The Academia Colombiana de la Lengua (Spanish for ''Colombian Academy of Language'') is an association of academics and experts on the use of the

Spanish language Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a global language with more than 500 million native speakers, mainly in th ...

in Colombia. It is based in Bogotá, Colombia's capital, and is a member of the

Association of Spanish Language Academies The Association of Academies of the Spanish Language ( es, Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, ASALE) is an entity whose end is to work for the unity, integrity, and growth of the Spanish language. It was created in Mexico in 1951 an ...

History

The academy is the oldest of all the Latin American Spanish language academies, the first official academy founded outside Spain. It was founded in 1871 by a group of writers and

philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...

specialists, including

Manuel María Mallarino Manuel María Mallarino Ibargüen (18 June 1808 – 6 January 1872) was the 8th Vice President of New Granada, and as such served as Acting President from 1855 to 1857. Personal life Manuel María was born on 18 June 1808 in Santiago de Cali, t ...

;

Rufino José Cuervo Rufino José Cuervo Urisarri ( Bogotá, Colombia), was a Colombian writer, linguist, and philologist. He studied Latin and Greek, but the main part of his work was dedicated to the study of the dialectal variations of Spanish spoken in Colombia ...

, the father of Hispanic-American philology; and

Miguel Antonio Caro Miguel Antonio Caro Tobar (November 10, 1845 – August 5, 1909) was a Colombian scholar, poet, journalist, philosopher, orator, philologist, lawyer, and politician. Early life His father, José Eusebio Caro and Mariano Ospina Rodríguez ...

. Its first headquarters occupied the site of the house of Caro, a founder and ex-president of the group. It was constructed between 1916 and 1918, designed by Carlos Camargo Quiñones with the support of Pietro Cantini. The building was demolished to make way for the intersection of 19th Street with 7th Avenue, as was the nearby Church of the Conception. The academy's current site, at the intersection of 3rd Avenue and 18th Street, was constructed in the late 1950s. The neoclassical-style building was designed by the Spanish architect Alfredo Rodríguez Ordaz. In 1960, the Colombian academy hosted the third Congress of the Association of Spanish Language Academies, in which the Bogotá Agreement was presented and signed. The new Rodríguez Orgaz building was inaugurated on that occasion. Since 1960, the institution has officially advised the Colombian government on linguistic matters. Its current and former members include

Germán Arciniegas Germán Arciniegas Angueyra (December 6, 1900 - November 29, 1999) was a Colombian historian, writer and journalist who was known for his advocacy of educational and cultural issues, as well as his outspoken opposition to dictatorship. He also se ...

, Jaime Sanín Echeverri, Diego Uribe Vargas, Otto Morales Benítez, Juan Gustavo Cobo Borda, Maruja Vieira,

Marco Fidel Suárez Marco Fidel Suárez (April 23, 1855 – April 3, 1927) was a Colombian political figure. He served as president of Colombia from 1918 to 1921. He was born on April 23, 1855, in the town of Hatoviejo, Antioquia. His parents were Rosalía Suárez ...

, and Fernando Hinestrosa Forero. Its current director is Juan Carlos Vergara. The academy has two dozen members, as well as several honorary members, including Diego Uribe Vargas, Dora Castellanos, and

Carlos Rodado Noriega Carlos Enrique Rodado Noriega (born 20 September 1943) is a Colombian engineer and politician currently serving as Ambassador of Colombia to Argentina. He served as the 28th and 9th Minister of Mines and Energy of Colombia, first in the adminis ...

Library

The academy's library was organized by the academic Manuel José Forero. It is divided into collections based on the donor who contributed the materials or to whom they originally belonged.

References

External links

Official website; History of the academy (in Spanish only) A complete presentation of the academy (in Spanish only)
Spanish language academies Educational organisations based in Colombia Organizations established in 1871 1871 establishments in South America {{colombia-org-stub