Ernesto González Seoane joins the Real Academia Gallega

Ernesto González Seoane, a professor of Galician and Portuguese Philology at the University of Santiago de Compostela, has officially joined the Real Academia Gallega.

During his induction speech, González Seoane addressed the history of Galician and universal lexicography. He advocated for a reconciliation between normative lexicography—which can lead to fundamentalist interpretations of linguistic correctness—and descriptive lexicography, which focuses on recording actual vocabulary usage.

He also discussed the political and symbolic dimensions of dictionary creation, noting that such works are not ideologically or politically neutral. Looking toward the future, he emphasized that lexicography must become digital to remain relevant.