C2 · 50 words
Historiography in Spanish
Source, criticism, interpretation, memory — how the past is made into history.
La coyuntura histórica is the medium term, the decades between the event and the long haul. The word began as a joint: la coyuntura is where two bones meet, the place where things are articulated. Spanish uses it every day for the state of affairs right now — la coyuntura económica is the economic climate, en la coyuntura actual means as things stand — and a newspaper will call a minister coyuntural to say the appointment is a creature of the moment. English has « juncture » for the same picture and keeps it for solemn occasions: at this juncture, and not much else.
The words
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Phrase (40)
la escritura de la historiathe writing of history, which has a history of its ownPhraseC2
La escritura de la historia tiene su propia historia.The writing of history has a history of its own.
la fuente primariathe source made at the time being studiedPhraseC2
La fuente primaria nace en el momento estudiado.The primary source is born in the moment studied.
la fuente secundariathe source that interprets what others sawPhraseC2
La fuente secundaria interpreta lo que otros vieron.The secondary source interprets what others saw.
la crítica de fuentesthe questioning of who wrote a source and for whomPhraseC2
La crítica de fuentes pregunta quién escribió y para quién.Source criticism asks who wrote and for whom.
la crítica externathe checking that the document is genuinePhraseC2
La crítica externa comprueba que el documento es auténtico.External criticism checks that the document is authentic.
la crítica internathe weighing of what the text could have knownPhraseC2
La crítica interna evalúa lo que el texto puede saber.Internal criticism weighs what the text can know.
el sesgo de la fuentethe leaning of a source, which places it rather than voids itPhraseC2
El sesgo de la fuente no la invalida, la sitúa.The bias of a source does not invalidate it, it places it.
el silencio documentalthe absence of documents, which does not prove nothing happenedPhraseC2
El silencio documental no prueba que no ocurriera.A documentary silence does not prove that it did not happen.
la conservación selectivathe fact that what survives favours whoever wrotePhraseC2
La conservación selectiva favorece a quien escribía.Selective survival favours whoever was writing.
el archivo histórico documentalthe collection of documents, which imposes an order of its ownPhraseC2
El archivo histórico documental impone su propio orden.The documentary archive imposes an order of its own.
el anacronismo conceptualthe carrying of today's categories back into another timePhraseC2
El anacronismo conceptual mete categorías de hoy en el pasado.Conceptual anachronism puts today's categories into the past.
la teleología históricathe telling of the past as a road that leads to usPhraseC2
La teleología histórica cuenta el pasado como camino a nosotros.Historical teleology tells the past as a road towards us.
la contingencia históricathe reminder that it could have turned out otherwisePhraseC2
La contingencia histórica recuerda que pudo salir de otra manera.Historical contingency recalls that it could have gone otherwise.
la causalidad múltiplethe giving up of the single explanationPhraseC2
La causalidad múltiple sustituye a la explicación única.Multiple causation takes the place of the single explanation.
la larga duraciónthe scale of centuries rather than of reignsPhraseC2
La larga duración mira siglos, no reinados.The long duration looks at centuries, not at reigns.
la coyuntura históricathe scale of decades, between the event and the centuriesPhraseC2
La coyuntura histórica se mide en décadas.The historical conjuncture is measured in decades.
la historia de los acontecimientosthe history of events, which was written firstPhraseC2
La historia de los acontecimientos fue la primera en escribirse.The history of events was the first to be written.
la historia socialthe history that changed who the story is aboutPhraseC2
La historia social cambió el sujeto del relato.Social history changed the subject of the story.
la historia económicathe history that works with long runs of figuresPhraseC2
La historia económica trabaja con series largas.Economic history works with long series.
la historia culturalthe history of what people believedPhraseC2
La historia cultural estudia lo que la gente creía.Cultural history studies what people believed.
la historia de las mentalidadesthe history of what nobody thought worth arguing aboutPhraseC2
La historia de las mentalidades busca lo que nadie discutía.The history of mentalities looks for what nobody argued about.
la historia oralthe history that makes its source by askingPhraseC2
La historia oral crea la fuente al preguntar.Oral history creates the source by asking.
el testimonio del supervivientethe account of one who lived through it, which shifts and still countsPhraseC2
El testimonio del superviviente cambia con el tiempo y sigue valiendo.The survivor's testimony changes with time and still holds.
la memoria social compartidawhat a society remembers together, which is not historyPhraseC2
La memoria social compartida no es lo mismo que la historia.Shared social memory is not the same thing as history.
el lugar de memoriathe place where a whole story is concentratedPhraseC2
El lugar de memoria concentra un relato en un sitio.A site of memory concentrates a whole story in one place.
la política de la memoriathe deciding of what gets commemoratedPhraseC2
La política de la memoria decide qué se conmemora.Memory politics decides what is commemorated.
el olvido institucionalthe forgetting done by institutions, which leaves traces tooPhraseC2
El olvido institucional también deja huellas.Institutional forgetting also leaves traces.
el revisionismo históricothe revising that sometimes revises and sometimes deniesPhraseC2
El revisionismo histórico revisa a veces y niega otras.Historical revisionism sometimes revises and sometimes denies.
el relato nacionalthe story a nation tells about itselfPhraseC2
El relato nacional se enseña antes que la crítica.The national story is taught before the criticism.
la invención de la tradiciónthe custom that turns out to be recentPhraseC2
La invención de la tradición suele ser reciente.The invention of tradition is usually recent.
el mito fundacionalthe founding story that survives any documentPhraseC2
El mito fundacional resiste cualquier documento.The founding myth withstands any document.
la historiografía oficialthe history that is recognised by what it leaves outPhraseC2
La historiografía oficial se reconoce por lo que calla.Official historiography is recognised by what it keeps quiet about.
la escuela historiográficathe group of historians who share questions rather than answersPhraseC2
La escuela historiográfica comparte preguntas, no respuestas.A historiographical school shares questions, not answers.
el giro lingüísticothe shift of attention to how history is writtenPhraseC2
El giro lingüístico puso la atención en cómo se escribe la historia.The linguistic turn drew attention to how history is written.
la narratividad del relato históricothe fact that an account also chooses where to beginPhraseC2
La narratividad del relato histórico también elige un comienzo.The narrativity of a historical account also picks a beginning.
la historia cuantitativathe history that counts what used to be estimatedPhraseC2
La historia cuantitativa cuenta lo que antes se estimaba.Quantitative history counts what used to be estimated.
la serie de precios históricosthe run of prices that lets centuries be comparedPhraseC2
La serie de precios históricos permite comparar siglos.The series of historical prices allows centuries to be compared.
el archivo digitalizadothe archive online, which changes what can be askedPhraseC2
El archivo digitalizado cambia qué preguntas son posibles.The digitised archive changes which questions are possible.
el aparato críticothe notes and references, where the craft can be checkedPhraseC2
El aparato crítico es donde el oficio se comprueba.The critical apparatus is where the craft can be checked.
la objetividad históricathe aim pursued in the knowledge that it is not reachedPhraseC2
La objetividad histórica se busca sabiendo que no se alcanza.Historical objectivity is pursued knowing it is not reached.
Noun (f) (8)
la paleografíathe reading of hands nobody writes any moreNoun (f)C2
La paleografía enseña a leer letras que ya nadie escribe.Palaeography teaches one to read letters nobody writes any more.
la diplomáticathe study that tells a genuine charter from a forged oneNoun (f)C2
La diplomática distingue el documento genuino del falso.Diplomatics tells the genuine document from the false.
la epigrafíathe reading of what was cut in stone and metalNoun (f)C2
La epigrafía lee lo escrito en piedra y en metal.Epigraphy reads what is written in stone and metal.
la numismáticathe study of coins, which dates and places at onceNoun (f)C2
La numismática data y localiza a la vez.Numismatics dates and locates at the same time.
la periodizaciónthe cutting of the past into periods, which is a decisionNoun (f)C2
La periodización es una decisión, no un hallazgo.Periodisation is a decision, not a discovery.
la microhistoriathe study of one case followed all the way downNoun (f)C2
La microhistoria estudia un caso hasta el fondo.Microhistory studies one case all the way down.
la contrafactualidadthe asking what would have followed otherwise, to weigh causesNoun (f)C2
La contrafactualidad sirve para pesar causas, no para fantasear.Counterfactuals serve to weigh causes, not to fantasise.
la prosopografíathe study of a group through the lives of its membersNoun (f)C2
La prosopografía estudia un grupo por sus biografías.Prosopography studies a group through its biographies.
Noun (m) (2)
el presentismothe judging of the dead by laws that did not existNoun (m)C2
El presentismo juzga a los muertos con leyes que no existían.Presentism judges the dead by laws that did not exist.
el negacionismothe refusal that does not argue with evidence but discards itNoun (m)C2
El negacionismo no discute pruebas, las descarta.Denialism does not argue with proofs, it discards them.
This list belongs to History, research and data — nine lists and 450 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.