Medieval Latin

Latin Learning Latin
1

Hi Everyone

I am new to this site, but it seems a great resource - I am glad I found it.

I had a classical eduction, learning the usual Latin authors (say approx 100 years either side of Caesar or Cicero).

However, my main interest now is in medieval Latin - from say Augustine right through to the 16th century.

How much different is medieval Latin from the classical period ? And does it change much through the centuries, in other words, is reading 14th century medieval Latin a whole different game from the classical authors ?

If I brushed up my classical Latin to the extent that I could read Cicero or Caesar fairly easily, would I then also be able to read medieval Latin ? Or is there a whole extra grammar or vocabulary, or other subtleties, I would need to learn ?

Thanks for you help

– Mike

2

Hello, mikef !

Basically, Medieval Latin is still Latin.

Some differences :

  • spelling : Classical AE becomes often E (Rex Anglie = Rex Angliae, “King of England”) ; Classical TI becomes sometimes CI (ECIAM = ETIAM, TERCIUS = TERTIUS)…

  • syntax : Classical DICO with AcI (DICIT SE GAUDERE “he says that he is glad”), Medieval DICIT QUOD GAUDET or DICIT QUIA GAUDET.

  • vocabulary : necessarily adapted to Medieval realities (Classical FERIAE means “a festival”, Medieval FERIA means “a day of the week” (QUINTA FERIA is Friday). There are Medieval Latin Dictionaries, e.g. NIERMEYER, DU CANGE.

Vale.

3

Here a sample from Medieval Latin. I took the Latin text from “The Latin Library” and the translation from this website :
http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/arbroath_english.html

It is the opening paragraph from the “Declaration of Arbroath” (I believed first that it was a man :blush: before seeing it is a location near Dundee, Scotland), dated april 6th, 1320, addressed by Scot gentlemen to Pope John XXII. The notes are of my own, describing the differences with Classical Latin.

Scimus, Sanctissime Pater et Domine, et ex antiquorum gestis et libris Colligimus [u]quod/u inter Ceteras [u]naciones/u egregias nostra scilicet Scottorum nacio(2) multis [u]preconijs/u [u]fuerit/u insignita, [u]que/u de [u]Maiori/u [u]Schithia/u per Mare [u]tirenium/u et [u]Columpnas/u Herculis transiens et in Hispania inter ferocissimas gentes per multa temporum curricula Residens a nullis quantumcumque barbaricis poterat allicubi gentibus subiugari. Indeque veniens post mille et ducentos annos a transitu populi israelitici per mare rubrum sibi sedes in Occidente quas nunc optinet, expulsis primo Britonibus et Pictis omnino deletis, licet per [u]Norwagienses/u, Dacos et Anglicos [u]sepius/u [u]inpugnata fuerit/u, multis cum victorijs et Laboribus quamplurimis adquisuit, ipsaque ab omni seruitute liberas, vt Priscorum testantur [u]Historie/u, semper tenuit. In quorum Regno Centum et [u]Tredescim/u Reges de ipsorum Regali prosapia, nullo alienigena interueniente, Regnauerunt.

But the rest is fairly “normal” Latin.

(1) SCIRE QUOD “to know that” instead of an infinitive clause
(2) Cl. NATIONES
(3) Cl. PRAECONIIS
(4) this use of the perfect subjunctive is rather Medieval. Cl. rather SIT here, present subjunctive (but this subjunctive would have been the infinitive in the Cl. version of this sentence)
(5) Cl. QUAE
(6) ending -E (MAIORE) in Cicero and Caesar, but MAIORI does exist from the 2nd century AD (analogy with the declension of OMNIS, sing. abl. OMNI)
(7) Cl. SCYTHIA. Medieval Latin adds the letter “H” in some cases (MICHI for MIHI), as a matter of gimmick.
(8.) Cl. Tyrrhenium, here the spelling has been simplified.
(9) Cl. COLUMNAS. MPN for MN is found elsewhere.
(10) no “w” in Latin. Used to note Germanic names, sometimes written VV (VVILLELMVS “William”)
(11) Cl. SAEPIUS
(12) Cl. IMPUGNATA SIT. Med adopted here as a perfect subjunctive a much rarer older Latin construction
(13) Cl. HISTORIAE
(14) Cl. TREDECIM. Casual mistake?

“Most Holy Father and Lord, we know and from the chronicles and books of the ancients we find that among other famous nations our own, the Scots, has been graced with widespread renown. They journeyed from Greater Scythia by way of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Pillars of Hercules, and dwelt for a long course of time in Spain among the most savage tribes, but nowhere could they be subdued by any race, however barbarous. Thence they came, twelve hundred years after the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea, to their home in the west where they still live today. The Britons they first drove out, the Picts they utterly destroyed, and, even though very often assailed by the Norwegians, the Danes and the English, they took possession of that home with many victories and untold efforts; and, as the historians of old time bear witness, they have held it free of all bondage ever since. In their kingdom there have reigned one hundred and thirteen kings of their own royal stock, the line unbroken a single foreigner.”

Hail Scotland !

4

I started taking a medieval Latin course a little over a year ago. (Long story - it wasn’t supposed to be one when I signed up, and the workload was ridiculous.) Before I gave up in exhaustion, I had plowed through a lot, and found that knowing Classical Latin was fine for dealing with the medieval. The medieval used its grammar less strictly than the Classical, but didn’t really pose any problems. (That being said, I’m not sure what the medieval Latin grammar fuzz has done for my Classical Latin grammar skills, though!)

Kilmeny

5

Thanks for your answers - pretty reassuring, which is good !

I’ll finish my classical course and then just dive in to the medieval.

Thanks again everybody

– Mike

6

medieval Latin - watch out for the random ‘h’ in front of some vowels, and no fourth declensions among certain authors. genus, genus becomes genus, geni etc…