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Ze Slovníku středověké latiny: sporcia

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Šedinová H.

Listy filologické (Folia philologica)

2017

vol. 140

issue 1-2

233-245

The main aim of this article is to identify the origin and meaning of one Latin zoological term in the work of Czech medieval lexicographer Bartholomaeus de Solencia dictus Claretus. The name sporcia, included in the Glossary’s chapter De piscibus and accompanied by the Czech equivalent veprzik (piglet), originates most likely from the classical Latin name porcus marinus. This name, denoting a marine animal with the appearance or behaviour of land pig, appears in several ancient and medieval scientific writings, including the encyclopaedia Liber de natura rerum of Thomas of Cantimpré, an important source for Claretus. In ancient and medieval texts, the same term usually stands for both land and sea animals: porcus – porcus marinus; equus – equus marinus; vacca – vacca marina; lepus – lepus marinus; hirundo – hirundo maris; mus – mus marinus; vipera – vipera maris etc. Claretus, perhaps in an effort to compensate for the lack of the adjective marinus or maris, sets both groups apart by applying phonetic and morphological changes, the most important of which would be the change of gender. Therefore, in Czech medieval context, all the sea counterparts of land animals get their specific names (such as sporcia, equida, vaccus, lepo, yrundia, muria, vipperus), not found in any other medieval sources.

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1 Listy filologické (Folia philologica)

1 Šedinová H.

1 2017

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Ze Slovníku středověké latiny: sporcia