Is anyone able to recommend some good learning materials for approaching 17th century Spanish literature?
I have a pretty good reading knowledge of modern Spanish, but I have been trying to read some works from the 1600's and in some ways it seems like an entirely different language. Different grammar. Sometimes different spellings. Words I can't find in any modern dictionary.
Do any learning materials exist meant to specifically prepare someone for understanding this older style of Spanish? Has someone created a grammar specifically targeted at it?
17th century Spanish
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- Querneus
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Re: 17th century Spanish
The RAE's dictionary, the DRAE, contains a large number of obsolete words.
Specialized academic dictionaries such as Cejador y Frauca's Diccionario fraseológico del siglo de oro (2008) or Lacarta's Diccionario del siglo de oro (1996) do exist.
As for grammar, you may find it useful to read Ralph Penny's A History of the Spanish Language. Much of what he discusses is actually 13th-century Old Spanish, but by approaching an even earlier stage you may find 17th-century aspects easier. (I personally don't feel 17th-century grammar gets in the way much though, compared to the vocabulary...)
Specialized academic dictionaries such as Cejador y Frauca's Diccionario fraseológico del siglo de oro (2008) or Lacarta's Diccionario del siglo de oro (1996) do exist.
As for grammar, you may find it useful to read Ralph Penny's A History of the Spanish Language. Much of what he discusses is actually 13th-century Old Spanish, but by approaching an even earlier stage you may find 17th-century aspects easier. (I personally don't feel 17th-century grammar gets in the way much though, compared to the vocabulary...)
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- Herodotean
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Re: 17th century Spanish
I made it through Part I of Don Quijote a decade or so ago using Tom Lathrop's edition. I found it very helpful for both vocabulary and unfamiliar syntax. He also has a Don Quijote Dictionary, but I didn't find it necessary because the notes in the edition itself are so thorough. Reading through the Quijote with Lathrop should be excellent preparation for reading other seventeenth-century works.
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- iguanamon
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Re: 17th century Spanish
I doubt that you will find a course like "17th Century Spanish With Ease" available. I'll second Querneus' recommendation of the RAE. The RAE Diccionario de la lengua is online and has most of the obsolete Spanish vocabulary defined. I used it whenever I would come upon a word in Ladino/Djudeo-espanyol that had a Spanish origin from the 15th Century that I could not locate in my Ladino dictionaries. More often than not, I was successful.
The Centro Virtual Cervantes is a fantastic reference for literature from that time period. They have a good study guide for Quijote online and their hard copy edition of the book is for sale at a reasonable price. The online edition with clickable pop-up notes is here. It's quite well annotated. Of course, its notes, footnotes, definitions and explanations are all monolingual... so, Herodotean's suggestion is a good one.
The Centro Virtual Cervantes is a fantastic reference for literature from that time period. They have a good study guide for Quijote online and their hard copy edition of the book is for sale at a reasonable price. The online edition with clickable pop-up notes is here. It's quite well annotated. Of course, its notes, footnotes, definitions and explanations are all monolingual... so, Herodotean's suggestion is a good one.
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Re: 17th century Spanish
This might be a decent start
https://espanolabierto.org/wp-content/u ... t-2017.pdf
It’s an open-access student edition designed for AP Spanish students, with glosses for the more archaic or less common vocabulary. I’m not sure if it’s what you’re looking for but hopefully it’s of some use.
https://espanolabierto.org/wp-content/u ... t-2017.pdf
It’s an open-access student edition designed for AP Spanish students, with glosses for the more archaic or less common vocabulary. I’m not sure if it’s what you’re looking for but hopefully it’s of some use.
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