Original scientific paper

Dalmatian etymologies of Constantine Porphyrogenitus

Milenko Lončar orcid.org/0000-0002-4277-0156 ; Sveučilište u Zadru, Odjel za klasičnu filologiju

Abstract

In De administrando imperio there are over 50 etymologies, of which in
Dalmatian chapters (29-36) there are 23 etymologies, almost half, even though
those chapters take less than one sixth of the texst of De administrando imperio.
Five Roman cities and seven Slav communities are described in Dalmatian
chapters. The names of all of them are explained. Such comprehensive approach
can not be found in any other part of De administrando imperio. Appart from
them there is only the etymology of mountain pass Kleisa and river Bona.
Constantine Porphyrogenitus is often considered as the author of those
etymologies. But, judging by local inspiration and languages in which the names
are interpreted, regularly Latin or Slavic, author concludes that the majority of
the ethnologies, perhaps even all of them, are of local origin. Therefor the author
disagrees with Yugoslav byzantologist Duric, who suggests that Constantine's
Romaic language includes both - Latin and Greek. The author is convinced that
it is always Latin.
The word 8mXeKxoq meaning ‘language’ can be found 14 times in De
administrando imperio, of which 11 times in Dalmatian etymologies. Obviously
it has to be the manner of Constantine's assistant expressing who rote Dalmatian
chapters. The same can be said for the verb épprjvebeuai ‘it means’, which
usually appears in Dalmatian etymologies, unlike other etymologies, where other
synonimic expressions appear as well.

Keywords

Constantine Porphyrogenitus; De administrando imperio; etymologies; Dalmatia

Hrčak ID:

180383

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/180383

Publication date:

10.3.2003.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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