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Minore(m) Pretium: Morphosyntactic Considerations for the Omission of Word-final -m in Non-elite Latin Texts

Conley, Brandon W
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent149253496962922

Abstract Details

2017, MA, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies.
This research examines the circumstances of the omission of the letter m in word-final position in non-elite Latin texts, and proposes a morphosyntactic pattern to explain omission. Word-final m was not pronounced in non-elite Latin of the imperial period, and the letter is frequently absent in phonetically spelled texts, particularly as a grapheme. However, a number of texts remain in which the letter is both written and included. The authors of such texts demonstrate awareness that the letter should be written in final position (despite the lack of pronunciation), yet under certain circumstances they still choose to omit it. The paper suggests that the circumstances of the letter’s omission and inclusion are pattern-based, and that authors are more likely to omit the letter in two morphosyntactic environments (which are not independent from one another). Firstly, omission takes place more often following the vowels a and e than after u. Inflected words ending in a or e were common to the non-elite Latin morphological system, whereas words ending in u were not. Omitting final -m after u would have thus produced a word which did not end in an acceptable word-final grapheme. Secondly, omission is more likely in prepositional phrases, and nominal phrases in which another grapheme marking the same function is present. Both types of phrase contain another form which marks the syntax, rendering the presence of the grapheme less valuable; the prepositions themselves govern their phrases, while the presence of at least one grapheme appears to sufficiently identify the syntactic role of the entire phrase. The greater willingness to omit after a and e continues to be operative within the phrases. Several types of non-elite texts are examined for their patterns of omission and inclusion of final -m, including business contracts, personal letters, graffiti, and votive offerings. The texts range from the first century BCE to the fourth century CE, with wide geographic distribution from locations such as Britain, Egypt, Italy, and Turkey.
Jennifer Larson, PhD. (Committee Chair)
Brian Harvey, PhD (Committee Member)
Radd Ehrman, PhD (Committee Member)
89 p.
Ancient Languages; Classical Studies
Latin; Non-elite Latin; Non-literary Latin; Latin Linguistics; Classics; Latin Morphology; Latin Phonology; Latin Syntax; Vulgar Latin

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Conley, B. W. (2017). Minore(m) Pretium: Morphosyntactic Considerations for the Omission of Word-final -m in Non-elite Latin Texts [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent149253496962922

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Conley, Brandon. Minore(m) Pretium: Morphosyntactic Considerations for the Omission of Word-final -m in Non-elite Latin Texts. 2017. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent149253496962922.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Conley, Brandon. "Minore(m) Pretium: Morphosyntactic Considerations for the Omission of Word-final -m in Non-elite Latin Texts." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent149253496962922

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent149253496962922
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This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.