Language as imperial battlefield: the case of El intérprete chino

Abstract

ABSTRACT The first textbook for Spanish learners of Chinese was published in Madrid in 1861. It epitomises how Euro-American linguists abandoned their focus on classical language and took a new approach towards practical modern Chinese. This article provides a reflection on why that linguistic transition took place, how language became a key battlefield in the imperial game in China and what the relevance of intellectual factors was in the colonial enterprise. Moreover, through the analysis of that textbook, it questions the relevance of nations, such as Spain, that played a peripheral role in the process of the imperial siege of China. These countries did not limit themselves to mimic the actions of great imperial powers but tried to find their own path in the Chinese colonial scenario, as the case of El intérprete chino illustrates.