Æthelwold's translation of the<i>Regula Sancti Benedicti</i>and its Latin exemplar
Mechthild Gretsch
St Benedict wrote his Rule for monastic communities in the first half of sixth century. It must have reached England course seventh century and was translated into Old English prose by Æthelwold, bishop Winchester, about 970 at request King Edgar Qeen Ælfthryth. Æhelwold one leaders tenth-century Benedictine reform translation is among major contributions to movement. Moreover holds a key position history development language literature. Manuscripts text been numerous from tenth twelfth even thirteenth. Scholars like William Malmesbury, Lawrence Nowell, John Jocelyn Francis Junius took an interest Rule, but, except chapter printed BM Cotton Faustina A.x Thomas Wright 1842, not easily accessible until Arnold Schröer published edition 1885, followed 1888 introduction discussing date authorship, relationship between manuscripts some linguistic points. Comparatively little work seems done on since then Rohr's Bonn Dissertation 1912 Professor Gneuss's supplement 1964 reprint Schröer's edition. Rohr, investigation phonology inflexional morphology able show that all them basically late West Saxon, while Gneuss gave survey what known Latin Anglo-Saxon England; he also pointed out difficulties involved attempt identify or reconstruct exemplar which Æthelwold used. In this article I shall consider four topics seem me essential our understanding Rule: question Æthelwold's exemplar; Rule; aims techniques translation; vocabulary with special reference recent research word geography.
Anglo-Saxon England