Full Description
Surveys of linguistics in the Middle Ages often begin with the twelfth century, dismissing the preceding six centuries as 'devoid of originality' or 'dependent upon Donatus and Priscian'. This collection of articles devoted to linguistics in the early Middle Ages attempts to redress the balance by presenting a variety of approaches to new and controversial questions.
The volume opens with a study of the historiography of early medieval grammar, with a bibliography of primary and secondary literature. The history of linguistic doctrine is discussed in articles dealing with Virgilius Maro Grammaticus, with the Irish contribution to the analysis of Latin, and with the Carolingian grammarians. A paper discussing a grammar from late Anglo-Saxon England (Beatus quid est) offers new insights into pedagogical techniques and the integration of literary texts into grammar teaching. The attitudes towards varieties of Latin in late antique and early medieval grammars are discussed in a wider context of cultural history. Finally, the volume includes two articles on the transmission of the grammars of the later Roman Empire to the early Middle Ages (Priscian and Dynamius).
Contents
1. Foreword; 2. The Historiography of Grammer in the Early Middle Ages (by Law, Vivien A.); 3. Grammar in the Early Middle Ages: A Bibliography (by Law, Vivien A.); 4. History of Linguistics,: 'standard Latin', and pedagogy (by Amsler, Mark E.); 5. Beatus quid est and the study of Grammar in Late Anglo-Saxon England (by Bayless, Martha); 6. The Linguistic Preoccupations of the Glossators of the St Gall Priscian (by Hofman, Rijcklof H.F.); 7. Fragments carolingiens de la grammaire de Dynamius (ms. Darmstadt 3303) (by Jeudy, Colette); 8. Syntax and Dialectic in Carolingian Commentaries on Priscian's Institutiones grammaticae (by Luhtala, Anneli); 9. Priscian's Institutio de nomine et pronomine et verbo in the Ninth Century (by Passalacqua, Marina); 10. A proposito delle dottrine grammaticali di Virgilio Marone (by Polara, Giovanni); 11. Erchanbert and the Interpolator: A Christian Ars minor at Freising (Clm 6414) (by Law, Vivien A.); 12. General Index; 13. Index of Manuscripts
