Carlos Joaquín Córdova Malo (Cuenca, April 22, 1914 – Quito, December 19, 2011) was an accomplished linguist, writer, and government official. He obtained his law degree from the State University of Cuenca. He authored several works, including “Cestmir Loukotka y la clasificación de las lenguas indígenas del Ecuador,” “El habla del Ecuador-Diccionario de Ecuatorianismos,” “Un millar de anglicismos,” and “Hojeada sobre la lexicografía ecuatoriana,” among others. He held various government positions, including serving as a Superintendent of Banks, a member of the Monetary Board, and as the Director of the Andean Mission in Ecuador. He was also a member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language and served as its director from 1998 until his resignation in 2008. Throughout his career, Córdova Malo received numerous honors and awards for his contributions to Ecuadorian culture and language, including the National Order of Merit in the rank of Commander from the Ecuadorian government, the “Vicente Rocafuerte” Cultural Merit Award from the National Congress, and the “Aurelio Espinosa Pólit” decoration from the Metropolitan District of Quito. He was also a corresponding member of the Uruguayan and North American Academies of Language.
Honors and recognitions
- Member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language, elected on June 2, 1989, to occupy chair L
- Corresponding member of the Uruguayan Academy of Language
- Corresponding member of the North American Academy of Language
- Librarian of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language from 1987 to 1991
- Deputy Director of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language from 1996 to 1998
- Director of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language from 1998 to 2008
- National Order of Merit in the rank of Commander from the National Government, in November 2000
- Fray Vicente Solano Award from the Municipality of Cuenca in 2004
- Vicente Rocafuerte Cultural Merit Award from the National Congress in 2004
- Aurelio Espinosa Polit Decoration from the Metropolitan District of Quito in 2004
- Encomienda of the Order of Isabella the Catholic of the Kingdom of Spain in March 2005.
Works
- Cestmir Loukotka y la clasificación de las lenguas indígenas del Ecuador
- El canto cuencano. Ensayo de dialectología regional. (Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, Núcleo del Azuay, Cuenca (1975).
- Un millar de anglicismos.
- El habla del Ecuador – Diccionario de ecuatorianismos. Dos tomos. Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca (1995)
- Hojeada sobre la lexicografía ecuatoriana.
- Notas al vocabulario de don Segundo Sombra. Colección Horizonte Cultural de la Academia Ecuatoriana de la Lengua, Quito, 2004.
- El habla del Ecuador -Diccionario de Ecuatorianismos. Segunda edición corregida y aumentada (3 volúmenes), Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, Quito, 2008.