La definición de la lingüística misionera: en torno al agens

Abstract

Missionary linguistics is one of the few fields in the history of linguistics defined and designated with the missionary writer, that is, its agent. This uniqueness has consequences on the type of works that, in this case, are regarded as properly linguistic, since it is not only necessary to consider specifically grammatical, lexicographical, or orthographic works, but also a wide range of materials—doctrines, catechisms, translations of sacred texts, etc.— with which they are frequently published. Moreover, this peculiarity has other consequences on how missionary linguists present themselves in their works and utilize the materials of others. In these pages, some observations are made about this particular phenomenon, with abundant examples from the Spanish missionary linguistic tradition.