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(Spanglish 101, History, part .1 The Scenario)
Spanish the Romance Language
A language does not evolve into another language in a vacuum, nor does it spring fully formed, nor does it replace the language it evolves from. It is the adaptive interplay of expression within the populations that share a language exposed to the dynamics of interaction with populations that do not share the language. At the same time that all the other events of the day are happening. No wonder that the development of a language is not linear, or in stages or logical.
Latin became a language due the continued use and fine tuning, and the ovelwhelming politcal, economic and even religious might of an empire that in one way or another imposed its language on all the populations it conquered. And it was highly structured out of necessity and convenience to govern all the different populations speaking their individual languages. The local languages were not erradicated, but populations would adapt, adopt and use it, each adding the local flavor. Once the empire loses its grip, the local languages now with an ovelwhelming influence of the common language continue developing into separate languages. Even though Latin was still used between the different populations. After many centuries of development, many of theses populations, now using the local Latin variations, develop national identities that are based on language, geography, history and religious belief systems and even political structures. Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French (and about some five other languages) evolved from Latin. And the fact of their common (language) roots did not impede their separate development. These languages are similar in structure, using similar grammatical rules and even equivalent rules for the standardization, and expansion of their particular language. These are the languages that also come to the new world, to confront, other local languages, and also to confront the expansion of the other languages that follow them here.
It should be noted at this stage, that at the same time that the empire loses its grip at the edges, the local language in the Iberian lands is being increasingly influenced by the language of the Arab (or ‘moors’) populations. This influence persisted for many centuries and became part of the Spanish language, even as Spanish (‘castillian’) and Portuguese were being standardized. Spanish and Portuguese while very related, develop by different paths. Spanish lands, perhaps being more accessible to outside influences must, ‘fight to preserve’. Although treated lightly by the history books, the interplay of these two (Spanish, Moor) unrelated languages (in language family terms), affected the developing Spanish identity. The imperative need to assert a ‘spanish’ identity also forced the need for a standard ‘spanish’. And thus a mechanism for the enforcement of a structured, standard, national language becomes: The Royal Spanish Academy. Spanish becomes a language, not because rules were made and enforced, but rather the rules were made on the basis of what most of the population spoke in common, and then they are enforced the preserve and structure the development of the language. But it was up to the Poet, Writer, Artist, Performer the task of taking that language and taking it to streets, so that all would understand it, use it, and become a part of it.
English, the Aglo-Saxon, Celtic, Nordic and Germanic language.
And then there is the rest of Europe (I’m kidding, I’m only refering to the european languages that come to the new world), with a range of languages that may be somewhat related (in some great antiquity) but with extreme differences in structure, rules, and even alphabets. Most of them have evolved into their modern day national languages, some have to some extent or the other dissapeared or ‘merged’ into other forms. And then there is English. If ever was a language made by confrontation, war, alliances and an indomitable self-reliant and independent people speaking different languages in close proximity, in one geographically isolated territory, surely English has to be reflective of the factors that formed it.
We will go in just a little bit more about the linguitic background, and use it to look at what art does bout it and how that relates to what we do at Nuyorican Poets Cafe,
And while we need not get too involved in the detail, surely a look at Poetry, is worth the the effort in understanding, why we seek, to express art in words, and how the art makes and reflects the language we speak.
Sam
In the Service of Poetry, Art and Community