Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries: Cambridge, University Library, MS Kk.5.12

Diktyon no.: Diktyon 12206

Introduction: This manuscript, probably written in the 16th century, contains a simple Greek-Latin lexicon, arranged in two columns with Greek on the left and Latin on the right. In general the Latin supplies only a single synonym or occasionally a few alternatives or brief explanation of meaning, without citations or substantial commentary. The main lexicon is followed by a series of lists of Greek words whose gender differs from that of the Latin word designated as their equivalent. The Greek text has been written in full, but the Latin has been added only for the early part of the manuscript (to f. 57v), probably at a later date. It appears not to match the intentions of the original copyist, since additional Greek words have been inserted into gaps left in the original Greek text, which at times appear somewhat out of alphabetical sequence, indicating that they were simply fitted in where space was available. It is not clear why these spaces had been left, but it could be that the Latin text corresponding to the words preceding them were expected to take up more space than the single half-line allowed for most entries. Notes left by J.-B. Hautin, one of the manuscript's 17th-century owners, identify the text as the work of the 1st-century grammarian Philoxenos of Alexandria. However, while this author did write a work relating Greek and Latin, this was a text in Greek explaining Latin words rather than the reverse (Christos Theodoridis, Die Fragmente des Grammatikers Philoxenos (Berlin and New York 1976), pp. 12, 234-242). It survives only in fragments, whose form and content does not conform to that of this manuscript, so this attribution must be considered erroneous. Dr Christopher Wright

Language(s): Greek and Latin

1. ff. 1r-151r

Greek-Latin lexicon

Attributed by notes on the front pastedown and f. [i] verso to Philoxenos of Alexandria

Incipit: f. 1r Αβαρής· Non gravis. Αβαρές· Non grave

Explicit: f. 151r Ὠχρός Ὠχυρωμένος· Ὠχρώς

2. ff. 151v-153v

Lists of nouns which are one gender in Latin but another in Greek

Incipit: f. 151v

Explicit: f. 164r

2.1. ff. 151v-153v

Masculine in Latin but feminine in Greek

Rubric: f. 151v <Ε>ισὶ[sic] τινὰ ὀνόματα. ἅ Λατινικῶς μὲν ἀρσενικῶ γένει ἐκφέρονται· Ἑλληνικῶς δὲ θηλυκῶ

Incipit: f. 151v ἀλλαγή, προσέλευσις προσωδία

Explicit: f. 153v λαμπηδὼν νάρκα, δίκελλα

2.2. ff. 153v-154v

Masculine in Latin but neuter in Greek

Rubric: f. 153v <Ὁ>μοίω· ἅ Ρωμαϊστὶ μὲν ἀρσενικῶ γένει· ἐκφέρονται· Ἑλληνηστὶ[sic] δὲ, οὐδετέρω

Incipit: f. 153v εκτρωμα, κέντρον ζώου

Explicit: f. 154v φλάμα, φρύγανον· πρόβατον

2.3. ff. 154v-157r

Feminine in Latin but masculine in Greek

Rubric: f. 154v <Ὁ>μοίως ἅτινα Λατινικῶς θηλυκῶ γένει ἐκφέρονται· Ἑλληνικῶς δὲ ἀρσενικῶ

Incipit: f. 154v πλεονασμὸς βιβασμός ἀμφορεὺς

Explicit: f. 157r πέλεκυς· δῆμος. ἔρανος

2.4. ff. 157r-159r

Feminine in Latin but neuter in Greek

Rubric: f. 157r Ὁμοίως ἅτινα Ῥωμαστὶ[sic] μὲν θηλυκῶ γένει ἐκφέρονται. Ἑλληνιστὶ δὲ· οὐδετέρω

Incipit: f. 157r τὸ στυπτηριακὸν δέρμα

Explicit: f. 159r κλῆμα. θέρος ἴαμα

2.5. ff. 159r-161r

Neuter in Latin but masculine in Greek

Rubric: f. 159r <Ὁ>μοίως ἅτινα Ῥωμαϊστὶ μὲν, οὐδετέρῳ γένει ἐκφέρονται. Ἑλληνηστὶ[sic] δὲ ἀρσενικῶ

Incipit: f. 159v σωρὸς αἰὼν, βυθὸς

Explicit: f. 161r γόμος. ὀπός· κόμπος

2.6. ff. 161r-164r

Neuter in Latin but feminine in Greek

Rubric: f. 161r <Ὁ>μοίως ἅτινα Λατινιστι[sic] μὲν οὐδετέρω· γένει ἐκφέρονται· Ἑλληνιστι[sic] δὲ θηλυκῶ

Incipit: f. 161r ἔκτρωσις πικρία βοήθεια

Explicit: f. 164r βροντή· σκέπη· κόπρος

3. ff. 164v-165v

Greek-Latin word-list

Incipit: f. 164v <Ἀ>λλοτρίωσις <Ἀ>λλοτριῶ· <Ἀ>λλότριος

Explicit: f. 165v <Ἀ>νδροφονία. <Ἀ>νδριὰς· <Ἀ>νδριαντοποιὸς

ff. 166r-168r are blank, while f. 168v is blank apart from a note pasted to it.

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Western paper, folded in folio. No visible watermarks.

Extent: Codex: i + 168 + i leaves. 292 × 215 mm.

Foliation: The manuscript is foliated with the numbers [i] + 1-168 + [ii], in pencil, in Arabic numerals, recto, upper right.

Collation

The manuscript consists of 21 quires, all of which are quaternia.

Quires 1-21⁸ ff. 1-168

There are original quire signatures in Arabic numerals, in brown ink, on the first folio of each quire, recto, lower right. Some have been lost to cropping. They survive on Quires 3, 7-9, 12-21. Quire 12 is incorrectly numbered 11, and from this point onward the numbers are too small by one.

Condition

There are substantial losses from the edges of f. 1 and f. 168v, and more limited ones to the edges of ff. 2-4, which have been repaired with paper patches. There are tears to the edges elsewhere, especially to ff. 162-167. There is pest damage through the majority of the manuscript (ff. 55-168), especially towards the back. There is limited water staining and patches of dirt.

Layout

Two columns of 27 lines, with Greek on the left and Latin on the right. 312 × 203-214 mm. Text lines ruled in hardpoint. The text sometimes hangs from the lines and is sometimes written along them.

Hand(s)

The Greek text was copied by Hand A in a mixed minuscule script, slanting slightly to the right, with minimal variation in letter size. Breathings are round, and mute iota is absent. There is decorative use of the double dot. Accents are sometimes joined to letters and breathings.

The modern nu and sigma telikon are present.

The same hand has added headings to ff. 1r-151r in red ink, and to ff. 151v-165v in brown ink.

The Latin text was added to ff. 1r-57v by Hand B in brown ink. This hand has also inserted some additional entries in Greek into spaces left by Hand A, and made some marginal annotations in Latin and Greek. The Latin text of the remainder of the manuscript has not been added.

Decoration

The initial letters of each entry in ff. 1r-151r are written in red ink.

Space has been left for rubrication of the initial letters of almost all headings in ff. 151v-165v, but these have not been added.

Additions

Occasional corrections have been made by another hand (e.g. f. 14v).

A piece of paper written by Hand B has been pasted to f. 168v, with Latin moralising remarks and a note regarding Quintus Hortensius and Varro.

Claude Sarrau has added the ownership note ‘Claudii Saravii 1647’ to f. 1r. This note has been modified by the addition of the words ‘Ex bibliotheca’ before it by a different hand, and an attempt has apparently been made to erase it. A bookplate with his coat of arms is pasted to the front pastedown.

J.-B. Hautin has added his name and the title ‘Glossarium Philoxeni’ on the front pastedown and ‘Glossarium grec-latin Philoxeni’ on f. [i] verso.

Binding

18th-century quarter leather binding, with a brown leather spine and parchment covering over millboards, reused from a previous binding, with plain pastedowns. There is decorative gold tooling on the spine, along with the title ‘Glossarium Graeco Latinum’ on a red label and the classmark, also tooled in gold. The Moore library classmark and the date ‘C. XIII’ have been written in ink on the left board.

298 × 226 × 73 mm.

History

Origin: Probably produced in the 16th century, on the basis of the style of script.

Provenance and Acquisition

Owned by the Parisian scholar Claude Sarrau (c. 1600-1651) in 1647.

Possibly owned by Jacques Mentel (1597/9-1670/1) (Jackson, p. 31).

Owned by one J.-B. Hautin , probably the grandson of Jean-Baptiste Hautin (ca. 1580-1640) (Easterling, 'Two Greek MSS.', p. 111, n. 1).

John Moore (1646-1714) , bishop of Ely: no. 979 (left front cover) in the handwritten supplementary list of Moore's manuscripts, now MS Oo.7.50(2), compiled by Thomas Tanner (1674-1735) after the publication of Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ (c. 1697).

Presented to the University Library in 1715 by George I (1660-1727) : donation bookplate engraved by John Pine (1690-1756) in 1736 on the right pastedown.

Additional Information

Availability

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card. For information on eligibility and admissions procedures, see Joining the Library). For further enquiries, and to confirm the availability of the manuscript, please contact the Special Collections Reading Room.

Bibliography

A catalogue of the manuscripts preserved in the library of the University of Cambridge, (Cambridge, 3: Gg-Kk, Cambridge University Press, 1858)

The Greek Manuscripts of John Moore and Etienne Baluze Codices Manuscripti, , (56/57, 29-42, 2006)

Funding of Cataloguing

The Polonsky Foundation

Digital Images

Cambridge Digital Library

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Medieval Manuscripts in Cambridge Libraries

Cambridge, University Library, MS Kk.5.12

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