De grammatica.
The Parts of Grammar
Grammar is divided in several ways, from the simplest elements of letters and syllables up through the full catalogue of its technical parts.
Grammar is divided into letter, syllable, word, and sentence. Or else grammar is divided into letters, that is, what is written, and sounds, that is, what is spoken aloud. Or else, grammar is divided into noun, verb, participle, pronoun, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection, articulate sound, letter, syllable, metrical feet, accents, punctuation marks, notes, orthography, analogy, etymology, glosses, differences, barbarism, solecism, faults, metaplasm, schemata, trope, prose, verse, fables, and histories.12
A Brief Foundation for the Reader
The author declines to elaborate further, offering instead a concise purpose for the work and directing the reader to fuller authorities.
I pass over an explanation of these, both because it would be more lengthy than the brevity of this little page demands, and because in this short work I set out only to investigate the divisions and names of things, so that some foundation of learning might be laid down for the reader.3 But whoever wants to know these things should read Donatus, Servius, Priscian On Accents and Priscian On the Twelve Verses of Virgil, and Barbarism, and Isidore's Etymologies.
Read the original Latin
Grammatica dividitur in litteram, syllabam, dictionem et orationem. vel aliter grammatica dividitur in litteras, id est, id quod scribitur, et voces, id est, id quod pronuntiatur. vel aliter, grammatica dividitur in nomen, verbum, participium, pronomen, adverbium, praepositionem, coniunctionem, interiectionem, vocem articulatam, litteram, syllabam, pedes, accentus, posituras, notas, orthographiam, analogiam, etymologiam, glossas, differentias, barbarismum, soloecismum, vitia, metaplasma, schemata, tropos, prosas, metra, fabulas, historias. quorum idcirco expositionem transeo, quia et prolixior esset quam huius schedulae brevitas expetat, et quia etiam in hoc opusculo, divisiones tantum rerum et nomina investigare proposui, ut tantummodo quoddam principium doctrinae lectori conderetur. qui autem haec scire desiderat, legat Donatum, Servium, Priscianum De accentibus et Priscianum De duodecim versibus Vergilii, et Barbarismum, et Isidorum etymologiarum.
Notes
- 1 ↩positurae rendered 'punctuation marks' as the likely sense of the technical term positura in this grammatical context.
- 2 ↩notae rendered 'notes' as a broad sense covering critical marks and annotations in grammatical study.
- 3 ↩schedula rendered 'little page' for the short pamphlet or booklet context; opusculum rendered 'short work' to keep the diminutive sense.
Didascalicon de Studio Legendi (On the Study of Reading) companion
Hugh said begin with small daily portions. Start tomorrow.
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