“To Say Almost the Same Thing”. Metamorphosis of a Vulgarisation

Abstract

This essay highlights various open methodological issues that the editors of medieval volgarizzamenti have to face when they intend to publish a critical edition, such as the need to trace different witnesses back to the same archetype despite the often considerable variants introduced by the copyists, or the crucial choice concerning the most suitable technical terms to describe a complex textual situation. Subsequently, focusing on the case study represented by the dossier of volgarizzamenti of the Liber de doctrina dicendi et tacendi by Albertano da Brescia, the article shows and explains some of the lexical and methodological choices made to publish their critical edition.