Referencing and Citation in Liber manualis

Abstract

The ancient people of Egypt or Greece would often cite the works of their predecessors in their own texts, as a way of giving credit and building on existing knowledge. However, the concept of referencing as we know it today, with specific conventions and guidelines for citing sources, has its origins in the academic and scholarly communities of the Middle Ages. Scholars in the Middle Ages would often cite the works of their predecessors to validate their own arguments and to show the continuity of ideas and knowledge. This paper tries to establish the particular way Dhuoda of Septimania, a writer from the 9th century, the author of an advice book, adhere to the tradition of quotation. The analysis shows that the medieval author of Liber manualis cited other writers more informally, appropriate and mnemonic. The paper also stresses the importance Duoda has given to citing sources as a way of valorizing her own work in the light of authority.