Slang is a nonstandard informal vocabulary peculiar to a group. In this digital age, the reproduction and evolution of slang words has become faster due to the digital platforms that they are often...Show moreSlang is a nonstandard informal vocabulary peculiar to a group. In this digital age, the reproduction and evolution of slang words has become faster due to the digital platforms that they are often used in. Research has been done on the lexical aspects of slang and slang in general (Sornig (1981); Metcalf (2002)), and on forms of digital slang (McCulloch (2019)), but none view slang as a mode of translation and applied it to to other types of text besides messages on social media. This thesis will address where digital slang terms come from, and if their origins can help explain how likely they are to be understood by someone who speaks regular English. To do so I will annotate a slang translation of Harry Potter, and research the etymological origins of the slang to try to discover - using Metcalf’s (2002) FUDGE theory - which slang terms are more likely to be understood. I expect to find that the slang terms that more closely resemble regular English words are more likely to be understood.Show less
The 'Epistula de observatione ciborum ad theudericum regem francorum', or in short ‘De observatione ciborum’, written by the Byzantine physician Anthimus, is a treatise from the early sixth century...Show moreThe 'Epistula de observatione ciborum ad theudericum regem francorum', or in short ‘De observatione ciborum’, written by the Byzantine physician Anthimus, is a treatise from the early sixth century, addressed to the Frankish king Theuderic. It concerns which foodstuffs do and do not fit a healthy lifestyle, and includes preparation methods for all food items that are discussed in the work. The tractate has long drawn scholars’ attention for its peculiar style and language. Written in a much more colloquial style than was usual, de observatione ciborum also contains a fairly large amount of non-Latin lexis. The aim of this thesis is to examine some of that lexis. Whilst Anthimus’ language has been researched and analysed in the past, this research focuses on the cooking terminology only. Moreover, it includes only words that appear to have been introduced into Latin relatively recently, possibly under the influence of the new peoples that had moved into the traditional Latin speaking area. Thus, it aims to sketch an image of the linguistic situation of the time and place in which Anthimus composed his epistula de observatione ciborum. The focus of the linguistic research is on the etymology and provenance of the included lemmata.Show less
Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
open access
Inquiry into the formal and functional development of the Latin nominal suffix -ēla, including a collection of all relevant literary forms. First, it contains an overview of existing scholarship on...Show moreInquiry into the formal and functional development of the Latin nominal suffix -ēla, including a collection of all relevant literary forms. First, it contains an overview of existing scholarship on -ēla. Secondly, a descriptive account is given of -ēla's synchronic features, most notably its distribution throughout Latinity, its various morphological bases and its semantics. Thirdly, an explanation is sought for three distinct unsolved problems. For the first, -ēla's spelling alternation with -ella, a specific scenario entailing confusion with the the diminutive suffix -ellus is defended. Regarding the question whether the suffix is originally deverbal or denominal, an original deverbal character for -ēla is defended. Lastly, two distinct origins for -ēla are proposed. On the one hand, an inner-Latin source is put forward, establishing a connection between -ēla and the pre-Latin suffix *-slo-/-sla-. On the other hand, comparison with the Greek suffix -ωλή allows for the consideration of PIE origins for -ēla.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Griekse en Latijnse taal en cultuur (BA)
closed access
Wat kan een etymologie van de naam van Cyclopen kan betekenen voor ons begrip van de cycloopepisode in de Odyssee? Dit onderzoek bevat een taalkundige en literaire analyse van zowel antieke als...Show moreWat kan een etymologie van de naam van Cyclopen kan betekenen voor ons begrip van de cycloopepisode in de Odyssee? Dit onderzoek bevat een taalkundige en literaire analyse van zowel antieke als moderne etymologieën, waarbij met name aandacht is besteed aan de etymologie van Thieme (1951) die inhoudt dat 'Cycloop' oorspronkelijk 'veedief' zou hebben betekend.Show less
The thesis aims to make up for part of the lack of a West Frisian etymological dictionary. It contains 37 lemmas with thorough historical linguistic treatments. A lemma consists of a West Frisian...Show moreThe thesis aims to make up for part of the lack of a West Frisian etymological dictionary. It contains 37 lemmas with thorough historical linguistic treatments. A lemma consists of a West Frisian word from the standard language, a collection of its regional and dialectal variants, its cognates in the other branches of Frisian, Germanic and Indo-European, a discussion of the relevant historical developments in phonology, morphology and semantics (focusing especially on the developments from Proto-Germanic to West Frisian), as well as of the ultimate etymology, and finally some relevant references. The words were selected from the semantic category of farming, including both agriculture and livestock breeding, which has been a prominent feature of Frisian life for centuries. The appertaining vocabulary has a long Frisian history as well, and is therefore well-suited both to illustrate and to refine our understanding of the linguistic history of Frisian.Show less
