1,720,987 research outputs found
Zur Problematik der Akzentqualität im klassischen Latein
Full text linkFrom among the earlier alternative, opposing views on the quality, i.e. the phonetic background of the Latin word accent, only the theory of the so-called German school ("deutsche Schule und Theorie") is widespread in our days. According to this theory, a vigorous stress accent prevailed in the classical period, as well as in the preceding and in the subsequent periods of the history of the Latin language. A reconsideration of the (linguistic, metalinguistic, metrical and typological) arguments for a vigorous stress accent assumed for the classical period however suggests that the classical Latin word accent has to be identified rather as a type of weak stress accent or pitch accent
Barbarismus nostri temporis: Interpretation einer umstritten gewordenen Wendung in der Grammatik des Sacerdos
Full text linkAccording to Herman (2000: 28) "in the late third century the grammarian Sacerdos mentions the tendency to shorten long vowels in the final syllable of words and calls it a barbarism of our time, barbarismus nostri temporis (GL, VI. 493-94)." In the opinion of Adams (2007: 264), however, "this passage and its surrounds are misinterpreted by [...] Herman (2000: 28). [...] The passage of Sacerdos has nothing to do with the loss of vowel length or with the shortening of long final vowels. It is about clausulae acceptable in an earlier age and those acceptable at the time of Sacerdos. In the context the expression structura nostri temporis (493.16) means a clausula approved at the present time, and barbarismus nostri temporis (several times) means a clausula not approved at the present time (i.e. one now considered a barbarism)." In this paper, surveying all the related passages of Sacerdos in detail, it will be demonstrated that (1) the expression barbarismus nostri temporis does indeed refer to the loss of phonemic length (vowel quantity), i.e. the shortening of long unstressed (final) vowels and the lengthening of short stressed vowels in Sacerdos' age and (2) Sacerdos' expression for a clausula not approved at his present time is vitiosa structura
Zur Prosodie, Metrik und Interpretation von Catulls Carmen 116
No full textThe article intends to contribute to clarifying the background and possible functions of the prosodical and metrical peculiarities in the third and eighth line of Catullus' last poem. After the analysis of the two lines concerned the conclusion can be drawn that by the (not at all Ennian) elision of -s in tu dabi supplicium in line eight and by the not Callimachean (and not Ennian either) versus spondiacus of the third line in his Callimachean poem Catullus might have condemned and stigmatised the style and character of his enemy Gellius as rustic: Thus, for the last time, he could stand up again for his vital idea of urbanity
Sprachpolitik im Römischen Reich
No full textIt is a well known fact that the system of the official communication of the Roman Empire had undergone a striking change after Diocletian's accession (284): Latin came into prominence and was used exclusively in the Eastern imperial administration where Greek had played an important role before Diocletian. So far this prominence of Latin has commonly been interpreted as an effect of a radical change in the language policy of the Roman state, claiming that Diocletian and Constantine I had introduced a new intolerant and aggressive language policy in the framework of the rehabilitation of the Roman Empire. In my paper I try to demonstrate that this alleged aggressive language policy never existed and that the prominence of Latin in the Eastern part of the Empire spontaneously resulted from the bureaucratic and governmental transformation of the Roman Empire that significantly increased the prestige of the Latin language. © 2010 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest
In Memoriam József Herman: von der Late Latin Data Base bis zur Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age.
No full textThe aim of the project entitled "Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age" (http://lldb.elte.hu/) is to develop and digitally publish a fundamental computerized historical linguistic database that incorporates and treats the Vulgar Latin material of the Latin inscriptions from a specific group of the European provinces of the Roman Empire in the first phase. This will, on the one hand, allow for a more thorough study of the regional changes and the diversity of the Latin language of the Imperial Age. On the other hand, it could also serve as a basis for subsequent international co-operation, in the course of which further work on the computerized historical linguistic database may be executed. This paper intends to present the past and the present, as well as the future possibilities of this Database
On the Vulgar Latin merger of /b/ and /w/ and its correlation with the loss of intervocalic /w/ : Dialectological evidence from inscriptions
Full text linkRelated to the summary of Adams (2013), the present study, first of all, solves the problem of how the absence of a linguistic change, in this case of the merger of/b/and/w/, can be evidenced in inscriptional corpora. For this purpose, two separate, yet interconnected methods, both suggested by J. Herman, are used and presented. By involving both methods in the analysis ofdata sets, recorded from a selection of Roman provinces in the Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of Latin Inscriptions ofthe Imperial Age (http://lldb.elte.hu/), I will prove the adequacy and reliability of our inscriptional data for the B/V confusion. Furthermore, I provide data aboutfrequency of the merger of/b/and M in Latin over the centuries and in various regions, which gives a more realistic picture than any explanation before. Finally, a correlation between this merger and the loss of the intervocalic/w/evidencing the changefrom [w]to [ßjis detected and presented for discussion
Romanization and Latinization of the Roman Empire in the light of data in the Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age
Full text linkThe present study demonstrates that the process of linguistic Romanization, i.e. Latinization of the Roman Empire, is traceable by the data of the Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age (LLDB). A multi-level analysis of linguistic and non-linguistic data in the LLDB has shown that Latinization, i.e. the spread of spoken or vulgar Latin, became more and more intensive over time in all concerned provinces (i.e. Lusitania, Gallia Narbonensis, Venetia et Histria, Dalmatia, Moesia, Pannonia, and Britannia), although to a varying degree in each. What is more, in many aspects of the investigation, it was possible to find differences between the selected provinces of the Roman Empire corresponding mostly to the future Romance (both negative and positive) outcomes of the respective areas. All in all, the analysis of data of the LLDB database can contribute to solving the complex problem of Latinization, and is a lot more appropriate for this purpose than a simple comparative analysis of epigraphic corpora of the selected provinces
Vowel mergers in the Latin of the Danubian provinces of the Roman Empire as evidenced in inscriptions
Full text linkThe present study analyzes the transformation of the vowel system and especially the process of vowel mergers based on the Latin inscriptions of the Danubian provinces. With the help of the Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age (http://lldb.elte.hu/), it tries to draw and then compare the phonological profiles of the selected provinces and to describe the dialectal position of the Danubian provinces regarding vocalism in the first four centuries AD. The analysis, which also covers comparisons with certain provinces of Italy and Dalmatia, is carried out considering four aspects: the ratio of vocalic versus consonantal changes, the ratio of vowel mergers compared to vocalic changes, the ratio of e-i and o-u mergers compared to each other, and the ratio of vowel mergers by stressed and unstressed syllable. As a result of the present study, it was revealed that Danubian provinces cannot be treated as a unit or as clearly separate from the other areas studied according to either aspect of the study. The Dacian development, which can only be observed in the 2nd-3rd century, can easily be placed among the Danubian provinces, so it is not necessary to connect it with the developmental trends in southern Italy. The present study, which continued József Herman's research, managed to explore the hitherto little-known linguistic and dialectological features of Latin in the Danubian provinces
Potential Greek influence on the Vulgar Latin sound change [b] > [β]: Dialectological evidence from inscriptions
Full text linkThis paper intends to investigate Greek influence on the Latin sound change [b] > [β] suggested occasionally in the literature by surveying not only the relevant linguistic data of Latin/Romance and Koine/Modern Greek but also the relevant literature and by involving and analyzing data sets recorded from 18 Roman provinces and the city of Rome in the Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age (cf. http://lldb.elte.hu/) by a more differentiated phonological approach considering external sandhi rules and in a chronological distribution more detailed than any applied before. In the end, the influence of Greek has been evidenced at least for some areas and especially for the early period (1st–3rd century AD), which is more important in this respect than the late period (4th–6th century AD), since then the merger can also be explained by developments in Latin itself beside a supposed external influence
The transformation of the vowel system in Gallic Latin as evidenced in inscriptions and the problem of dialectal positioning of Roman Gaul
Full text linkThe present study analyzes the transformation of the vowel system and especially the process of vowel mergers based on the Latin inscriptions of the Gallic and Germanic provinces. With the help of the Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age (http://lldb.elte.hu/), it tries to draw and then compare the phonological profiles of the selected provinces and to describe the dialectal position of Gaul and the Germanic provinces regarding vocalism in three periods (AD 1–300, 301–500 and 501–700). The analysis, which also covers comparisons with certain provinces of Italy, Spain and Dalmatia, is carried out considering four aspects: the ratio of vocalic versus consonantal changes, the ratio of vowel mergers compared to vocalic changes, the ratio of e-i and o-u mergers compared to each other, and the ratio of vowel mergers by stressed and unstressed syllable. As a result of the present study, it was revealed that Gallic provinces cannot be treated as a unit or as clearly separate from the other areas studied according to either aspect of the study, especially not in the early, pre-Christian period. Gallic provinces appear to behave in the same or a levelled manner at most in the later and/or latest periods. The Germanic provinces, especially Germania Superior, have, albeit with some delay, adapted to the Gallic provinces in their late development. The present study, which continued József Herman's research, managed to explore the hitherto little-known linguistic and dialectological features of Latin in the Gallic and Germanic provinces
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