Les interrelacions lingüístiques en la València doscentista: Comentaris a les aportacions de Robert I. Burns

Abstract

Robert I. Burns is considered to be the most important expert in the Valencian 13th century. Far from the local, ideologically influenced dispute for and against the Catalan character of "Valencian", his conclusions clearly refute the supporters of linguistic secessionism. His theory of the "linguistic wall" (between the Moorish population and the invading Catalans) is a crucial contribution to understanding the linguistic and sociolinguistic problems created by King Jaume I's conquest. The present essay summarizes the linguistically relevant arguments dealt with by Burns in his historical works and particularly comments on the degree of Arabization of the country of València before the Catalan conquest, the possible survival of Mozarabic afterwards, the linguistic effects of the medieval Christian resettlement and the Arab influence on the literary structure of the famous chronicle Llibre dels feits of Jaume I.