2.5.4. Catholicon latin-français: mss. Montpellier, Faculté de Médecine H110 and Stockholm, KB N78

The alphabetical Latin-French dictionary found in two manuscripts: Montpellier, Faculté de Médecine H110 (MP) and Stockholm, KB N78 (ST), represents another stage in the progress of French lexicography. MP dates from c.1370-1380, and ST from the mid-fifteenth century (Merrilees 1994c: 10). The two versions seem to derive from the same original but the differences between them suggest that ST was compiled independently and is not simply a variant of MP (id. 1994c: 11). This early lexicon is important in terms of both its size (292 folios) and its complex microstructure. These features are evident in the following comparison of lemmata in MP with those in A1, the oldest manuscript of the Aalma series, which also dates from the end of the fourteenth century:

Exhibit 21: Comparison of the Catholicon français in ms. Montpellier, Faculté de Médecine, H110 (MP)
and the Aalma glossary in ms. Paris, BN lat. 13032 (A1)
Ms. Paris, BN lat. 13032
 
Ms. Montpellier, Fac. Méd. H110
Ablacto. tas. tavi. tare. tatum. sevrer du let a. Ablacto. as. ex ab et lacto, as oster du lait
Ablativus. tiva. tivum. ablatif o. Ablativus. ab auffero. fers. dicitur ablatus. a. um. et hic ablativus. ivi. ablatif case et ablativus. va. vum. celui qui oste
- Abligurigo. ginis. ab abligurio. ris. folle largesse ou degastemens
- Abligurio. ris. ex ab et ligurio. ris. mengier gloutrement ou degaster
- Ablego. as. avi. re. condempner ou desrompe
- Ablucida. de paille
Abluo. is. lui. luere. lutum. laver a. Ablusio. onis. mondacion, lavement
Ablucio. cionis. lavemens p. Abluo. is. ui. lutum. ex ab et luo. is. laver ou purger ordures. Inde ablutus. a. um. lavé
- Ablutinacio. nis. ex ablutino. nas. quod componitur ex ab et lutino. as. absconsion de lumiere
- Ablutes. tium. vel ablucia. ciorum. lieux pleins de eaue
- Abluvio. onis. ab abluo. is. nestoyeure d'ordure
Abnegacio. cionis. denoiemens f. -
Abnego. abnegas. negavi. negare. negatum. denoier a. Abnego. gas. avi. re. refuser
Abnepos. tis. tiers nepveu m. Abnepos. tis. filz du filz ou filz au nepveu
- Abnormis in norma exponitur
Abnuo. nuis. nui. nuere. nutum. recuser a. Abnuo. is. utum. ex ab et denuo. is. refuser ou deffendre
Aboleo. aboles. abolere. levi. letum vel litum. effacier Aboleo. es. ui. vel levi. litum vel letum. puir, destruire ou occire
Abolicio. cionis. effacement f.
Abolitus. lita. litum. effacez o. Abolitus. ta. tum. deffais ou destruis et a genitivo aboliti addita o fit abolicio deffateur ou abolivion et dicitur ab aboleo. es
- Abolla. le. dicitur quasi abulla, le vesteure de senateur aornez de pierres precieuses
Abominor. abominaris. abominatus sum vel fui. abominari. avoir en desdaing. en horreur ou en despit. abominer d. Abhominor. aris. tus sum vel fui. ri. ex ab et ominor. aris. condempner, estrangier ou maldire; unde hoc abhominium. nii. maudiçon et hoc adhominarium. rii. lieu a estre maudiceur
Abominacio. cionis. abominacion f. -
Abominium. abominii. idem n.
 
Nobel 1986: 170

Source is another difference between MPST and the Aalma series, in addition to the increased macrostructure and more complex microstructure. The Aalma manuscripts are derived entirely from the Catholicon of John Balbi, while the sources of MPST also include the Elementarium of Papias. Nobel (1986: 161) calculates that of the first 232 entries in MP, 148 (64%) occur in the Catholicon and the remainder derive from Papias. It should be kept in mind that some lemmata occur in both sources, as the following comparison of lemmata in MP with corresponding lemmata in Papias and/or the Catholicon illustrates:

Exhibit 22: Sources of the Catholicon français in ms. Montpellier, Faculté de Médecine, H110 (MP)
Elementarium
Catholicon
MP
 
AC 31
39

49
40

 
44
47
45
51
57
58
49

59
60
2
8
6
10
11
12
16/17
18
20
21
22
26
24

-
Acephali
acer
-
acerbus
acernus
-
-
acerra
aceru
Acerrae
aceries
accessio
Acestes
acervus
-
acetabulum
acetum
achacia
aca
Achademia
Achaia
Achaica vel Achaia
acalantia
acantus
Achar
Acharon
Acarnani
acatalecton
achates
achateon
Aceo
Acephali
Acer
Aceratus
Acerbus
Acernus
Acero
Aceronitus
Acerra
-
-
-
-
-
Acervus
Acesco
Acetabulum
Acetum
-
-
Achademia
Achaia
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Achaceon
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
Aceo
Acephalus
Acer
Aceratus
Acerbus
Acernus
Acero
Aceronicus
Acerra
Acerau
Acerris
Aceries
Accessio
Acestes
Acervus
Acesco
Acetabulum
Acetum
Achacia
Acha
Achademia
Achaia
Achala
Achalantia
Achantus
Achar
Acharon
Acharmani
Achatalectum
Achatetis
Achateon
de Angelis 1977: 29-54 Mainz 1460; reprint
Westmead: Gregg 1971
Nobel 1986: 175-176

Another observation which may be made from this example is that, while some lemmata appear in both sources, it seems the compiler has taken large blocks alternately from each. Merrilees (1994c: 12) notes that, although the two manuscripts are very similar, MP includes more Latin (etymologies and Latin definitions) than ST. The edition of the Catholicon français which is being prepared by Pierre Nobel of l'Université de Strasbourg III with Brian Merrilees and William Edwards of the University of Toronto for the Nouveau Recueil des Lexiques latin-français du Moyen Age, will present MP and the most important variants from ST.

2.5.5. Glossarium gallico-latinum: ms. Paris, BN lat. 7684

The problems attached to teaching Latin in the vernacular were addressed in various ways by medieval instructors throughout western Europe. One of the most popular methods was the adaptation and translation of common didactic texts: grammars - most frequently Donatus's Ars minor; legal texts; formularies; and administrative texts such as Robert Grosseteste's 'Rules' and Walter of Henley's 'Husbandry'. [41]

Another tool was the Latin-vernacular glossary, of which we have ample evidence. However, the need to access Latin forms through the vernacular was also obviously felt, and one solution appeared to be the reversal of the usual entry order of Latin lemma and French gloss. Lists of French headwords followed by Latin glosses (usually not in alphabetical order) are found in a number of manuscript collections; for example, 116 French nouns and adjectives and their Latin equivalents on ff.18b-19d of ms. Glasgow, Hunter 292 (formerly U.6.10, R.7.14). The Latin synonyms are grouped under their respective French headwords, in no apparent order. [42] The following examples are taken from Hunt (1991: I, 403):

Exhibit 23: Some French-Latin synonyms from Glasgow, ms. Hunter 292, ff.18b-19d
Bataille
Hoc bellum
Hoc duellum
Hoc prelium
Hic mars
Hec pugna
Cheval
Hic equus
Hic quadrupes -pedis
Hic sonipes
Hic caballus
Aide
Hoc auxilium
Hoc subsidium
Hoc presidium
Hoc suffragium
Op(u)s, opem ab ope
Felonie
Hoc facinus -noris
Hoc scelus -leris
Hec iniquitas
Hec nequitia
Vent
Hic ventus
Hic flatus -tus -tui
Hec aura
Hec phala -le, turris lignea
Haut
altus -ta -tum
celsus -sa -sum
excelsus -sa -sum
precelsus -sa -sum
Hic et hec sublimis,
et hoc sublime
summus -ma -mum
Hunt 1991: I, 403

Other examples include an alphabetical list of about eighty French verbs accompanied by their Latin equivalents in ms. Oxford, Bodleian Library, Douce n° 88 (folio number is not identified in Lindemann 1994: 131); an alphabetical list of French verbs, each glossed by several Latin synonyms, on ff.102-107 of ms. Paris, BN lat. 7692 (Littre 1852: 26, Roques 1936b: xxii, Merrilees 1990: 287); a list of French verbs with Latin synonyms in ms. Lille, BM n° 147 (formerly n° 388, n° 369) (Merrilees 1990: 287).

The wordlists cited in the previous paragraph date from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Also dating from the fourteenth century is ms. Montpellier, Faculté de Médecine H236 (see 2.5.2.), which contains a Picard-Latin glossary written in the margins of an earlier Latin-Picard compilation and accessed through a unique sign system referring the user to the location of the Latin gloss in the text (see 3.1.2.2.2.).

Merrilees (1994c: 14f.) describes another glossary, in ms. Angers, BM n° 497/498, which uses a sign system to direct the reader from French headwords to Latin definitions. The lexicon, which comprises two volumes, is incomplete. It includes the letters G-Z; letters A-F are lacking. The reference system, which is described in 3.1.2.2.2., is necessary because the articles are alphabetical only to the first letter. The Angers manuscript is very large - 621 and 561 folios respectively in the two volumes - but the number of French lemmata is relatively small. The Latin definitional material is extensive, and the author randomly inserted extracts from Christian authors as well as French and Latin verses.

The only large French-Latin glossary known from the Middle Ages is conserved at the Bibliothèque nationale as ms. lat. 7684, and was named Glossarium gallico-latinum (GGL) by an eighteenth-century cataloguer (Merrilees 1992b: 331). The GGL contains 132 folios, and is set out two columns per page, thirty-four to thirty-six lines per column. It comprises some 9500 French lemmata.

It is evident from the macrostructure of GGL that the anonymous compiler sought to create a French-Latin lexicon by abridging a larger Latin-French text and then reversing the canonical order of the selected entries. It appears that he wanted to arrange the French lemmata alphabetically but was not able to break the order of the Latin words in his source (Monfrin 1988: 31; Merrilees 1990: 287, 1992b: 331, etc.). [43] The scribe's method of compiling his glossary is described in 3.1.2.1.3.

Latin was the organizing force in the creation of GGL; the order of French lemmata is determined by their Latin equivalents and, with few exceptions, Latin constitutes the metalanguage. At a superficial level, French lemmata are ordered alphabetically only to the first letter. At a deeper level, it is possible to see the remains of Latin derivational groups, sometimes in a classic unit such as verb/participle/noun:

or adjective/adverb/noun:

To find a particular French word, a user would be obliged to search successive French lemmata. Despite this difficulty, GGL is a remarkable attempt to give priority to French in a lexicon.

The Latin-French text which is the source of the GGL has not been precisely determined. However, it is certain that the GGL is closely related to two other bilingual lexica: a large Latin-French manuscript dictionary, the Dictionarius of Firmin Le Ver (see 2.5.6.) and a Latin-French incunable, the Vocabularius familiaris et compendiosus (see 5.0.). The exact nature of the relationship among the three texts is not known but the examples in Exhibit 24 show that the links are undeniable.

Exhibit 24: Article Ardeo in the Glossarium gallico-latinum,
the Dictionarius of Firmin Le Ver and the Vocabularius familiaris et compendiosus
GGL
DLV
VFC
Ardoir - ardeo .des .si .sum n
Ardans - ardens .tis .I. cupidus o
Ardaument - ardenter - adverbium et comparatur
Ardeur - ardor .doris
Ardesco .scis - coumencer a ardoir
ARDEO, ardes, aris, arsum - ardoir - neutrum, sed pro comburere vel cupere, amare activum est
Ardens .dentis - ardans ou convoitans amans vel succensus vel cupidus - comparatur: ardentior, ardentissimus o
Ardenter - adverbium - ardamment - comparatur
Ardor, ardoris - ardeur ou convoitise flama, amor, cupiditas, combustio m
Ardesco .scis - commenchier ardoir...
Ardeo .es .si .sum - ardoir, couvoitier accendere vel cupere - inde Ardens .tis ardant, convoitant succensus vel cupidus - comparatur et Ardenter, adverbium ardanment - comparatur et Ardor .oris ardeur ou couvoitise et Ardesco .scis, inchoativum - commencer a ardoir...

French, which is lemmatic in the GGL and definitional in the other two dictionaries, affords another approach to comparison of the three texts. An analysis at this level is attached as Appendix 1, from which it will be seen that roughly 75 percent of the articles examined are identical or nearly so. While this figure confirms that these texts belong to the same family, there are sufficient differences that each retains its distinct character. In particular, French terms in GGL which are lacking from DLV and VFC (e.g. aclinouer, administrour, admonnesteresse, ameresse, chevaucheresse, cornemeuseuse, cornemuseresse, espelement, estraigneur, fletrisseure, fornicaresse, etc.) illustrate its innovative nature.

The GGL appears to be somewhat closer in order and content to the VFC, but there are elements in common with the DLV that are absent from the latter. All three appear to have drawn upon a common source for part of their French vocabulary, but the disparity in size among the three texts makes it difficult to draw precise conclusions about the lines of transmission.

Godefroy used GGL in the Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française, as did Charpentier in his edition of Du Cange's Glossarium Mediae et Infimae Latinitatis.

GGL has not been printed previously, but an edition is currently being prepared by Brian Merrilees and William Edwards for inclusion in the Nouveau Recueil des Lexiques latin-français du Moyen Age.

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