The aim of the project entitled „Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age” (http://lldb.elte.hu/) is to develop and digitally publish a fundamental computerized historical linguistic database that incorporates and manages the Vulgar Latin material of the Latin inscriptions from the European provinces of the Roman Empire. In my paper, however, I do not present the Database (as it is already done in Adamik 2009), but instead I consider only the methodology of extracting regional variations from inscriptions apropos of Adams 2007. Connected to this I will show that the methodology recommended by Adams 2007 does not really work whereas that established by Herman (meaning the last version in Herman 2000a) is most efficient, which yields a solid basis for building up the new Database.

This book is available open-access at this link - https://global.oup.com/academic/product/languages-and-communities-in-the-late-and-post-roman-western-provinces-9780198888956?prevNumResPerPage=20&prevSortField=1&sortField=8&resultsPerPage=20&start=0&lang=en&cc=gb# Language remains surprisingly absent from modern discussions of the transformation of the Roman world, an absence all the more perplexing given the attention that has been devoted to questions of cultural transformation, identity, and its complexities. In this chapter we set out the motivations for trying to cross disciplinary boundaries in the study of the late-Roman and post-imperial Roman West and the barriers which hamper progress in this field. We consider the challenges presented by the scholarly paradigm, different disciplinary perspectives and the difficult evidence, which often demands a combined historical and linguistic treatment, along with epigraphic, palaeographical and/or archaeological knowledge. Our presentation of the apparently Gaulish part of the passion of Symphorianus illustrates some of the constraints of a mono-disciplinary approach. Throughout this chapter we use examples from Gaul to indicate how much work is still to be done to lay the foundations for more sensitive multidisciplinary explorations of the linguistic communities and their worlds. Arguably, the disciplinary divides which we attempt to cross in the LatinNow volumes are deeper in the study of the later-Roman and post-imperial periods than for the pre-Roman and Roman and we hope this volume will provide a basis for future work and dialogue—we are only starting the conversation.

This book is available open-access at this link - https://global.oup.com/academic/product/languages-and-communities-in-the-late-and-post-roman-western-provinces-9780198888956?prevNumResPerPage=20&prevSortField=1&sortField=8&resultsPerPage=20&start=0&lang=en&cc=gb# Languages are central to the creation and expression of identities and cultures, as well as to life itself, yet the linguistic variegation of the later-Roman and post-imperial period in the Roman west is remarkably understudied. A deeper understanding of this important issue is crucial to any reconstruction of the broader story of linguistic continuity and change in Europe and the Mediterranean, as well as to the history of the communities who wrote, read, and spoke Latin and other languages. Languages and Communities in the Late-Roman and Post-Imperial Western Provincesoffers the first comprehensive modern study of the main developments, key features and debates of the later-Roman and post-imperial linguistic environment, focusing on the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, Gaul, the Germanies, Britain and Ireland. The chapters collected in this volume help us to understand better the embeddedness, or not, of Latin, at different social levels and across provinces, to consider (socio)linguistic variegation, bi-/multi-lingualism, and attitudes towards languages, and to confront the complex role of language in the communities, identities, and cultures of the later- and post-imperial Roman western world.

Epigraphic materials are among the essential indicators of the language spoken by the Roman populace and they stand as testimony to the gradual development of the Latin into the Romance languages. This is because it provides a picture of the language used by the people themselves, which differed from the language in which literary works were written and which is deemed the standard. This work is therefore based on the extensive inscription materials of diverse types (sepulchral, votive, honorary...) found in the territory of the Roman province of Dalmatia. Among the inspected epigraphic monuments, those on which deviations in language in comparison to the norms of classical Latin may be seen were highlighted. To the greatest extent, research concentrated on changes in the framework of phonetics, because in short and concise forms such as the texts in these inscriptions they are the most relevant for analysis and obtaining specific results. The objective of this work is to delve deep...

The concept of a colloquial variety of Latin as an intermediate variety between Latin and the Romance languages has a long standing. Sometimes called Vulgar or Popular Latin, this variety is often conceptualized as a discrete linguistic variety, which is held responsible for the changes in the provincial realization of Latin. Since a great deal of evidence for this variety is collected from written texts, studies on the emergence of the Romance languages have tended to ignore the actual process of language acquisition in the provinces of the Roman empire. In the present paper I draw attention to the work of two early scholars, the Italian Celso Cittadini (1533-1627) and the Frenchman Pierre-Nicolas Bonamy (1694-1770), who did concern themselves with the acquisition of Latin, referring to the role of the Roman army in spreading the Latin language throughout the empire. Their suggestions about the process of Latinization can be substantiated with data on the military presence in the provinces of the Roman empire.