Podcast Summary: "Acontece que no es poco | La RAE empieza a limpiar, fijar y dar esplendor… según y cómo"

Podcast: Todo Concostrina
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Co-host/Contributor: Carlas
Date: October 3, 2022
Duration: ~14 minutes (excluding ads/intros/outros)

Overview

This episode, in Nieves Concostrina’s characteristic entertaining and critical style, examines the origins and evolution of the Real Academia Española (RAE), the institution tasked with regulating the Spanish language. Concostrina and Carlas dive into the RAE’s founding, its famously conservative approach to updating linguistic norms, controversies over certain dictionary entries, and its historical oddities—exposing both the humor and the tension of language politics in Spain.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origin and Purpose of the RAE

• The episode is centered on the anniversary of the founding of the RAE (October 3, 1714).
• Nieves reads the first article of the RAE’s statutes but notes her own imprecision in reading, jokingly reflecting the RAE's approach:

  "[La RAE]… tiene como misión principal velar porque los cambios que experimente la lengua española en su constante adaptación a la necesidad es de sus hablantes. Lo he leído fatal, pero vamos, creo que se ha entendido." (02:00, Nieves)

• RAE’s stated aim: to ensure language adapts to its speakers’ needs.

2. Adaptation vs. Resistance to Change

• Modern word inclusions (like "selfie" or "brunch") contrast with reluctance to remove outdated or "casposa" terms.
• Nieves coins the RAE’s media tactics as “cancamusa” (diversion/misdirection), suggesting showy new entries distract from inaction on problematic terms (02:45).
• Example: removal of “cuñadez” (rarely used), contrasting with slowness to update more problematic or sexist entries.

3. Founding Ironies & Lemas

• Anecdote: Felipe V, who authorized the RAE’s founding, spoke no Spanish and made no effort to learn it.

  "El rey de España que creó la Academia Española de la Lengua, no sabía hablar o no quería hablar español."
  "No quería ni papá, no le interesó nunca, no hablaba ni papá, ni ganas siquiera de aprender a decir papa." (04:12–04:24, Carlas and Nieves)

• The emblematic motto “Limpia, fija y da esplendor” (“It cleans, fixes and gives splendor”) derived from an original competition:
  • Other rejected proposals:
    • A bee flying over flowers with the legend “aprueba y reprueba”
    • “El ocio, lo lucido, desluce, rompe y luce”
  • French scholarly mockery was answered by the RAE in their first dictionary’s prologue, 12 years later (06:20–08:55).

4. Controversial Dictionary Entries

• Reconquista:
  • Historians requested RAE to revise its definition ("recuperación del territorio hispano"), arguing it's nationalistic and dated, with roots in Francoist propaganda (09:10).
  • Nieves calls out RAE for inserting rather than reflecting actual language use:

    "La gente no iba por la calle hablando de reconquista, Es una palabra que ellos colaron." (10:09, Nieves)

• Sexist and Outdated Language:
  • The dictionary defines “hembra” as “mujer”, but “macho” not as “hombre”; “mujer pública” as “prostituta”, but “hombre público” as a person of influence.
  • “Cocinillas”: "Hombre que se entromete en las tareas domésticas, especialmente en las de cocina." Nieves points to the need to modernize these, making them gender-neutral (11:08–11:48).
  • Historical changes: Removal of “mahom(a)” as “hombre descuidado y gandul” in the 1990s, illustrating RAE can act quickly when it chooses.

5. Political Influence on Language

• In 1925, "Diccionario de la lengua castellana" became "española" under Primo de Rivera, who had also banned Catalan. Nieves highlights this as a politically motivated change the Academy never reversed (12:25).

6. Representation and Diversity in the RAE

• Currently, only 10 of 43 academy seats are held by women.
• Carmen Conde was the first female academician (1978, Chair ‘K’), and her appointment occasioned the first ladies’ restroom at the Academy:

  “Ojo, que no hay servicio de señoras, Qué horror. Jo, Carmen Conde. Pues van a tener que hacer uno. Y lo hicieron.” (13:10, Nieves)

• Three seats (A, X, R) were vacant as of recording.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On empty tradition:

  "El lema es limpia, fija y da esplendor. Pero tú esto lo escuchas en un anuncio de Sylly Bank..." (05:23, Nieves)

• On sexist dictionary definitions:

  “Y yo no creo que la calle se dirija a las mujeres tampoco llamándolas hembras, digo yo. Y eso pone el diccionario.” (10:33, Nieves)

• On political manipulations:

  “…el zopenco Primo de Ribera, el que prohibió el uso del catalán. Y los académicos perdieron el culo en 1925 por cambiar castellana por española.” (12:23, Nieves)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:00 | Introduction to the RAE's origins and purpose | | 02:00 | RAE's mission statement and critique of their adaptability | | 03:23 | Story of Felipe V and the RAE's creation | | 04:12 | Felipe V’s refusal to speak Spanish and RAE’s early logotype competition| | 06:20 | Lemas/logos rejected in RAE founding competition, French criticisms | | 08:55 | “Reconquista”—RAE’s role in controversial dictionary definitions | | 09:50 | Sexist and conservative definitions in the dictionary | | 12:25 | Political rebranding of “lengua castellana” to “española” | | 12:53 | Composition of the RAE and Carmen Conde’s entry as first female academic| | 13:10 | The anecdote on creating women’s restroom for the Academy |

Conclusion

Nieves Concostrina’s episode is a critical yet witty exploration of the RAE’s complex role as both guardian and (sometimes reluctant) modernizer of Spanish. She underscores the institution’s historical ironies, calls for overdue reforms, and highlights how language—far from being neutral—reflects social power dynamics and political shifts.

For history and language lovers, this episode offers provocative insights and a fresh perspective on the living, contested nature of Spanish.