Diversity in Neo-Latin: Example of Administrative Ecclesiastical Texts

Abstract

Although it is a generally acknowledged fact that Neo-Latin consists of a set of linguistic varieties, there is a short supply of research into its linguistic diversification, especially in non-literary texts. One of the characteristical text classes within Neo-Latin tradition are canonical visitations, a special type of ecclesiastical administrative texts, produced extensively after the Council of Trent in all parts of Europe that had Roman Catholic hierarchical structures. The present paper analyses the language of three canonical visitations written in 18th century Diocese of Senj and Modruš (Krbava) and tries to recognise linguistic peculiarities that could prove to be distinguishing properties for canonical visitations and similar texts.

Keywords

• Latin
• Neo-Latin
• ecclesiastical language
• canonical visitations
• Diocese of Senj and Modruš (Krbava)
• eighteenth century