Formation of the vocabulary of Nova Realia in classic Spanish: the case of Canary Island plant names

Abstract

The present work focuses on the formation of a specialized lexicon in the XV, XVI and XVII centuries, when Spaniards encountered the Nova Realia. The particular characteristics of Canary Island plant names - the wealth, depth of knowledge and diverse origins and etymology - make this lexicon suitable material from which to draw general conclusions which may be applicable to other specialised lexicons with similar characteristics. Above all, it allows Lis to establish certain rules and to understand some of the processes that could have occurred during the same period in the American territories, where the sheer territorial size and diversity render a detailed analysis of this type almost impossible.