Multilingualism in Medieval Britain C. 1066-1520: Sources and Analysis (Medieval Texts and Cultures of Northern Europe, 15)

This book is devoted to the study of multilingual Britain in the later medieval period, from the Norman Conquest to John Skelton. It brings together experts from different disciplines — history, linguistics, and literature - in a joint effort to recover the complexities of spoken and written communication in the Middle Ages. Each author focuses on one specific text or text type, and demonstrates by example what careful analysis can reveal about the nature of medieval multilingualism and about medieval attitudes to the different living languages of later medieval Britain. There are chapters on charters, sermons, religious prose, glossaries, manorial records, biblical translations, chronicles, and the macaronic poetry of William Langland and John Skelton. By addressing the full range of languages spoken and written in later medieval Britain (Latin, French, Old Norse, Welsh, Cornish, English, Dutch, and Hebrew), this collection reveals the linguistic situation of the period in its true diversity and shows the resourcefulness of medieval people when faced with the need to communicate. For medieval writers and readers, the ability to move between languages opened up a wealth of possibilities: possibilities for subtle changes of register, for counterpoint, for linguistic playfulness, and, perhaps most importantly, for texts which extend a particular challenge to the reader to engage with them. Front Matter ("Editorial Board", "Title Page", "Copyright Page", "Contents", "Illustrations", "Preface and Acknowledgments"), p. i Free Access Introduction, p. xi Judith A. Jefferson, Ad Putter https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100790 Addressing Different Language Groups: Charters from the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries, p. 1 Richard Sharpe https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100791 ‘Tor for to telle’: Words Derived from Old Norse in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, p. 41 Richard Dance https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100792 Multilingualism and the Vocabularium Cornicum, p. 59 Alderik H. Blom https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100793 Externarum linguarum excellens: The Rhetoric and Reality of the Languages of Gruffudd ap Cynan, Ruler of Gwynedd († 1137), p. 73 Paul Russell https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100794 Hebrew, Latin, French, English: Multilingualism in Jewish‐Christian Encounters, p. 89 Eva De Visscher https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100795 Language-Mixing in Medieval Latin Documents: Vernacular Articles and Nouns, p. 105 Richard Ingham https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100796 Mixed-Language Accounts as Sources for Linguistic Analysis, p. 123 Laura Wright https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100797 Written Versus Spoken Macaronic Discourse in Late Medieval England: The View from a Pulpit, p. 137 Alan J. Fletcher https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100798 Code-Switching in Late Medieval Macaronic Sermons, p. 153 Herbert Schendl https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100799 What Voice is that Language / What Language is that Voice? Multilingualism and Identity in a Medieval Letter-Treatise, p. 171 Jocelyn Wogan-Browne https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100800 Scribal Responses to Latin in the Manuscripts of the B‐Version of Piers Plowman, p. 195 Judith A. Jefferson https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100801 ‘Divers of Language’: The ‘Macaronic’ Glossing of Skelton’s Speke Parrot, p. 211 Jane Griffiths https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100802 Narrating the Battle of Hastings: Multilingual Britain and the Monolingualism of William of Malmesbury, p. 225 Haruko Momma https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100803 ‘And she answered in hir Language’: Aspects of Multilingualism in the Auchinleck Manuscript, p. 241 Thea Summerfield https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100804 ‘Women of oure tunge cunne bettir reede and vnderstonde this langage’: Women and Vernacular Translation in Later Medieval England, p. 259 Elizabeth Dearnley https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100805 Lewd Language: English and its Others in Late Medieval Versions of Scripture, p. 273 Cathy Hume https://doi.org/10.1484/M.TCNE-EB.1.100806 Back Matter ("Medieval Texts and Cultures: Titles in Series"), p. 293 The Contents Of This Book Cover Multilingualism And The Vocabularium Cornicum, Language-mixing In Medieval Latin Documents, Mixed-language Accounts As Sources For Linguistic Analysis, Code-switching In Late Medieval Macaronic Sermons, And Much More. Addressing Different Language Groups : Charters From The Eleventh And Twelfth Centuries / Richard Sharpe -- 'tor For To Telle' : Words Derived From Old Norse In Sir Gawain And The Green Knight / Richard Dance -- Multilingualism And The Vocabularium Cornicum / Alderik H. Blom -- Externarum Linguarum Excellens : The Rhetoric And Reality Of The Languages Of Gruffudd Ap Cynan, Ruler Of Gwynedd (... 1137) / Paul Russell -- Hebrew, Latin, French, English : Multilingualism In Jewish-christian Encounters / Eva De Visscher -- Language-mixing In Medieval Latin Documents : Vernacular Articles And Nouns / Richard Ingham -- Mixed-language Accounts As Sources For Linguistic Analysis / Laura Wright -- Written Versus Spoken Macaronic Discourse In Late Medieval England : The View From A Pulpit / Alan J. Fletcher -- Code-switching In Late Medieval Macaronic Sermons / Herbert Schendl -- What Voice Is That Language/what Language Is That Voice? : Multilingualism And Identity In A Medieval Letter-treatise / Jocelyn Wogan-browne -- Scribal Responses To Latin In The Manuscripts Of The B-version Of Piers Plowman / Judith A.jefferson -- 'divers Of Language' : The 'macaronic' Glossing Of Skelton's Speke Parrot / Jane Griffiths -- Narrating The Battle Of Hastings : Multilingual Britain And The Monolingualism Of William Of Malmesbury / Haruko Momma -- 'and She Answered In Hir Language' : Aspects Of Multilingualism In The Auchinleck Manuscript / Thea Summerfield -- 'women Of Oure Tunge Cunne Bettir Reede And Vnderstonde This Langage' : Women And Vernacular Translation In Later Medieval England / Elizabeth Dearnley -- Lewd Language : English And Its Others In Late Medieval Versions Of Scripture / Cathy Hume. Edited By Judith A. Jefferson And Ad Putter ; With The Assistance Of Amanda Hopkins. Includes Bibliographical References.