Donald N. Tuten

Donald N. Tuten received his Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998. He is currently Associate Professor of Spanish and Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Emory University. Chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese (2015-), he was Director of the Program in Linguistics (2005-2011), and Director of the Spanish Language Program at Emory (1996-2009).

Most of his research focuses on social and cultural factors that have shaped the development of the phonology, grammar and (to a lesser extent) lexicon of the Spanish (Castilian) language, primarily though not exclusively within the medieval period (9^th to the 13^th century). Much of his work has explored the impact of Ibero-Romance dialect mixing and language contact that accompanied the centuries-long Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula. In books and articles, he have explored how processes of koineization (dialect mixing leading the creation of a new, mixed and simplified variety) shaped medieval Castilian in ways that made it strikingly different from other Romance language varieties (in quasi-predictable ways), even closely related varieties such as those spoken to the east and west of the peninsula; his research on medieval Castilian has also contributed to sociolinguists’ understanding of how koineization works and how it interacts with cognitive and cultural factors. He is also involved in exploring the much-debated development of the conceptual distinction between Latin and Romance, and between the different Romance languages.

Institución: Emory University

Correo: dtuten@emory.edu