Muhammad, Charlemagne, and Apocope, or the Cultural Relevance of Romance Historical Linguistics
Michele Loporcaro
MUHAMMAD, CHARLEMAGNE, AND APOCOPE, OR THE CULTURAL RELEVANCE OF ROMANCE HISTORICAL LINGUISTICS Michele Loporcaro Romanisches Seminar - Universität Zürich The title of this Cluster essays carries the implication -or at least suggests possibility- that practitioners Romance historical linguistics may belong to an endangered species. This is quite uncomfortable situation: it feels a bit like writing these lines while sitting on chair with just three legs (if not even fewer). also calls for analysis why fourth leg missing, and how can be reintegrated. As causes, they partly lie outside discipline, in decline sciences as such crisis cultural role public university, topic which many publications have appeared lately.1 part question sociologists science answer, will considered any further here. external however, could hardly so effective (concretely, terms disappearance single but entire chairs , hinted Steve Dworkin's Introduction) if were backed up by factors internal discipline itself. And course much more serious problem, whose competence lies exclusively us. I guess everybody field has experienced sad case colleague next door, years ago author honest -if brilliantwork linguistics, who nowadays advises doctoral students 1 Publications as, European scene, Maurizio Ferraris's (2001) humorous pamphlet or Morkel's (2000) well-documented study. Zvi corónica 31.2 (Spring, 2003): 57-65 58Michele LoporcaroLa 31.2, 2003 should embark without future, rather devote their intellectual energies promising studies formal syntax, sociolinguistics, pragmatics, language engineering like. problem other disciplines enjoy resounding success. one self-consciousness. In doing so, disillusioned colleagues show ceased believe roles depository treasure human knowledge, replicators knowledge generations. They poor understanding relationship sub-domains studies, was recently synthesized most effectively Brian D. Joseph: [A] good linguist must general, ready examine aspect language, (at least) two reasons. First, since all various components change, prepared investigate try understand nature phonetics, phonology, morphology, semantics, on. Second, whatever we learn about areas give insights into synchronically, firmly changes [...] able characterize what those synchronic states look features, categories, constructs contain. Moreover, change embedded social history practices speakers/users fed aspects acquisition, both first second, contacts others, sociolinguistics especially psycholinguistics seen crucial full linguistics. (2002: 1) nutshell, whole, plus perspective, means lot, (Latin-)Romance domain. It commonplace linguistic family are specialists displays richness continuity documentation, recorded studied extent finds its equal anywhere else humanities. Such rich complex inquiry puts high demands scholars working it. Consider example feature occurring modern structural component: instance, Italian raddoppiamento fonosintattico (= RF), gemination word-initial Muhammad, Charlemagne, Apocope59 consonants, when preceded within speech chain word ending stressed vowel (e.g., cantò [m:]ale 's...
La corónica: A Journal of Medieval Hispanic Languages, Literatures, and Cultures