José de Urcullu’s orthographic ideas in the Tratado Elementar de Geografia Astronómica, Fízica, Histórica ou Política Antiga ou Moderna (Oporto 1835-1839)

Abstract

The Basque José de Urcullu Baterruri (Hamburg 1787? – Porto 1852) is a polygraph author who has still been little studied, although, more recently, his works have received some attention and visibility, with special focus on his contribution to the knowledge of peninsular languages and to the deepening of intra-Iberian relations (Brumme ,2006; Duarte, 2010, 2014, 2018; Esparza Torres, 2012; Lombardero Caparrós ,2015; Gaviño Rodríguez, 2017; Cao Míguez, 2021). Positioned within the theoretical and methodological framework of linguistic historiography, this study aims to continue that line of approach, focusing on the work under analysis, to present the ideas conveyed therein about the orthography of the Portuguese language and to frame them, as well as the controversy to which they gave rise, within the more general panorama of orthographic ideas in Portugal in the 19th century. Special emphasis will be placed on the debate that, in the construction of the orthographic norm, developed around the option for a phonetic or an etymological criterion. The main aim of the current essay is to shed light on Urcullu’ s linguistic contribution (which has been largely overlooked), to measure its importance and repercussion, to highlight its significance concerning Iberian linguistic relations and to point out avenues for future research.