A TYPOLOGY OF ERRORS IN VARRO AND HIS EDITORS: A CLOSE LOOK AT SELECTED PASSAGES IN THE DE LINGUA LATINA

Abstract

Abstract: Varro's De lingua Latina, our first grammatical treatise of any length written in Latin, is a problematic text: Varro's linguistic theory and practice are often at odds with what later grammarians do, and the text has come down to us in a very poor state. This article examines how modern scholars have often approached the transmitted text with preconceived notions, and how this has influenced editorial choices and subsequent interpretations. The piece also looks at Varro's own linguistic practices and predilections, and how he sometimes reaches conclusions that are logically inconsistent and indefensible.