Manuel Seco, columnist on language. Analysis of "La academia y el lenguaje" (ABC, 1983-1984)

Abstract

Linguistic columnism is a discursive tradition present in the Spanish press since the end of the 19th century. It consists of texts written regularly in the press, signed by the same author and dealing with issues related to the good and bad uses of language. Among the different personalities who approached the genre, Manuel Seco belongs to the group of academics of the language who, somewhat irregularly, during the years between 1959 and 1987, used this medium to publicise the work of the corporation. This article analyses the ten contributions that make up the column “La Academia española trabaja” which Seco published between 1983 and 1984 in the newspaper ABC in order to understand and contextualise his point of view on language. The texts are compiled from the METAPRES database, whose selection of labels and fields has been the methodological tool used to approach the texts. This has concentrated on the characterisation of his lexicographical discourse and on the study of the subjects he wishes to deal with: neologisms, technical terms, cultured language. We conclude that Manuel Seco, with his tolerant and decidedly usage-oriented vision of language, anticipates in his columns the germ of what would become, a few years later, his own dictionary. His informative style, but without skimping on data, examples and arguments, makes his columns cultured and entertaining texts, with the right dose of authority that perfectly connects him with the tradition of linguistic columnism.