Colloquia Maruliana, Vol. 4 , 1995.
Original scientific paper
A Look into Marulić's Latin Vocabulary
Branimir Glavičić
Abstract
What we are dealing with here is the first vocabulary of a Croatian Neo–Latin writer. Compiled on the base of Marulić’s complete works, both his printed texts and manuscripts, it covers around 12,500 headwords.
Marulić’s verbal resourcefulness is mirrored here not only by the number of head-words, but also by their sundry originality and intensive expressiveness. It should be stressed, however, that Marulić rarely strained the inherited vocabulary — Classical, Biblical, Patristic — but remained, as a rule, within the limits of the normal, showing no tendency to more drastic semantic shifts.
The sharpening of word meaning was particularly favored by three features of his style: an ample use of synonyms, proneness to figurative language and varying of expressions.
Consequently, posse will be often accompanied by et valere, amice by ac familiariter, while »to explain« will decompose into exponere et explicare. This feature reveals the strong influence of the Classics, in particular that of Cicero’s language if not always of his vocabulary.
The liveliness of expression is increased by often original filling of headwords with figurative meanings, e.g. exterso pede ire »to go with rubbed foot« i.e. »to live honestly«.
Introduced under the impact of the Biblical texts, specially that of the New Testament, we may observe a large number of Christian metaphors and metaphoric expressions like cassis fidei »the casque of faith« or incorporari Christo »to become unified with Christ in one body«, i.e. »to take Communion«.
By frequent and conscious varying of expressions the poet tests the expressive possibilities of the inherited vocabulary. So, e.g., besides congenuare, for »to knee« we will find also the descriptive genu flectere, complicare, curvare, ponere, summittere, genibus provolvi.
Therefrom occasional replacements of common expressions by new ones, e.g. fidem dedere »pledge one’s word« instead of dare. Sometimes, these replacements mirror aspirations toward more adequate expressions. Consequently, the classical accumbere, recumbere »to sit down to eat« is occasionally replaced by ad or ante mensam sedere, for the Romans ate reclined while we do it sitting.
Varying can also be done for its own sake. This will happen where its aim is not
— as it is elsewhere — a greater precision or the delicate gradation of expressions.Therefrom frequent morphological doublets: e.g. baptisma and baptismus, medicamen, purgamen, velamen and medicamentum, purgamentum, velamentum, even triplets, e.g. cogitatio, cogitatum, cogitatus (all of the three meaning »thought”).
In some cases the use of doublets reflects the source Marulić resorted to, in others it is the outcome of his free choice in using, on an equal footing, Classical, mediaeval and Biblical forms, e.g. duodeviginti and decem et octo for »eighteen«.
At the other extreme of the employment of the doublets without difference in meaning, we will find the same word used on two different levels, Classical and mediaeval, like the verb irritare, in Classical Latin meaning »to irritate« and in the mediaeval »to invalidate« (the prosodic differences, the long -ri- in the first and the short -ri- in the second case are not obvious in prose texts).
We feel obliged to warn the reader here that some of the syntactic doublets will be confusing for the insufficiently initiated students: e.g. according to the normative grammar maledicere »to curse« is used with the dative case, whereas Marulić, following the Vulgate, uses the accusative. In sum, if we are to understand and appreciate properly Marulić’s language and vocabulary, our acquaintance with but Classical Latin will not suffice.
Where meaning is concerned, many other headwords show similar duplication,
e.g. abire »to leave« — »die«, auditor »listener« — »confessor«, concidere »to fall«
— »to sin«, satisfactio »reparation« — »penitence«, hians »one that yawns« — »seriously ill person«, iacens »one that lies« — »the deceased«. Yet, these twists of meaning are not abrupt, but logically imposed by the context.
The expressiveness of Marulić’ headwords is additionally intensified by numerous, carefully selected attributes accompanying nouns, as well as the other way round,
e.g. with mens »mind«, »spirit«, »soul« we will find over 70 attributes and with the adjective divinus over 90 common nouns.
The tendency to precision is opposed by the contrary tendency to incompleteness for the sake of decency, e.g. when having to indicate body activities. So, for instance, for sexual intercourse, along with the Biblical expression uxorem cognoscere, we will find contingere »to touch«, cum aliqua concumbere »to lie with somebody«, rem habere con aliqua »to have the thing with somebody«, complexibus alicuius uti »to use somebody’s hugs«, coniunctio »joining together«, opera coniugalis »conjugal deed«, actus uxorius, »spousal act«.
Belonging in a way to the same group are certain pregnant expressions, like montis plana iungere »crossing a hilly region, to pass from plain to plain«, or curru niti »to drive in a chariot holding on to a support in front.«
Along with the basic word fund of Classical Latinity, mediaeval Latinity, both secular and spiritual, is also amply used: banus, lantgravius, marchio, abbas, gentes, »pagans«, feria »weekday«, relicta »widow«, quondam accompanied by a proper name »defunct« etc.
Numerous diminutives devoid of diminutive meaning also belong the fund of mediaeval Latinity: avicula, ovicula, oricula, vulpecula, lepusculus, nidulus, vermiculus etc.
Because of the frequent relying on Biblical and patrologic texts, the fund of latinized Greek words is significant (apostolus, episcopus, presbyter etc.).
Appearing to a lesser extent, but still more often than in Latin vocabularies of other types, are the Hebrew words alleluia, amen, gehenna, ephod, gomor etc.
We may notice, also, occasional Italian influences: suspectus in the meaning of »suspicion«, or sponsa meaning »wife«.
In the end, the expressions like vivus et sanus »alive and sound« instead of salvus et sanus »sound and safe« or simply incolumis; or vertex capitis »the top of the head« although in Latin it is enough to say vertex, point to the influence of the Croatian substratum.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
9770
URI
Publication date:
22.4.1995.
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