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
This study explores the dating of Romance lenition using the information provided by Gothic loanwords introduced in Ibero-Romance between the 5th and 8th centuries. It is based on the notion that...Show moreThis study explores the dating of Romance lenition using the information provided by Gothic loanwords introduced in Ibero-Romance between the 5th and 8th centuries. It is based on the notion that Romance lenition is a natural internally motivated process (rafforzamento sintattico as the catalyst of restructuring) that came from an early allophonic stage (since the 1st c. A.D.) into a phonological fact (Cravens 1991; 2000) much time later. The linguistic testimony of the Visigothic period in the Iberian Peninsula demonstrates that Romance lenition, at least for the sonorization of the voiceless velar stop, was active by that period and endured until the 9th and 11th centuries. This is corroborated with brief reviews on the Latin evidence and the Hispano-Arabic loanwords.Show less
