St. George’s influence on the literary genre
With the arrival of Sant Jordi 2025, the term ‘novel’ will reson with readers and writers. The book stalls will be filled with copies of this genre, inviting everyone to explore the rich story that surrounds this word.
An origin full of meaning
The term ‘novel’ has its roots in the word ‘new’, which at its time meant ‘news’. This connection is essential, because ‘good new’ literally translates as ‘good news’, establishing a clear relationship with the communication of ideas.
Transformation in the Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, the plural ‘New’ began to gain a new meaning, referring to ‘reasons and words’. In this way, the expression ‘taking the new’ became a synonym for ‘taking the word’, reflecting a change in the social perception of language.
The complexity of the term ‘new’
Over time, the term ‘new’ was diversified, giving rise to a series of verbal phrases that enriched its use. Joan Coromines, a well -known linguist, said that a ‘semantic scourge’ took place, expanding the possibilities of expression.
Linguistic innovations
Through the years, ‘New’ adopted new forms, with expressions such as ‘having new’ (having discussions) or ‘making new’ (talking a lot), which enriched the vocabulary and showed their adaptability.
From ‘novella’ to ‘novel·la’
From this linguistic expansion came a significant derivative: ‘Novella’. Its emergency marked a crucial moment, as this term acquired the sense of ‘relation of important facts or stories’, a fundamental step in the evolution of the genre.
Literary references
The great thinker Ramon Llull, in the thirteenth century, already used ‘novel’ in this context, showing his relevance on the literature of the time and its impact on Catalan culture.
The impact of Italian on Catalan
Arriving in the 15th century, the term ‘novella’ was influenced by the Italian, which meant ‘short history’. This interaction led to a variation in pronunciation and use, while the old ‘novella’ maintained its initial meaning.
A new identity
This evolution coincided with a period of great narrative production in Catalonia, with works such as ‘Curial e Güelfa’ and ‘Tirant lo Blanc’, which contributed to the rise of the ‘novel’ as a literary genre.
The spelling standard and linguistic identity
Finally, the ‘novel’ was established with a geminated ela, an aspect that clearly distinguishes it from ‘Novella’. Mossèn Alcover played a crucial role in the standardization of this spelling, which was officially accepted in 1913.
This concludes our exploration on the word ‘novel’, a rich and constantly evolving story that continues to captivate readers and writers. In this Saint George, we celebrate not only roses and books, but also the fascinating trajectory of words.