Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.2003, Blaðsíða 32
18
Michael Chesnutt
produced a text of the liturgy with very few obvious errors in either
words or music. Whether there were any errors in his copy text is con-
sidered further on p. 59 below.
2.1.4. Language and orthography. K is a more or less unremarkable ex-
ample of medieval Latin scribal practice. The following features of the
scribe’s pronunciation and spelling may be noted:
(1) <?, æ and ce have fallen together as /e(:)/; the simplification of the two original
diphthongs is seen in spellings such as 12 seuis, 34 eterna, 75 celis, 339 federe.
(2) i and y have fallen together as /i(:)/, as is shown by inverted spellings such as
411 misteriale, 428 Syon, 585 sydere, 696 Hystoria, 854 martiribus.
(3) Unvoicing of b and d in consonant clusters is indicated by inverted spellings
such as 650 puplicum (/bl/ > /pi/), 782 optinuit (/bt/ > /pt/), 478-79 discumbendi
pres. part. (/nd/ > /nt/). Unvoicing of d in word-final position is seen in 13 Set
and in the inverted spellings 107 inquid, 970 capud, while 213 adletha is a hy-
percorrect form probably reflecting the pronunciation /at'le:ta/.
(4) Word-initial h is silent, as shown by inverted spellings such as 89-90 habun-
dancia, 125 Herici, 320 hostium. Intervocalic h has probably become /X/, cf.
1059 michi.
(5) k is preferred to c in latinised forms of vernacular words (usually names): 12
et passim Kanutus (but exceptionally 264, 500 Canutus), 162 Skania (Skåne),
245 Knese. The spelling 1020 karitas (for caritas) is, on the other hånd, excep-
tional in this manuscript in an ordinary Latin word. Intervocalic /k/ in 850 lo-
cuntur is from older -qu-.
(6) Etymological -ti- is habitually written -ci- in words like 17 gracia, 20 con-
sorcio, and numerous other examples, indicating the pronunciation /(t)s/.
(7) Assimilation of consonants is seen e.g. in 187 sullimior, 353 ammonet, 629 exion
(= ex Sion), 766 annuente, 829 extiterunt. Shortening of etymologically long conso-
nants is seen e.g. in 607 preocupatus, 1012 aplaudit. Conversely there is intmsion of
an unetymological consonant in 219 contempnas, 951 sollempnitatem, etc.
(8) Doubling of consonants occurs as a sign that the preceding vowel is short, e.g.
in 724 sattagebant beside 103 satagebat (where the vowel was originally short),
and in 194 strennuus, 322 summere (where the vowel was originally long).