Reception of Latin vocabulary and grammar in An Alphabet of Tales

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13222
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 02080:English linguistics-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Miura Ayumi 大阪大学, 言語文化研究科(言語文化専攻), 准教授 (00706830)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 中英語 / ラテン語 / 翻訳 / 言語接触 / An Alphabet of Tales / 語彙 / 文法 / 非人称動詞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project focussed on An Alphabet of Tales (AT), which was translated from Latin in the early fifteenth century, and investigated the extent of Latin influence on its vocabulary and grammar, the question which has not been tackled for a long time due to the difficulty in accessing primary sources. On the basis of empirical data obtained from collation with the Latin original, I examined the use of vocabulary and grammar in AT which are considered in previous studies to have been affected by Latin. Over three years the work showed, among other findings, that contrary to the claim in previous studies, words first attested in AT, the series of infrequent grammatical items and some impersonal verbs are unlikely to be the outcome of faithful translations of the Latin original. The project revealed a part of the reception of Latin in the north of England at the time.

Free Research Field

英語史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、(1) 一次資料であるラテン語原典のエディションが容易に入手できないがゆえに長年行われてこなかった、An Alphabet of Talesとラテン語原典における語彙・文法を詳細に比較調査したこと、(2) 先行研究では本作はラテン語原典の忠実な訳だと言われているが、それに反する多くの事例を提示し、本作の翻訳のスタイルやラテン語からの翻訳に基づく語彙・文法について、先行研究での見解を問い直したこと、結果 (3) いまだ研究量の少ない15世紀初頭のイングランドにおけるラテン語の受容の一端を明らかにしつつ、翻訳作品の言語の研究と言語接触の研究の連携を計ったことに学術的意義があると考える。