Ricardo Carvalho Calero - "Reintegracionism"

"Reintegracionism"

His university research on Galician language made him gain an interest in etymology and the works of Manuel Rodrigues Lapa. This research, allied with his vast knowledge on the history of the Galician-Portuguese language, made him re-interpret Galician classics and develop the theory of what would become contemporary "reintegracionism". In short, the idea that had been stated in the past but never scientifically systematised that Galician and Portuguese languages were not just the same language in the past, sharing a common origin, but still are the same language today. Thus, Carvalho Calero raised as the chief supporter of that view.

With the end of the Franco dictatorship in 1977, Galicia became an autonomous community with Galician as its official language (alongside with Spanish). It was then urgently required to establish a fixed standard form. As professor of Galician language and literature, Carvalho Calero was appointed to lead the group of experts that should prepare the new norms for Galician. The first draft was produced in 1979 with the title Normas ortográficas do idioma galego ("Orthographic norms of the Galician language"). These norms recommended a gradual approach to Portuguese, using Portuguese as the most suitable orthographic reference for spoken Galician and, still, often allowing for a number of different solutions in case of doubt.

However, this approximation to Portuguese was perceived by some pro-Spanish conservative groups as a possible political stance. Consequently, the norms were revoked without Carvalho's consent by means of a special law (the Decreto Filgueira). In the light of those events Carvalho Calero resigned his position in 1980. A new set of norms was passed in 1982 by the newly created Instituto Galego da Lingua ("Galician Institute for the Language") and even the Royal Galician Academy, of which he was still a member. Carvalho Calero had by then helped to create the Galician Association for the Language (1981), in order to counteract what he thought to be an attempt to "damage" the language .

He became an open critic of the new decisions on Galician language which he considered to be merely "political and not scientific". He even stated that the new norms and linguistic laws provoked a situation which "is anti-hygenic and goes against the economy" (in Uma voz na Galiza, 1984). In 1984, he was awarded the Medalla Castelao - the greatest civil award in Galicia - and was invited to join the Concello da Cultura Galega ("Council for the Galician Culture"), but he declined the invitation.

Carvalho Calero died in Santiago de Compostela in 1990.