Dictionaries and encyclopedias from Europe inspired a group of intellectuals in Havana to compile the typical voices of Cuba around 1830. This effort resulted in a vocabulary that remained unpublished for 190 years, until Dr. Chávez-Rivera edited and published it in 2021. The original manuscript circulated in the XIX century and was an influence on the island and abroad. The objective of this conference is to identify particularities of that interest in the Spanish language and the inclination for lexicographic activity in Cuba in the years prior to the appearance of Esteban Pichardo’s Diccionario provincial de voces cubanas in 1836. This conference reconstructs the creative and bibliographic environment of that pioneering group in 1830 who had the good sense to work as a team, recognize aspects of Cuban identity, and capture the various voices and phrases used by their contemporaries on the island.  

GUEST SPEAKER: Dr. Armando Chávez-Rivera. Associate Professor and Director of the Spanish Program at the University of Houston-Victoria, Texas, and a Scholar in Residence at the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress. Member of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language.

This event is co-sponsored by the Kimberly Green Latin America and Caribbean Center and FIU Libraries. This event is made possible with the support of LACC's Department of Education Title VI Grant. This event is free and open to the public.  This event will be conducted in Spanish. To confirm your in-person attendance, please write cri@fiu.edu or call (305) 348–1991.