There’s a curious note in the part of Alfonso X’s General estoria (ca 1280s) where he’s listing the languages spoken by Japheth’s descendants, sensibly identified early on as Europeans by European bible scholars:
Many of them used the language that we call Latin and others had other languages.
The Greeks have their own distinct one.
Those of Blanquia.
Those of Bulgaria have a different one.
The Comans, another.
Those of Slavonia.
Those of Bohemia, another.
Those of Poland, their own.
Those of Hungary, their own.
Those of Ireland, another.
Those of Scotland, their own.
Germany.
Dacia, which they now call Denmark.
Norway.
Swabia.
Flanders
England. These have a language although they differ in some words and customs.
[Etc]
The Greeks have their own distinct one.
Those of Blanquia.
Those of Bulgaria have a different one.
The Comans, another.
Those of Slavonia.
Those of Bohemia, another.
Those of Poland, their own.
Those of Hungary, their own.
Those of Ireland, another.
Those of Scotland, their own.
Germany.
Dacia, which they now call Denmark.
Norway.
Swabia.
Flanders
England. These have a language although they differ in some words and customs.
[Etc]
From the Americans, presumably.
Original text: Delos lenguages delos de Europa. IX // De los linages de japhet que poblaron Europa. ouo y muchos dellos que usaron dela lengua que dezimos latina. & otros que ouieron otros lenguages. / Los griegos an el suyo apartado. / Los de blanquia. / Los de Bolgria an otro. / Los comanos otro. / Los de esclauonia. / Los de Boemia otro. / Los de polena el suyo. / Los de ungria el suyo. / Los de ybernia otro. / Los de escocia el suyo. / Alemanna / dacia que llaman agora dana marcha. / Nuruega. / Suaua. / flandres. / yngla terra. estas an un lenguage. maguer que se departen en algunas palabras & costumbres. / Scancia. / Et otras yslas que son en cabo deEuropa a parte de septentrion. an sus lenguages. / Valia que es cerca yngla tierra. / & bretanna la menor. an otrossi sus lenguages departidos. / Et otrossi los uascos & los Nauarros.
Similar posts
Back soon
Comments