Language and linguistic contact in ancient Sicily
Contributes to the growing interest in ancient bilingualism by focusing on the linguistic history of Sicily down to the Roman Empire. The twelve chapters present overviews of the non-Classical languages as well as specialist studies of Greek and Latin literature, inscriptions, coins and onomastics.
Print Book, English, 2019
First paperback edition View all formats and editions
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2019
Konferenzschrift 2008 Cambridge
XXII, 422 Seiten : Illustrationen, Karten
9781108731720, 9781107029316, 1108731724, 1107029317
1225886183
Introduction. 'So many Sicilies': introducing language and linguistic contact in ancient Sicily Olga Tribulato; Part I. Non-Classical Languages: 1. Language relations in Sicily: evidence for the speech of the Σικανοί, the Σικελοί and others Paolo Poccetti; 2. The Elymian language Simona Marchesini; 3. Phoenician and Punic in Sicily Maria Giulia Amadasi Guzzo; 4. Oscan in Sicily James Clackson; 5. Traces of language contact in Sicilian onomastics: the evidence from the Great Curse of Selinous Gerhard Meiser; 6. Coins and language in ancient Sicily Oliver Simkin; Part II. Greek: 7. Sicilian Greek before the fourth century BC: a basic grammar Susana Mimbrera; 8. The Sicilian Doric koine Susana Olarte; 9. Intimations of koine in Sicilian Doric: the information provided by the Antiatticist Albio Cesare Cassio; 10. 'We speak Peloponnesian': tradition and linguistic identity in postclassical Sicilian literature Andreas Willi; Part III. Latin: 11. Siculi bilingues? Latin in the inscriptions of early Roman Sicily Olga Tribulato; 12. Sicily in the Roman imperial period: language and society Kalle Korhonen.
"Within the field of ancient bilingualism, Sicily represents a unique terrain for analysis as a result of its incredibly rich linguistic history, in which 'colonial' languages belonging to branches as diverse as Italic (Oscan and Latin), Greek and Semitic (Phoenician) interacted with the languages of the natives (the elusive Sicel, Sicanian and Elymian). The result of this ancient melting-pot was a culture characterised by 'postcolonial' features such as ethnic hybridity, multilingualism and artistic and literary experimentation. While Greek soon emerged as the leading language, dominating official communication and literature, epigraphic sources and indirect evidence show that the minority languages held their ground down to the fifth century BCE, and in some cases beyond. The first two parts of the volume discuss these languages and their interaction with Greek, while the third part focuses on the sociolinguistic revolution brought about by the arrival of the Romans"-- Provided by publisher
Includes bibliographical references and index