Metrical variation in Byzantine colophons (XI-XV CE) : the example of ἡ μὲν χεὶρ ἡ γράψασα
- Author
- Julie Boeten
- Organization
- Abstract
- In this chapter, several metrical varieties in a corpus of Byzantine book epigrams are explored. More specifically, we look into a number of varieties in metrical colophons of the type ἡ μὲν χεὶρ ἡ γράψασα‘ the hand that wrote [this]’, which was a very popular colophon throughout the entire Byzantine period. In its canonical form, these epigrams follow a dodecasyllabic metrical pattern, but many scribes freely experimented with the wording and the metrical structure of these colophons, which gives us a unique insight into the mechanics behind the colometrics of these texts and, by expansion, of Byzantine texts in general. The modern cognitive-linguistic theory of Information Units provides a fitting framework to interpret these varieties and to see them in a way that is different from the traditional reading of written texts. Indeed, the specific characteristics of these texts allow us to attribute certain oral characteristics to them, while still maintaining their written status. From this point of view, multiple reoccurring “mistakes” in the metre turnout to be varieties in disguise, originating from a wrongful pairing of correct metrical units (cola).
- Keywords
- Greek, Ancient Greek, Post-classical Greek, Byzantine Greek, Medieval Greek, linguistics, language variation, language change, historical linguistics, socio-historical linguistics, politikos stichos, decapentasyllable, colometry
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8610760
- MLA
- Boeten, Julie. “Metrical Variation in Byzantine Colophons (XI-XV CE) : The Example of ἡ Μὲν Χεὶρ ἡ Γράψασα.” Varieties of Post-Classical and Byzantine Greek, edited by Klaas Bentein and Mark Janse, vol. 331, De Gruyter Mouton, 2020, pp. 353–68, doi:10.1515/9783110614404-014.
- APA
- Boeten, J. (2020). Metrical variation in Byzantine colophons (XI-XV CE) : the example of ἡ μὲν χεὶρ ἡ γράψασα. In K. Bentein & M. Janse (Eds.), Varieties of Post-classical and Byzantine Greek (Vol. 331, pp. 353–368). https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110614404-014
- Chicago author-date
- Boeten, Julie. 2020. “Metrical Variation in Byzantine Colophons (XI-XV CE) : The Example of ἡ Μὲν Χεὶρ ἡ Γράψασα.” In Varieties of Post-Classical and Byzantine Greek, edited by Klaas Bentein and Mark Janse, 331:353–68. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110614404-014.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Boeten, Julie. 2020. “Metrical Variation in Byzantine Colophons (XI-XV CE) : The Example of ἡ Μὲν Χεὶρ ἡ Γράψασα.” In Varieties of Post-Classical and Byzantine Greek, ed by. Klaas Bentein and Mark Janse, 331:353–368. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. doi:10.1515/9783110614404-014.
- Vancouver
- 1.Boeten J. Metrical variation in Byzantine colophons (XI-XV CE) : the example of ἡ μὲν χεὶρ ἡ γράψασα. In: Bentein K, Janse M, editors. Varieties of Post-classical and Byzantine Greek. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton; 2020. p. 353–68.
- IEEE
- [1]J. Boeten, “Metrical variation in Byzantine colophons (XI-XV CE) : the example of ἡ μὲν χεὶρ ἡ γράψασα,” in Varieties of Post-classical and Byzantine Greek, vol. 331, K. Bentein and M. Janse, Eds. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, 2020, pp. 353–368.
@incollection{8610760,
abstract = {{In this chapter, several metrical varieties in a corpus of Byzantine book epigrams are explored. More specifically, we look into a number of varieties in metrical colophons of the type ἡ μὲν χεὶρ ἡ γράψασα‘ the hand that wrote [this]’, which was a very popular colophon throughout the entire Byzantine period. In its canonical form, these epigrams follow a dodecasyllabic metrical pattern, but many scribes freely experimented with the wording and the metrical structure of these colophons, which gives us a unique insight into the mechanics behind the colometrics of these texts and, by expansion, of Byzantine texts in general. The modern cognitive-linguistic theory of Information Units provides a fitting framework to interpret these varieties and to see them in a way that is different from the traditional reading of written texts. Indeed, the specific characteristics of these texts allow us to attribute certain oral characteristics to them, while still maintaining their written status. From this point of view, multiple reoccurring “mistakes” in the metre turnout to be varieties in disguise, originating from a wrongful pairing of correct metrical units (cola).}},
author = {{Boeten, Julie}},
booktitle = {{Varieties of Post-classical and Byzantine Greek}},
editor = {{Bentein, Klaas and Janse, Mark}},
isbn = {{9783110608557}},
issn = {{1861-4302}},
keywords = {{Greek,Ancient Greek,Post-classical Greek,Byzantine Greek,Medieval Greek,linguistics,language variation,language change,historical linguistics,socio-historical linguistics,politikos stichos,decapentasyllable,colometry}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{353--368}},
publisher = {{De Gruyter Mouton}},
series = {{Trends in linguistics. Studies and monographs}},
title = {{Metrical variation in Byzantine colophons (XI-XV CE) : the example of ἡ μὲν χεὶρ ἡ γράψασα}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1515/9783110614404-014}},
volume = {{331}},
year = {{2020}},
}
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