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stranger
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stranger
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I'd be happy if people would just learn that adding -s or -es, as a general rule, makes a word plural. Adding 's makes it possessive. It's unbelievable how often I see this mistake, even in magazines and newspapers (I won't count online, because everything there is suspect anyway.)
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Carpal Tunnel
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True, like in Churches: St. Margaret's Church, St. Paul's
London, St. Peter's Basilica. Margaret, Paul, Peter have
long been dead. But it is common place, and I think
we have discussed this apostrophe S on places before.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Carpal Tunnel
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----please, draw me a sheep----
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Carpal Tunnel
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The pronunciation of AE in Latin changed during the Middle Ages.
A little farther back in time, like in the Dark Ages.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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it's amazing how a word like the Dark Ages can conjure up
so many images. In Europe it was "dark" indeed, other
than the monks copying book after book. I think of the
Book of Kells in Ireland, or the movie with Sean Connery
and Christian Slater: Eco's The Name of the Rose.
And in the East, Avicenna and medicine. Interesting in
light of the changes taking place there.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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Carpal Tunnel
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it's amazing how a word like the Dark Ages can conjure up
so many images.
Yes, I was using the term to refer to that period around the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century and lasting a century or two depending on where in Europe. I should have just used dates.
Most Romans spoke Vulgar Latin which started to diverge from Classical Latin in phonology and syntax starting in the late Republic (around 100 - 50 BCE). The first texts in a Romance language (kind of proto-French) show up in the Strasbourg oaths in the 9th century.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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That really interests me. Can you give a description
between the dates you mention. I presume Latin was still
the "lingua franca" of Rome Empire until its fall?
I understand how the empire fragmented, but Latin just
devolved into the Romance languages? No communication
between areas of Europe caused this? What are the
Strasbourg oaths?
----please, draw me a sheep----
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That really interests me. Can you give a description
between the dates you mention. I presume Latin was still
the "lingua franca" of Rome Empire until its fall?Latin remained the "official" language of the Western Roman Empire, but in the East Koine Greek was used. (Koine Greek is to Classical Greek as Vulgar Latin is to Classical Latin; the only difference being that Koine was written down.) Final nasals (e.g., in the singular accusative - am, - um became nasalized vowels, before disappearing altogether. The diphthong ae was probably being pronounced commonly as /ɛ/ rather than /aj/ in Caesar's time. There are a bunch of other differences. One I remember from syntax is the use of quia with the indicative mood rather than the complex system of subjunctive with a different conjunction. I understand how the empire fragmented, but Latin just
devolved into the Romance languages? No communication
between areas of Europe caused this?Well, I won't use the term "devolved". All the modern Romance languages are later forms of (Vulgar) Latin. The breakdown in communication exacerbated the change, but did not cause it. Languages change on their own. Having a standardized language and an orthography help to fix a language from change over a longer period than an unwritten one, but look how far many spoken forms of English are from the main national standards. What are the Strasbourg oaths?"The Oaths of Strasbourg were several historical documents which included mutual pledges of allegiance between Louis the German (d. 876), ruler of East Francia, and his (half-)brother Charles the Bald (d. 877), ruler of West Francia." See the Wikipedia article ( link). For an example: "Pro Deo amur et pro Christian poblo et nostro commun salvament, d'ist di in avant, in quant Deus savir et podir me dunat, si salvarai eo cist meon fradre Karlo et in ajudha et in cadhuna cosa, si cum om per dreit son fradre salvar dist, in o quid il me altresi fazet, et ab Ludher nul plaid numquam prindrai, qui, meon vol, cist meon fradre Karle in damno sit." “For the love of God and for Christendom and our common salvation, from this day onwards, as God will give me the wisdom and power, I shall protect this brother of mine Charles, with aid or anything else, as one ought to protect one's brother, so that he may do the same for me, and I shall never knowingly make any covenant with Lothair that would harm this brother of mine Charles.”
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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I recognize the Latin and the "Proto" French. I had never
heard of the Strasbourg Oaths, but I find the history
most interesting. It is amazing what one can find on Wiki
(valid or no). The concept of the development of the
language is amazing. I've always wondered how Latin
became the Romance languages and assumed that most of it
was lost in the "dark ages", with no real ability to trace
it. I see, acually, if you know where to look it is
really just a matter of probing, especially with modern
techniques. I really appreciate your taking to time
to give me that insight. Appreciate it.
----please, draw me a sheep----
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I just happened to think of another question, at your
convenience. The Roman Church uses (d) Latin and still
does in documents, etc. But the Latin it uses
with the C as in "ceiling": vici (vichi), is what I have
always called "ecclesiastical" Latin. Whereas the
other pronunciation of the "C" is like a K: vici, as in
Wiki. Is that the "classical" Latin to which you refer?
----please, draw me a sheep----
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