Linguistic Studies On Latin

The volume contains 26 articles (17 in English, 9 in French), selected from the papers presented at the 6th International Colloquim on Latin Linguistics, organized in Budapest. The authors share a common interest in applying to the study of Latin the conceptual framework of contemporary linguistics, mainly, but not exclusively, the theoretical tools of functional grammar and of the newest trends in pragmatics. Most studies envisage Latin in its synchronic functioning, but some papers embrace diachronic processes, from the archaic period to late and even pre-Romance stages.The volume is divided in several sections: “Phonology and Morpho-syntax” includes one paper on phonology (Fr. Biville) and three on morphology (G.C.L.M. Bakkum, G. Haverling, P. Manuel Suárez). Problems of the syntax of the simple sentence, often in relation to word order phenomena, are discussed in seven articles in Section 2 (Ch. Elerick, H. Fugier, Jan R. de Jong, Marius Lavency, E. Rizzi and P. Molinelli, Hannah Rosén, M.H. Somers). The grammatical problems of the complex sentence were examined by a great many participants of the colloquium, and the third section, “Subordination”, presents eight of those papers (Gu. Calboli, P. De Carvalho, P. Cuzzolin, J. Dangel, S. Mellet, J.A.H. Mensink, P. Ramat, E. Vester). The section on text cohesion and particles — an almost traditional field of research in new Latin linguistics — includes papers by A.M. Bolkestein, C. Kroon, R. Risselada, and M.E. Torrego. The final section, “Problems of the Lexicon”, devoted to the historical-comparative or semantic descriptive analysis of lexical elements, contains four articles (R. Coleman, B. García Hernández, L. Nadjo, Chr. Touratier). An Index of Names closes the volume.

The 29 papers in this volume cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from the Glottalic Theory and Lachmann's Law to the hermeneutic analysis of text-structure in Tacitus' Germania. The volume focuses on three themes specifically: the morphology and semantics of lexical formation; the internal and external syntax of the noun phrase; and the pragmatics of textual cohesion. The papers are descriptive rather than historical in approach, and most of the contributors are Latinists by training. For this reason the volume will be of interest not only for philologists and general linguists but also for those working with the Latin language.

This book investigates the role of the Latin language as a vehicle for science and learning from several angles. First, the question what was understood as ‘science’ through time and how it is named in different languages, especially the Classical ones, is approached. Criteria for what did pass as scientific are found that point to ‘science’ as a kind of Greek Denkstil based on pattern-finding and their unbiased checking. In a second part, a brief diachronic panorama introduces schools of thought and authors who wrote in Latin from antiquity to the present. Latin’s heydays in this function are clearly the time between the twelfth and eighteenth centuries. Some niches where it was used longer are examined and reasons sought why Latin finally lost this lead-role. A third part seeks to define the peculiar characteristics of scientific Latin using corpus linguistic approaches. As a result, several types of scientific writing can be identified. The question of how to transfer science from one linguistic medium to another is never far: Latin inherited this role from Greek and is in turn the ancestor of science done in the modern vernaculars. At the end of the study, the importance of Latin science for modern science in English becomes evident.

The articles of this collection on Latin linguistics are representative of the kind of research that is currently carried out in the field of linguistics. Most deal with syntax or sentence structure, but they vary with respect to their emphasis on theory or description. They also vary with respect to the grammatical framework with which they are formulated, with some preponderance of transformational generative approaches. All papers are well-informed about the major developments in contemporary linguistics and make extensive use of recent methods and types of argumentation. In the introduction the volume editor briefly reviews the present state of Latin linguistics, starting with a section on the question whether it is possible to conduct up-to-date linguistic research for Latin at all. To be followed by a brief sketch of the impact of recent linguistic theories on Latin linguistics in general, and in a final third section an outline is presented of the possible interest the contributions to this volume may have for linguists working on languages other than Latin

This textbook provides a detailed introduction to the study of Latin from the perspective of contemporary linguistics. It adopts some basic tenets of generative grammar in an in-depth analysis of the main phonological, morphological, and syntactic properties of Latin, and offers a step-by-step guide to the universal principles and specific parameters which shape the language, along with comparative data from English and other languages. Latin: A Linguistic Introduction is a user-friendly and essential guide to the synchronic study of Latin as a natural language. The clarity of exposition and the richness of the examples cited provide a new approach to Latin as a topic of linguistic research: although the general structure of the book is like that of a traditional Latin grammar, the discussion of grammatical rules is both more straightforward and more theoretically informed. This textbook is principally suitable for students of Latin and Romance linguistics at undergraduate level and above, but also for teachers and researchers interested in new ways of looking at the study of Latin. It differs from many other textbooks in the field by striking a valuable balance between the longstanding tradition of classical philology and the innovations of contemporary linguistics.

This textbook provides a detailed introduction to the study of Latin from the perspective of contemporary linguistics. It adopts some basic tenets of generative grammar in an in-depth analysis of the main phonological, morphological, and syntactic properties of Latin, and offers a step-by-step guide to the universal principles and specific parameters which shape the language, along with comparative data from English and other languages. Latin: A Linguistic Introduction is a user-friendly and essential guide to the synchronic study of Latin as a natural language. The clarity of exposition and the richness of the examples cited provide a new approach to Latin as a topic of linguistic research: although the general structure of the book is like that of a traditional Latin grammar, the discussion of grammatical rules is both more straightforward and more theoretically informed. This textbook is principally suitable for students of Latin and Romance linguistics at undergraduate level and above, but also for teachers and researchers interested in new ways of looking at the study of Latin. It differs from many other textbooks in the field by striking a valuable balance between the longstanding tradition of classical philology and the innovations of contemporary linguistics.

TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks, as well as studies that provide new insights by approaching language from an interdisciplinary perspective. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.

TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS is a series of books that open new perspectives in our understanding of language. The series publishes state-of-the-art work on core areas of linguistics across theoretical frameworks as well as studies that provide new insights by building bridges to neighbouring fields such as neuroscience and cognitive science. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS considers itself a forum for cutting-edge research based on solid empirical data on language in its various manifestations, including sign languages. It regards linguistic variation in its synchronic and diachronic dimensions as well as in its social contexts as important sources of insight for a better understanding of the design of linguistic systems and the ecology and evolution of language. TRENDS IN LINGUISTICS publishes monographs and outstanding dissertations as well as edited volumes, which provide the opportunity to address controversial topics from different empirical and theoretical viewpoints. High quality standards are ensured through anonymous reviewing.