The language of Byzantine learned literature / edited by Martin Hinterberger.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Hinterberger, Martin, editor.

Series:

Byzantios ; 9.

Byzantios : studies in Byzantine history and civilization ; 9

Language:

English

French

Subjects (All):

Byzantine literature--History and criticism--Congresses.

Byzantine literature.

Greek language, Medieval and late--Grammar, Historical--Congresses.

Greek language, Medieval and late.

Social aspects.

Literacy.

Intellectual life.

Byzantine Empire--Intellectual life--Congresses.

Byzantine Empire.

Literacy--Byzantine Empire--Congresses.

Greek language, Medieval and late--Social aspects--Congresses.

Genre:

Conference papers and proceedings.

Physical Description:

228 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Turnhout, Belgium : Brepols, [2014]

Language Note:

Seven contributions in English and 1 in French.

Summary:

"Built on a highly traditional educational system, the language of Byzantine literature was for the most part written in an idiom deeply influenced by ancient Greek texts and grammatical handbooks. The resulting overall archaizing impression of Byzantine Greek is largely why the language of learned literature--as compared with the relatively well researched vernacular literature--has seldom been taken seriously as an object of linguistic study. This volume combines the expertise of linguists and scholars of Byzantine literature to challenge the assumption that learned mediaeval Greek is merely the weary continuation of ancient Greek or, worse still, a poor imitation of it, while proposing that it needs to be treated as a literary idiom in its own right. The contribution that texts of this kind can offer to sub-fields of Greek historical linguistics is explored using specific examples. Sociolinguistic theory provides a particularly useful framework for a more accurate analysis of the relationship between the vernacular and classicizing varieties of Greek literary language. In addition, the impact of the educational system on the production of texts is examined. In another chapter it is shown that a number of far-reaching assumptions, which originated in the 15th century, about accentuation and the middle voice still tend to colour our understanding of Byzantine, as well as ancient, Greek. Other chapters focusing on particles, the dative and the synthetic perfect reveal that Byzantine authors, while of course influenced by the living spoken language, used their classical linguistic heritage in a creative and innovative way."--Publisher's website.

Contents:

Learned Byzantine literature and modern linguistics / Io Manolessou

What can sociolinguistics tell us about learned literacy languages? / Marilena Karyolemou

Education and literacy language in Byzantium / Antonia Giannouli

The definition of the middle voice in Ancient and Byzantine grammars : a guide for understanding the use of the verb in Byzantine texts written in Classical Greek / Juan Signes Codoñer

L'accentuation Byzantine : en quoi et pourquoi elle diffère de l'accentuation "savante" actuelle, parfois absurde / Jacques Noret

On the category of particles in Byzantium / Kateřina Bočková Loudová

Case, style and competence / Staffan Wahlgren

The synthetic perfect in Byzantine literature / Martin Hinterberger.

Notes:

Papers presented at a conference held at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia, in April 2011.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

2503552374

9782503552378

OCLC:

885180466

Publisher Number:

99960497094