Written reliquaries : the resonance of orality in medieval English texts / / Leslie K. Arnovick

• Autore: Arnovick Leslie K. <1957->
• Pubblicazione: Amsterdam ; ; Philadelphia, : J. Benjamins, c2006
• Edizione: 1st ed.
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (309 p.)
• Disciplina: 820.9001
• Soggetto topico: Dialogue in literature; Discourse analysis, Narrative - Social aspects; English philology - Middle English, 1100-1500; Literature, Medieval - History and criticism - Theory, etc
• Note generali: Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Written Reliquaries -- Editorial page -- Title page -- LCC data -- Table of contents -- Acknowledgments -- List of Figures -- Preface -- Chapter 1 -- Reconstructing Spoken Performance in Medieval Texts -- A Joint Exploration in Oral Theory and Historical Pragmatics -- Theoretical Framework: Oral Theory -- Theoretical Framework: Historical Pragmatics -- Methodology: Defining Textual Concepts -- Methodology: Delineating Historical Data -- Conclusion: A Joint Exploration in Oral Theory and Historical Pragmatics -- Part I -- Oral Relics in Old English -- Chapter 2 -- Speaking Gibberish -- Charms -- Interpreting Gibberish -- The Performativity of Gibberish -- Word Magic -- Sounds Like Authentic Gibberish to Me -- The Functionality of Gibberish: Data from the Corpus of Charms -- Spirit Code as a Continuum -- Performative Gibberish: An Extended Example -- Conclusion: "O ineffabile" -- Chapter 3 -- Praying the Pater Noster -- The Christian Conversion of a Folk Tradition: Anglo-Saxon Charms -- The Functionality of the Pater Noster: Data from the Corpus of Charms -- Baptism and Secrecy -- Liturgical Tradition -- Private Devotion and Personal Exigency -- The Numinous -- Conclusion: A Hybrid Rite -- Chapter 4 -- Invoking Saints -- Invoking Heavenly Help: Data from the Corpus of Charms -- Traditional Referentiality -- The Warrior Saint in Old English Poetry -- The Fates of the Apostles -- The Evangelists' Armor -- Helen Recovers the Cross -- The Old English Calendar Poem -- Liturgy and the Calendar of Saints -- The Litany of the Saints -- Saints' Lives -- Conclusion: Invoking Immanence -- Chapter 5 -- Keeping Silence -- Performative Silence: A Socio-Linguistic Theory of Non-Verbal Communication -- A Biblical Mandate for Silence -- The Monastic Discourse of Silence -- Conclusion: Mystical Silence -- Part II -- Oral Relics in Middle English -- Chapter 6. ; Making Promises -- Linguistic Contexts for Dorigen's Promise -- Dorigen's Rejection: "Ne shal I nevere been untrewe wif" -- Aurelius's Response: Flouting Conversational Principles -- Convention versus Intention -- Legal Contexts for Dorigen's Promise -- Folkloric Contexts for Dorigen's Promise -- Conclusion: Complicating, Contradicting, and Compromising Oralities -- Chapter 7 -- Quoting Proverbs -- The Matter of Orality -- Oral Matter is "A ful confus matere" -- (De-)Constructing Orality -- Inscribing Permanence -- Conclusion: When Art Can No Longer Be Pious -- Chapter 8 -- Pronouncing Book Curses -- Scribal Prophylaxis: The Custom of Cursing Readers -- Warnings in the Form of Threats -- The Voice Behind the Marginalia: Cursing as a Linguistic Institution -- Words as Modes of Action: Cursing as a Cultural Institution -- Cursing by the Book: A Medieval English Convention -- Geffrey's Book Curse -- Conclusion: A Meta-Linguistic Maneuver -- Conclusion -- Appendix A -- Appendix B -- Appendix C -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- The Pragmatics & -- Beyond New Series.
• Sommario/riassunto: Written Reliquaries: The resonance of orality in medieval English texts establishes the linguistic component of orality and oral tradition. The relics it examines are traces of spoken performance, artifacts of linguistic and cultural processes. Seven case studies animate verbal acts of making promises, quoting proverbs, pronouncing curses, speaking gibberish, praying Pater Nosters, invoking saints, and keeping silence. The study of their resonance is enabled by a methodological conjunction of historical pragmatics and oral theory. Insights from oral theory enlighten spoken traditions which in turn may be understood in the larger historical-pragmatic context of linguistic performance. The inquiry ranges across broad as well as narrow planes of reference to trace a complex set of cultural and linguistic interactions. In this way it reconstructs relevant discursive contexts, giving detailed accounts of underlying assumptions, traditions, and conventions. Doing so, the book demonstrates that an integrated methodology not only allows access to oral discourse in both Old English and Middle English but also provides insight into the fluid medieval interchange of literacy and orality.
• Titolo autorizzato: Written reliquaries
• ISBN: 1-282-15496-6; 9786612154966; 90-272-9284-1
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Record Nr.: 9910821447003321
• Lo trovi qui: Univ. Federico II
• Serie: Pragmatics & beyond ; ; new ser., 153.