governments of countries with a member in the association would be obliged to provide financial support to their respective academies and the greater association.[12]

Academies

CountryName in SpanishName in EnglishFounded
SpainReal Academia EspañolaRoyal Spanish Academy1713
ColombiaAcademia Colombiana de la LenguaColombian Academy of the Language1871
EcuadorAcademia Ecuatoriana de la LenguaEcuadorian Academy of the Language1874
MexicoAcademia Mexicana de la LenguaMexican Academy of the Language1875
El SalvadorAcademia Salvadoreña de la LenguaSalvadoran Academy of the Language1876
VenezuelaAcademia Venezolana de la LenguaVenezuelan Academy of the Language1883
ChileAcademia Chilena de la LenguaChilean Academy of the Language1885
PeruAcademia Peruana de la LenguaPeruvian Academy of the Language1887
GuatemalaAcademia Guatemalteca de la LenguaGuatemalan Academy of the Language1887
Costa RicaAcademia Costarricense de la LenguaCosta Rican Academy of the Language1923
PhilippinesAcademia Filipina de la Lengua EspañolaPhilippine Academy of the Spanish Language1924
PanamaAcademia Panameña de la LenguaPanamanian Academy of the Language1926
CubaAcademia Cubana de la LenguaCuban Academy of the Language1926
ParaguayAcademia Paraguaya de la Lengua EspañolaParaguayan Academy of the Spanish Language1927
BoliviaAcademia Boliviana de la LenguaBolivian Academy of the Language1927
Dominican RepublicAcademia Dominicana de la LenguaDominican Academy of the Language1927
NicaraguaAcademia Nicaragüense de la LenguaNicaraguan Academy of the Language1928
ArgentinaAcademia Argentina de LetrasArgentine Academy of Letters1931
UruguayAcademia Nacional de LetrasNational Academy of Letters1943
HondurasAcademia Hondureña de la LenguaHonduran Academy of the Language1949
Puerto RicoAcademia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua EspañolaPuerto Rican Academy of the Spanish Language1955
United StatesAcademia Norteamericana de la Lengua EspañolaNorth American Academy of the Spanish Language1973
Equatorial GuineaAcademia Ecuatoguineana de la Lengua EspañolaEquatoguinean Academy of the Spanish Language2013
IsraelAcademia Nacional del Judeoespañol en IsraelNational Academy of Judaeo-Spanish in Israel2020

Although Israelis mainly speak Hebrew, Arabic, English, and Russian, an ASALE conference on Judaeo-Spanish held in 2015[13] led to plans for the creation of an Israeli branch.[14] A group of academics was founded by ASALE in 2018 and submitted to the government of Israel for recognition. The National Academia of Judaeo-Spanish in Israel will then have the ability to petition to join as a full member, likely in 2019.[15][needs update] There are no plans for Belize, Gibraltar, or Andorra to have their own academies, despite each having a majority Spanish-speaking population either as a first or second language. There is also a substantial Spanish population in Brazil and Western Sahara.[citation needed]

See also

References

External links