Diálogo de la lengua

work by Valdés

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June 25, 2026

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Diálogo de la lengua is a work by Juan de Valdés, a Spanish humanist born around 1490. This dialogue, written in Spanish around 1535, discusses Spanish style and language. It was circulated in manuscript form until the 18th century. Valdés's work is characterized by wit, grace, learning, and common sense, reflecting the best of Humanism. He was part of an influential intellectual family and studied under leading Spanish humanists, aligning with the ideas of Erasmus of Rotterdam. Due to religious views that drew the attention of the Inquisition, Valdés left Spain and spent the rest of his life in Italy, though he wrote for an Italian audience in Spanish.1

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Juan de Valdés
The Diálogo de la lengua (c. 1535; “Dialogue on the Language”), which circulated only in manuscript until the 18th century, treated of Spanish style and language with that blend of wit, grace, learning, and common sense that characterizes Humanism at its best.
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The Diálogo de la lengua (c. 1535; “Dialogue on the Language”), which circulated only in manuscript until the 18th century, treated of Spanish style and language with that blend of wit, grace, learning, and common sense that characterizes Humanism at its best.
Read More