The King's English : strategies of translation in the Old English Boethius / Nicole Guenther Discenza.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Discenza, Nicole Guenther, 1969-

Series:

SUNY series in Medieval Studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Alfred, King of England, 849-899--Knowledge--Language and languages.

Alfred.

Alfred, King of England, 849-899. Old English version of Boethius De consolatione philosophiae.

Boethius, -524--Translations into English--History and criticism.

Boethius.

Boethius, -524. De consolatione philosophiae.

English language--Old English, ca. 450-1100--Style.

English language.

Latin language--Translating into English--History--To 1500.

Latin language.

Translating and interpreting--England--History--To 1500.

Translating and interpreting.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (233 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In the late ninth century, while England was fighting off Viking incursions, Alfred the Great devoted time and resources not only to military campaigns but also to a campaign of translation and education unprecedented in early medieval Europe. The King's English explores how Alfred's translation of Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy from Latin into Old English exposed Anglo-Saxon elites to classical literature, history, science, and Christian thought. More radically, the Boethius, as it became known, told its audiences how a leader should think and what he should be, providing models for leadership and wisdom that live on in England to this day. It also brought prestige to its kingly translator and enshrined his dialect, West Saxon, as the literary language of the English people.Nicole Guenther Discenza looks at the sources Alfred used in his translation and demonstrates his selectivity in choosing what to retain, what to borrow, and how to represent it to his Anglo-Saxon audience. Alfred's appeals to Latin prestige, spiritual authority, Old English poetry, and everyday experience in England combine to make the Old English Boethius a powerful text and a rich source for our understanding of Anglo-Saxon literature, culture, and society.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Treasures from the Latin Hoard

A Christian Art of Reading

The Making of an English Dialogue

The Translator’s Craæt

Conclusion

The Commentary Problem

Abbreviations

Notes

Bibliography

Index of Manuscripts

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 139-212) and indexes.

ISBN:

9780791483237

0791483231

9781423744160

1423744160

OCLC:

461441701