Rasprave Instituta za Hrvatski Jezik i Jezikoslovlje (Jan 2005)
The Oldest “Loan Words” from Dubrovnik
Abstract
The paper makes a lexical analysis of Non-Slavic loan words from the lexical treasure of the two oldest Dubrovnik (and simultaneously Croatian) Latin prayer-books: the Vatican Croatian Prayer-Book (V1 - about 1400) and the Academy’s Dubrovnik Prayer-Book (A - mid-15th century), but also briefly considers ancient Proto-Slavic, i.e. Panslavic and South Slavic loan words, with presently unrecognizable Non-Slavic origin. It indicates the problematic differentiation between these words (sometimes from the same time) in terms of time and place of origin of monuments in respect of our present standpoint. The paper also points out the problematic establishment of lexical entries (in terms of spelling, multiple meanings of given graphemes, especially c, ç, ʃ, ʃc; grammar - establishment of basic word form in respect of consonantal clusters in suffix position, -l > -o in suffix position and related changes: -ĕo > -io, -oo > o; gender determination relative to the language of origin and acquisition of specific foreign categories of words) and lexical meanings. Loan words are considered in terms of extant attestation/non-attestation of words (mostly in the Academy’s Dictionary), their characteristic nature for Dubrovnik lexis, their use in prayer-book official and unofficial texts, their linguistic acclimatisation, etc.
