El descubrimiento de Nebrija

Abstract

The article "The Discovery of Nebrija" by Ángela Di Tullio analyzes the figure of Antonio de Nebrija, author of the Castilian Grammar (1492), considered the first grammar of a Romance language. Di Tullio studies how this text marks a turning point in the history of linguistics and in the relationship between language, power, and culture.
The following themes are highlighted:

Nebrija's innovation: for the first time, a vernacular language—Castilian—receives systematic treatment, comparable to that of the classical languages ​​(Latin and Greek).

Political function: Grammar not only had an academic purpose but also an ideological value, presenting itself as an instrument to consolidate the unity of the kingdom and expand Castilian into conquered territories.

Historical projection: The work anticipates the grammatical tradition that would later be consolidated in Europe and America, paving the way for conceiving language as an autonomous object of study.

Critical interpretation: Di Tullio shows that Nebrija's "discovery" is not merely a philological discovery, but the understanding that language can be codified, standardized, and used as a tool of power and cultural identity.

Di Tullio's article highlights Nebrija's relevance not only as a humanist and grammarian, but also as a pioneer in linking language, standardization, and politics.