The Problem of Grade in Pre-Conquest Vernacular Minuscule, c. 1060-1220

Peter Stokes

doi:10.1484/J.NML.1.102438

The Problem of Grade in Pre-Conquest Vernacular Minuscule, c. 1060-1220

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

It is often asserted that writing in English had lower status than Latin during the twelfth century. However, palaeographers have generally established the characteristics of lower-grade script by looking at Caroline minuscule used for Latin, and this has lead to vernacular script seeming lower-grade than it probably was. This article seeks to establish new criteria for formality in vernacular script by studying cartularies with charters in Latin but boundary-clauses in English. Differences in scribal practice when writing each language are analysed, and the relationship between the (Latin) bodies and (vernacular) bounds are addressed, particularly in a twelfth-century cartulary from Evesham in which many of the Latin portions of the texts were erased, leaving just the English.

Original language	English
Article number	N/A
Pages (from-to)	23-47
Number of pages	25
Journal	New Medieval Literatures
Volume	13
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1484/J.NML.1.102438
Publication status	Published - 2011

Keywords

Palaeography
script grade
cartularies
charter bounds
English Vernacular minuscule
Caroline minuscule
Anglo-Saxon History
Evesham

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10.1484/J.NML.1.102438

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title = "The Problem of Grade in Pre-Conquest Vernacular Minuscule, c. 1060-1220",

abstract = "It is often asserted that writing in English had lower status than Latin during the twelfth century. However, palaeographers have generally established the characteristics of lower-grade script by looking at Caroline minuscule used for Latin, and this has lead to vernacular script seeming lower-grade than it probably was. This article seeks to establish new criteria for formality in vernacular script by studying cartularies with charters in Latin but boundary-clauses in English. Differences in scribal practice when writing each language are analysed, and the relationship between the (Latin) bodies and (vernacular) bounds are addressed, particularly in a twelfth-century cartulary from Evesham in which many of the Latin portions of the texts were erased, leaving just the English.",

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AB - It is often asserted that writing in English had lower status than Latin during the twelfth century. However, palaeographers have generally established the characteristics of lower-grade script by looking at Caroline minuscule used for Latin, and this has lead to vernacular script seeming lower-grade than it probably was. This article seeks to establish new criteria for formality in vernacular script by studying cartularies with charters in Latin but boundary-clauses in English. Differences in scribal practice when writing each language are analysed, and the relationship between the (Latin) bodies and (vernacular) bounds are addressed, particularly in a twelfth-century cartulary from Evesham in which many of the Latin portions of the texts were erased, leaving just the English.

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KW - charter bounds

KW - English Vernacular minuscule

KW - Caroline minuscule

KW - Anglo-Saxon History

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JO - New Medieval Literatures

JF - New Medieval Literatures

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The Problem of Grade in Pre-Conquest Vernacular Minuscule, c. 1060-1220

Abstract

Keywords

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