Instances of loanword/native word textual variation in the manuscript transmission of Egils saga Skallagrímssonar and Gísla saga Súrssonar

Matteo Tarsi

doi:10.33063/diva-400605

Abstract

In this article, textual variation with reference to loanwords and respective native words is addressed. Examples are taken from two sagas of the Icelanders, Egils saga Skallagrimssonar and Gisla s ...

Highlights

This article is concerned with intrastemmatic variation in two sagas of the Icelanders, Egils saga and Gísla saga.1 The point of departure for this research is a comprehensive investigation of the interplay between loanwords and native words in Old and Middle Icelandic (Tarsi [forth coming]).2 Here, the focus will be on a handful of case-studies which can accomodate a primarily philological nature and which involve elementsTarsi, Matteo. 2019
One caveat is in order at the outset, namely that variation of loanwords and native words is unrelated to any sort of purist attitude
A text-critical method is used in order to evaluate intrastemmatic variation between loanwords and native synonyms in the manuscript tradition of two sagas of the Icelanders, Egils saga and Gísla saga

Summary

Introduction

This article is concerned with intrastemmatic variation in two sagas of the Icelanders, Egils saga and Gísla saga. The point of departure for this research is a comprehensive investigation of the interplay between loanwords and native words in Old and Middle Icelandic (Tarsi [forth coming]). Here, the focus will be on a handful of case-studies which can accomodate a primarily philological nature and which involve elements. The point of departure for this research is a comprehensive investigation of the interplay between loanwords and native words in Old and Middle Icelandic (Tarsi [forth coming]).. Instances of loanword/native word textual variation in the manuscript transmission of Egils saga Skallagrímssonar and Gísla saga Súrssonar. Matteo Tarsi to which of the two lexemes, loanword or native word, is the original reading. One caveat is in order at the outset, namely that variation of loanwords and native words is unrelated to any sort of purist attitude. This holds true both for the original composition of the texts under discussion and for their later copies, on which the present discussion is based

A single case in Egils saga: buklari ‘buckler’ and skjǫldr ‘shield’

A few cases in Gísla saga

Discussion and concluding remarks

Summary