Description
Toponymy of the Boltaña municipality (Sobrarbe, Huesca)
Book Summary
This work offers an exhaustive and rigorous study of the place names of the municipality of Boltaña, in the Sobrarbe region (Huesca). The reader will find a detailed repertoire of the toponymy of its twenty-five centers, many of them uninhabited, accompanied by an analysis of their phonetic evolution. The main value of the work lies in rescuing and documenting an Aragonese linguistic heritage in danger of extinction, offering keys to understanding the history, culture, and landscape of the region through its names.
What is it about?
The book is structured into two fundamental parts. First, it presents a detailed study of the vocalic and consonantal diachrony of the toponyms, analyzing the most characteristic features of the historical phonetics of Aragonese. This analysis sheds light on poorly documented linguistic phenomena, such as vowel harmony or metaphony, which are no longer found in living speech but persist in toponymy. Secondly, it collects a complete repertoire of place names, mostly unpublished, documented directly from the oral tradition of the inhabitants who have used them for centuries.
Main themes
- Toponymy of Upper Aragon and its relationship with physical geography.
- Historical phonetics of Aragonese, including phenomena such as vowel harmony and metaphony.
- Local history of Boltaña and its population centers, many of them depopulated.
- Popular culture and intangible linguistic heritage of Sobrarbe.
Who is it recommended for?
It is aimed at linguists, philologists, and historians interested in the onomastics and historical phonetics of Aragonese. It will also be very useful for scholars of Huesca's local history, geographers, and anyone interested in the popular culture and intangible heritage of the Aragonese Pyrenees. It is a reference work for researchers and fans of toponymy who are looking for a rigorous, field-based study.
What this book contributes
- An exhaustive and documented repertoire of unpublished toponyms of the Boltaña municipality.
- A detailed phonetic analysis that allows for an understanding of the historical evolution of Aragonese in the area.
- The recovery of a linguistic heritage in danger of extinction, rescued from oral tradition.
- Keys to interpreting the landscape and local history through place names.
Technical specifications
- Author: Usón Serrano, Chusé Raúl
- Publisher: Xordica
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: PHONETICS, PHONOLOGY, HISTORY, POPULAR CULTURE, PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY, HUESCA LOCAL HISTORY
- Collection: QUADERNOS JEAN-JOSEPH SAROIHANDY
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: July 2019
- Number of pages: 136
- Weight: 185 g
Editorial review
This is a solid and necessary contribution to Aragonese onomastics. Chusé Raúl Usón combines philological rigor with essential fieldwork to document a linguistic reality that is fading away. The study of historical phonetics provides added value, as it allows one to go beyond a simple list of names and delve into the linguistic processes that have shaped them. An essential work for specialists and a valuable testimony to the cultural richness of Sobrarbe.