Hildegard of Bingen’s Unknown Language: An Edition, Translation, and Discussion (The New Middle Ages)

The Lingua Ignota, "brought forth" by the twelfth-century German nun Hildegard of Bingen, provides 1012 neologisms for praise of Church and new expression of the things of her world. Noting her visionary metaphors, her music, and various medieval linguistic philosophies, Higley examines how the "Unknown Language" makes arid signifiers green again. This text, however, is too often seen in too narrow a context: glossolalia, angelic language, secret code. Higley provides an edition and English translation of its glosses in the Riesencodex (with assistance from the Berlin MS) , but also places it within a history of imaginary language making from medieval times to the most contemporary projects in efforts to uncover this woman�s bold involvement in an intellectual and creative endeavor that spans centuries. **[HILDEGARD’S ALPHABET](http://www.philipchircop.com/post/33511252670/hildegards-alphabet-did-you-know-that-hildegard)** Did you know that [Hildegard of Bingen](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHildegard_of_Bingen&t=YjA3NzNhMWM2ZjRjMmI1ODU2MTRhZjkyNmMxNmQ2NzEyY2VmODIzYixmRXlISGpISA%3D%3D "Hildegard of Bingen") also invented her own language? This is known as the Lingua Ignota, with its own vocabulary and alphabet. This is one of the earliest known examples of a constructed language. Some say her nuns used the *Lingua* to share secrets unknown to anyone outside the walls of their convent. > ***“ubi tunc vox inauditae melodiae? et vox inauditae linguae?“ > *** (where, then, the voice of the unheard melody? And the voice of the unheard language?)” | Hildegard’s friend Wolmarus, on hearing that Hildegard might be dying. A book that may be of interest to some | Sarah L. Higley, *[Hildegard of Bingen’s Unknown Language](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHildegard-Bingens-Unknown-Language-Translation%2Fdp%2F1403976732%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1349983562%26sr%3D8-1%26keywords%3Dlingua+ignota+hildegard&t=MjcxMmYxYzAxODc4ZWQ3NmE0N2UxNTM2MDRkMWM4NGUzMjY3ZWM1NSxmRXlISGpISA%3D%3D "Hildegard's unknown language")* *For more information about this intriguing fact go[here](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FLingua_Ignota&t=YzI4YWQ2NDBjNjYwYTAxNjk5ZmRiNTdmNjg3Nzk1M2Y0YTBhMzIyMSxmRXlISGpISA%3D%3D "lingua ignota")* Cover 1 Contents 10 Plates 12 Acknowledgments 14 Abbreviations 16 Part I: The Lingua Ignota and its Place Within a History of Language Invention 18 Introduction: Hildegard’s Language as Vineyard and Edifice 20 One: An Unknown Language by a Visionary Woman 30 Two: Glossolalia and Glossographia 52 Three: Medieval Language Philosophy 68 Four: Fifteenth- to Nineteenth-Century Language Inventions 80 Five: Play and Aesthetic in Contemporary Language Invention 96 Six: Greening Language: Hildegard’s Monastery Garden 118 Notes to Part I 130 Part II: Manuscripts, Edition, and Translation of the Lingua Ignota 160 Manuscript Information 162 Notes to Manuscript Information 176 The Riesencodex Lingua Ignota with Additions from the Berlin MS 178 Notes to the Translation 206 Hildegard’s Lingua Alphabetized 222 Bibliography 248 Index 256 A 256 B 256 C 257 D 257 E 257 F 258 G 258 H 258 I 259 J 259 K 260 L 260 M 260 N 260 O 261 P 261 Q 261 R 261 S 261 T 262 U 262 V 262 W 263 X 263 Y 263 Z 263

The Lingua Ignota, brought forth by the twelfth-century German nun Hildegard of Bingen, provides 1012 neologisms for praise of Church and new expression of the things of her world. Noting her visionary metaphors, her music, and various medieval linguistic philosophies, Higley examines how the Unknown Language makes arid signifiers green again. This text, however, is too often seen in too narrow a context: glossolalia, angelic language, secret code. Higley provides an edition and English translation of its glosses in the Riesencodex (with assistance from the Berlin MS) , but also places it within a history of imaginary language making from medieval times to the most contemporary projects in efforts to uncover this woman’s bold involvement in an intellectual and creative endeavor that spans centuries.

The Lingua Ignota,'brought forth'by the twelfth-century German nun Hildegard of Bingen, provides 1012 neologisms for praise of Church and new expression of the things of her world. Noting her visionary metaphors, her music, and various medieval linguistic philosophies, Higley examines how the'Unknown Language'makes arid signifiers green again. This text, however, is too often seen in too narrow a context: glossolalia, angelic language, secret code. Higley provides an edition and English translation of its glosses in the Riesencodex (with assistance from the Berlin MS), but also places it within a history of imaginary language making from medieval times to the most contemporary projects in efforts to uncover this woman s bold involvement in an intellectual and creative endeavor that spans centuries. The Lingua ignota and its place within a history of language invention Introduction: Hildegard's language as vineyard and edifice An unknown language by a visionary woman Glossolalia and glossographia Medieval language philosophy Fifteenth- to nineteenth-century language invention Play and aesthetic in contemporary language invention Greening language : Hildegard's monastery garden Manuscripts, edition, and translation of the Ignota Lingua Manuscript information The Riesen codex Lingua ignota with additions from the Berlin MS Notes to the translation Hildegard's Lingua alphabetized.