Towards a systematic account of pre-puristic loanword/endogenous word alternation in Old and Middle Icelandic

Matteo Tarsi, PhD student at the University of Iceland currently visiting Uppsala University, will present the architecture of my project and discuss the dynamics of the phenomenon in accordance with the present state of research. Not least, some insightful examples from different textual typologies (religious texts, sagas of the Icelanders, law texts) will be provided.

The presentation will be held in English.

All interested are welcome.

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that current Icelandic language policy urges users to resort to the inner potential of their mother tongue instead of borrowing lexemes. This holds true for the Icelandic lexicon as a whole, thus often leading to the formation of word couples, consisting of a loanword and its respective native equivalent, as the process of borrowing systematically eludes the tight tangles of language policy. The outcome of such coexistence in Modern Icelandic is known and widely researched. What is less known is that older stages of Icelandic were not free from this phenomenon, which can thus be regarded as having roots which largely antedate Icelandic purism.

My research project seeks to answer previously unaddressed question: How did loanwords and endogenous words interact in the Old and Middle Icelandic period? This general research question entails more specific research items such as investigating the semantic typology of the elicited word couples, exploring the strategies lying behind the enrichment of the native lexicon, determining the provenance of loanwords and thus the cultural influences which Icelandic society has undergone. Not least, the project also takes into consideration the manuscript tradition of each researched text and aims at examining textual variation with reference to the phenomenon under research.

Bring your own lunch. We will provide coffee and tea.

The presentation will be held in English.