<i>A Sociophilological Study of Late Latin</i> (review)
Andrew Gillett
254 Reviews Parergon 20.2 (2003) Wright, Roger, A Sociophilological Study of Late Latin (Utrecht Studies in Medieval Literacy 10), Turnhout, Brepols, 2002; cloth; pp. viii, 389; RRP EUR65.00; ISBN 2503513387. In 1982, Roger Wright published an important volume on the complex transition from spoken to Romance languages southern Europe (Late and Early Spain Carolingian France). it, he argued that former western provinces Roman empire continued be a monolingual speech community long after collapse political unity. More-or-less standardised written remained widely used comprehensible, with much same relationship local variations as modern English has its myriad accents, dialects, creoles today. To crucial period monolingualism (with variants) Latin/Romance dichotomy was ‘Renaissance’, prime agents change were Anglo-Saxon scholars at Charlemagne’s court. Alcuin his ilk introduced hyper-corrected form which quite odds it still actually Continent, not least practitioners’ insistence full pronunciation all letters. Spread via educational reforms, this hyper-correction drove wedge between language. The latter, by thirteenth century latest, had become variety vernaculars alienated language; while assumed position we know, ‘dead’ foreign language, universally available but possessed none. present further develops major aspects Wright’s thesis. book is collection articles (a fact unannounced cover blurb or advertising), most originally within few years either side millennium. papers are mildly reworked (including translation several three languages) order provide coherence, author’s clearly demarcated research interests high degree third release potentially very interesting series medieval literacy. chapters divided into six main themes: longitudinal overviews relations late languages; four sections periods regions key points linguistic development Antiquity; period; twelfth/thirteenth Spain) instructive isolates (tenth/eleventh Italy Spain); methodological studies ‘sociophilology.’ latter term coinage. It refers marriage sociolinguistics (examining social 255 agenda variation), historical linguistics (concerned language pre-literate groups), traditional, technical philology needed able deal such remote data. vigorous precise speaker, reflect forceful orderliness. titles compact declare problem-solving directness: ‘How Came Be Foreign Language for All’, ‘Why Languages Are Not All Same’, Judeo-Spanish Was Called “Ladino”’, ‘What Actually Changes During “Sound Change”?’As subsidiaries theme, introduces range fascinating insights cultural continuity early Middle Ages. One example recurs times throughout Ladino, Mozarabic Christian under Islamic rule Córdoba, fossil what might called ‘prelapsarian ’common Latin, unaffected self-consciousness ‘correct’ ‘non-Latinate’ Romance. But Ladino used, tenth counterpart fallen disuse. Ladino-speaking bowed convenience, abandoned classicising mode, adopted their now second tongue, Arabic (itself highly language). central Ages (section E) detailed arguments wave conscious introduction Carolingian-style standardisation relating changes particular areas episcopates individual bishops. There significant overlap manuscript section...
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