Introduction to the problem of African Latin
Béla Adamik (University ELTE Budapest, Hungary)
LLDB = Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age
(http://lldb.elte.hu/)
1
III. Morpho-syntactic changes in African Latin as evidenced in inscriptions
1. Vocative for the nominative (cf. Adamik T 1987, Petersmann 1998 and Adams 2007)
LLDB-51653: voc. pro nom., SECVDE AMATO|R = Secundus amator, ILTun 1692, 2 = AE 1911,
115, 2, Africa proconsularis, Thabraca, 313-700 AD.
LLDB-51962: voc. pro nom., VERNA|CLE IN [PACE] = Vernaculus in pace, IFCCarth 3, 311, 1-2 =
CIL 8, 14223, 1-2, Africa proconsularis, Carthago, 351-400 AD.
LLDB-52229: voc. pro nom., EVTICIANE | IN PACE | VIXIT = Eutychianus in pace vixit, IFCCarth
3, 582, 1 = CIL 8, 25320, 1, Africa proconsularis, Carthago, 470-530 AD.
LLDB-65289: voc. pro nom., LELI () SACE|RDOS () VOTVM SOLVIT = Laelius () sacerdos votum
solvit, ILAlg 1, 2941, 1 = CIL 8, 2182, 1, Africa proconsularis, Aquae Caesaris, undated.
LLDB-65290: voc. pro nom., SILVANE SACE|RDOS () VOTVM SOLVIT = Silvanus sacerdos ()
votum solvit, ILAlg 1, 2941, 1 = CIL 8, 2182, 1, Africa proconsularis, Aquae Caesaris, undated.
LLDB-29142: voc. pro nom., DOCTE PVER () COMITATVR = doctus puer () comitatur, ICI 1, 13, 7
= CIL 11, 2839, 7, Etruria / Regio VII, Volsinii , 351-430 AD.
LLDB-37807: voc. pro nom., AVRELIVS () DEPOSTE = Aurelius () depositus, ICUR 2, 4305, 1,
Roma, Roma, 301-400 AD.
2. The transformation of the case system in African Latin
Gaeng (1992) inferred a radical reduction of the five-case system of Classical Latin into a system with
only one inflection in later African Latin. In his study, however, Gaeng did not do a real investigation
of frequency. Instead, he practically quoted examples for each phenomenon, and, since he was able to
find examples for nearly all phenomena of transformation in his corpus, he concluded that all changes
took place equally in the language of the area and a system with only one i.e. no inflection became
established in later African Latin.
Bibliography:
Adamik, B. (2014). In Search of the Regional Diversification of Latin: Changes of the Declension System
According to the Inscriptions. In: P. Molinelli, P. Cuzzolin, Ch. Fedriani (edd.). Latin Vulgaire Latin
Tardif X: Actes du X e colloque international sur le latin vulgaire et tardif, Bergamo, 5-9 septembre 2012.
Bergamo 641-661.
Adamik, B. (2017). The problem of the omission of word-final -s as evidenced in Latin inscriptions. GraecoLatina
Brunensia 22, 5-21.
Adamik, T. (1987). Romaniane vivat: Bemerkungen zum Gebrauch des Vokativs und zur afrikanischen Latinität.
In: J. Herman (ed.). Latin vulgaire – latin tardif. Actes du Ier
Colloque international sur le latin vulgaire
et tardif (Pécs, 2–5 septembre 1985). Tübingen 1–9.
Adams, J. N. (2007). The Regional Diversification of Latin 200 BC–AD 600. Cambridge.
Adams, J. N. (2013). Social variation and the Latin language. Cambridge.
Gaeng, Paul. A. (1977). A study of nominal inflection in Latin inscriptions: a morpho-syntactic analysis. Chapel
Hill, University of North Carolina Press.
Gaeng, Paul. A. (1984). Collapse and reorganization of the Latin nominal flection as reflected in epigraphic
sources. Potomac (Maryland).
Gaeng, Paul A. (1992). La morphologie nominale des inscriptions chrétiennes de l'Afrique. In: M. Illescu, W.
Marxgut (edd.). Latin vulgaire-latin tardif III. Actes du IIIème
Colloque international sur le latin vulgaire
et tardif (Innsbruck, 2-5 septembre, 1991). Tübingen 1992, 115-131.
Herman, J. (1966=1990). Recherches sur l’evolution grammaticale du latin vulgaire: les emplois “fautifs” du
nominatif. In: J. Herman, Du latin aux langues romanes. Études de linguistique historique. (réun. S. Kiss)
Tübingen 321–325.
Herman, J. (1987=2006). La disparition de -s et la morphologie dialectale du latin parlé. In: J. Herman, Du latin
aux langues Romanes II. Nouvelles études de linguistique historique. (réun. S. Kiss) Tübingen 33-42.
Herman, J. (2000). Vulgar Latin (translated by R. Wright). The Pennsylvania State University Press.
ILCV = Diehl, E. (1925–1931) Inscriptiones Latinae Christianae ueteres 1-3. Berlin.
Introduction to the problem of African Latin
Béla Adamik (University ELTE Budapest, Hungary)
LLDB = Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age
(http://lldb.elte.hu/)
2
Table 1
Acc. ~ Abl.
24% + Nom.Acc.
~ Abl.
10% + Dat.Abl.
~ Acc. 4%
= 38%
Gen. ~ Dat.
10% + Dat.Abl.
~ Gen. 1%
= 11%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 1%
Nom. ~ Acc.
1% - 3
1 nom. pro acc. LLDB-54964: PER FETVS | DECESSIT = per fetum decessit
2 acc. pro nom. LLDB-60722: QVAM PER FETVS | DECESSIT = quae per fetum decessit
Nom. ~ Gen.
2% - 6
5 nom. pro gen. LLDB-50926: MEMORIAE L FABI () OMNIBVS HONORIBVS FVNCTVS =
memoriae Lucii Fabi () omnibus honoribus functi
1 gen. pro nom. LLDB-46085: (/permixtio syntagmatum)M CORNELIVS FELICIS = Marcus
Cornelius Felix
Nom. ~ Dat.
4% - 11
9 nom. pro dat. LLDB-52396: (/-s > ø), DI MANIBVS = Dis Manibus
2 dat. pro nom. LLDB-57763: ( / dat. pro gen.), FONTEIA VERNALI V = Fonteia Vernalis vixit
Nom. ~ Abl.
14% - 36
34 nom. pro abl. LLDB-42945: (/-s > ø) VI|XIT A|NI LII = vixit annis LII
2 abl. pro nom. LLDB-55990: (/litterae superfluae), LIVIA ZA|BA VXSO|RE = Livia Zaba uxor
Acc. ~ Dat.
1% - 3
3 acc. pro dat. LLDB-38255: STATVAS AENEAS DVAS VICTORIAE AVGVSTAE ET
FOR|TVNAM REDVCIS = statuas aeneas duas Victoriae Augustae et Fortunae
Reducis
Acc. ~ Abl.
24% - 52
18 acc. pro abl. LLDB-53906: (/ -ø > -m) PRO SALVTEM | DOMINI = pro salute domini
28 abl. pro acc. LLDB-57803: (/-m > ø) OB | HONORE AEDILITATIS = ob honorem
aedilitatis
4 ablativus absolutus
accusativis permixtus
LLDB-45926: CVRATORIB|VS SATVRVM = curatoribus Saturo
2 accusativus absolutus pro
ablativo absoluto
LLDB-44026: CVRAN|TES FILIOS | EIVS = curantibus filiis eius
Gen. ~ Dat.
10% - 26
9 gen. pro dat. LLDB-51063: M AVRELIO SEVERO ALEXANDRO PIO FELI|CIS =
Marco Aurelio Severo Alexandro Pio Felici
17 dat. pro gen. LLDB-40069: (/ -s > ø) VXOR Q SILICI MARTIA|LI = uxor Quinti Silici
Martialis,
Gen. ~ Abl.
0% - 1
1 gen. pro abl. LLDB-54706: (/ permixtio syntagmatum) VIXIT ANNIS | XXVII ET MEN|SVM
VI = vixit annis XXVII et mensibus VI
Dat. ~ Abl.
3% - 8
6 dat. –ī > E LLDB-71716: (/ i: > E), D M ET PERPETVE SE|CVRITATE = D(is) M(anibus)
et perpetuae securitati
2 abl. –e > I LLDB-51388: ( / e > I) FORTISSIMO | IMP ET PACA|TORI VRBIS ()
FELICE = fortissimo imperatore et pacatore urbis () Felice
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
10% - 26
26 nom./acc. pro abl. LLDB-43583: (/ dat./abl. pro acc.) VIX|IT ANNIS | LX MENS|ES TRES =
vixit annis LX mensibus tribus / annos LX menses tres
Nom.-Abl. ~ Acc.
17% - 43
43 nom./abl. pro acc. LLDB-43706: (/ -m > ø) CVRA EGERVNT = curam egerunt
Nom.-Abl. ~ Gen.
2% - 5
5 nom./abl. pro gen. LLDB-68293: (/ permixtio syntagmatum) [E]X AVCTORI[TATE] | () NERVA
TRAIANI = ex auctoritate () Nervae Traiani
Nom.-Abl. ~ Dat.
1% - 3
3 nom./abl. pro dat. LLDB-51444: (/ litterae omissae), MARITA MERENTI = maritae merenti
Gen.-Dat. ~ Nom.
1% - 2
2 gen./dat. pro nom. LLDB-54034: (/ nom. pro gen.) D M S CECILIVS | COTTAE | P V = Dis
Manibus sacrum Caecilius Cotta / Caecili Cottae pius vixit
Gen.-Dat. ~ Abl.
0% - 1
1 gen./dat. pro abl. LLDB-65327: TRIBVNICI|AE POTESTA|TAE II = tribunicia potestate II
Dat.-Abl. ~ Nom.
3% - 8
8 dat./abl. pro nom. LLDB-51377: (/ -us > O) M IVL|IO PHILIPPVS INVIC|TVS = Marcus Iulius
Philippus Invictus
Dat.-Abl. ~ Acc.
4% - 9
9 dat./abl. pro acc. LLDB-50612: INTER EIS = inter eos, LLDB-46806: ( / -um > O) LEGENS
TITVM MEO = legens titulum meum
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
1% - 3
3 dat./abl. pro gen. LLDB-37721: (/ permixtio syntagmatum) [PRO] SALVTE () AVRELI
COMMODO = pro salute () Aureli Commodi
Other
2% - 4
4 commutatio vel
permixtio casuum
aliorum
LLDB-45802:, AD | MISERABILE MO|RTIS V = ad miserabilem mortem vixit
Introduction to the problem of African Latin
Béla Adamik (University ELTE Budapest, Hungary)
LLDB = Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age
(http://lldb.elte.hu/)
3
Table 2
Nom.-Acc. ~
Abl. 38% + Acc.
~ Abl. 13% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Acc.
5%
= 56%
Gen. ~ Dat.
4% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Gen. 1%
= 5%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 4% (+ -AS pro
-ae 2% = 6%)
Nom. ~ Voc.
2% - 3
3 voc. pro nom. LLDB-52229: EVTICIANE | IN PACE | VIXIT = Eutychianus in
pace vixit
Nom. ~ Acc.
4% - 5
3 nom. pro acc. LLDB-68767: HEC MEMORIAM FECIT = hanc memoriam fecit
2 acc. pro nom. LLDB-68769: VISSITE|NT FILOS ET NEPOTES MEOS | = visitent
filii et nepotes mei
-AS pro –ae
2% - 3
3 nom. pl. -AS pro -ae LLDB-42896: (/ acc. pro nom.) VNA ET BIS SENAS TVRRES
CRESCEBANT IN ORDINE TOTAS = una et bis senae turres
crescebant in ordine totae
Nom. ~ Gen.
3% - 4
3 nom. pro gen. LLDB-53293: REGIS | ILDIRIX = regis Childerici
1 gen. pro nom. LLDB-53140: (/ x > S / SS / CX) GILIVS SE|NIS FIDELIS = Gilius
senex fidelis
Nom. ~ Dat.
1% - 1
1 dat. pro nom. LLDB-48749: (/ -s > ø) HOSTRILD|I FIDELIS (|) VIXIT =
Hostrildis fidelis () vixit
Nom. ~ Abl.
5% - 6
4 nom. pro abl. LLDB-43623: (/ -s > ø /) VIX ANNI XLVI = vixit annis XLVI
2 abl. pro nom. LLDB-51347: (/-s > ø) CASTRENSSE DVLCS = Castrensis dulcis
Acc. ~ Abl.
13% - 16
7 acc. pro abl. LLDB-59514: NATVS | CASAS MAIORES = natus Casis
Maioribus
9 abl. pro acc. LLDB-43608: (/ -m > ø), HABVIT PATRE LAOMEDONTE| =
habuit patrem Laomedontem
Gen. ~ Dat.
4% - 5
3 dat. pro gen. LLDB-43553: (/ -s > ø), IN NOMINE PATRI ET = In nomine patris et
2 gen. pro dat. LLDB-64824: NICOMACHO FLAVIANO AGENTIS | = Nicomacho
Flaviano agenti
Gen. ~ Abl.
1% - 1
1 gen. pro abl. LLDB-53530: (/ permixtio syntagmatum) VIXIT AN|NORVM
LXXX = vixit annis / annos
Dat. ~ Abl.
5% - 6
1 dat. -ī > E LLDB-67878: (/ i: > E) [I]NVICTO PIO | FELICE () PON|TIFICI =
invicto pio felici () pontifici
5 abl. -e > I LLDB-40080: (/ e > I) IN PACI = in pace
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
38% - 51
51 nom./acc. pro abl. LLDB-71855: (/ dat./abl. pro acc.) VIXIT AN|NIS () MEN|SES =
vixit annis () mensibus / annos () menses
Nom.-Abl. ~ Acc.
9% - 12
12 nom./abl. pro acc. LLDB-51295: (/ -m > ø) MERVIT (|) CORONA| = meruit () coronam
Nom.-Abl. ~ Gen.
4% - 5
5 nom./abl. pro gen. LLDB-51131: SVMMA BONITATIS ET INGENI | PVER = summae
bonitatis et ingenii puer
Gen.-Dat. ~ Nom.
1% - 1
1 gen./dat. pro nom. LLDB-49368: (/ permixtio syntagmatum) IVLIA FLO|RIANAE
FIDE|LIS VIXIT
Dat.-Abl. ~ Nom.
1% - 1
1 dat./abl. pro nom. LLDB-43775: (/ -s > ø) NON|[I]A FIDELI | VIXIT = Nonia fidelis
vixit
Dat.-Abl. ~ Acc.
5% - 6
6 dat./abl. pro acc. LLDB-45538: ( nom./acc. pro abl.) VIX|IT ANNIS | LXX MENSES | V
= vixit annis LXX mensibus V / vixit annos LXX menses V (5); LLDB-
71921: (/ -um > O) PER SOLOMONEM (|) MAGISTRO = per
Solomonem () magistrum (1)
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
1% - 1
1 dat./abl. pro gen. LLDB-43555: COR|PVS FAMVLO CHRI = corpus famuli Christi
Other
1% - 1
1 commutatio vel
permixtio casuum
aliorum
LLDB-52749: [I]NVICTIS | [A]VGG[G] || BONO R P NATVM =
Invictis Augustis bono rei publice natis
Introduction to the problem of African Latin
Béla Adamik (University ELTE Budapest, Hungary)
LLDB = Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age
(http://lldb.elte.hu/)
4
Table 3.1: Comparison of the EARLY regions
Chart 1a
Acc. ~ Abl. 26% +
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
2% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 4%
= 32%
Gen. ~ Dat. 6% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
2%
= 8%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 4%
Chart 2a
Acc. ~ Abl. 8% +
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
0% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 2%
= 10%
Gen. ~ Dat. 26% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
3%
= 29%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 2%
Chart 3a
Acc. ~ Abl. 15% +
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
13% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 22%
= 50%
Gen. ~ Dat. 4% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
2%
= 6%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 1%
Introduction to the problem of African Latin
Béla Adamik (University ELTE Budapest, Hungary)
LLDB = Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age
(http://lldb.elte.hu/)
5
Table 3.2: Comparison of the EARLY regions
Chart 4a
Acc. ~ Abl. 17% +
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
11% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 13%
= 41%
Gen. ~ Dat. 6% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
1%
= 4%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 0%
Chart 5a
Acc. ~ Abl. 18% +
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
2% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 3%
= 23%
Gen. ~ Dat. 11% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
2%
= 13%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 2% (+ -AS pro –
ae 4% = 6%)
Chart 6a
Acc. ~ Abl. 24% +
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
10% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 4%
= 38%
Gen. ~ Dat. 10% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
1%
= 11%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 1%
Table 3.3 c. 1-3 AD Hispania Gallia & Germania Italia Roma Illyricum Africa
Proportion of
Acc.~Abl. and
Gen.~Dat.
32% / 8% =
4
(10% / 29% = 0,3) 50% / 6% =
8
41% / 4% =
10
23% / 13%
= 1,8
38% / 11% =
3,5
Rate of Nom.~Acc. 4% 2% 1% 0% 2% 1%
Introduction to the problem of African Latin
Béla Adamik (University ELTE Budapest, Hungary)
LLDB = Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age
(http://lldb.elte.hu/)
6
Table 4.1: Comparison of the LATER regions
Chart 1b
Acc. ~ Abl. 31% +
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
1% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 23%
= 55%
Gen. ~ Dat. 5% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
2%
= 7%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 4% (+ -AS
pro -ae 4% = 8%)
Chart 2b
Acc. ~ Abl. 45% +
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
1% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 13%
= 59%
Gen. ~ Dat. 5% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
8%
= 13%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 0%
Chart 3b
Acc. ~ Abl. 25% +
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
13% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 4%
= 42%
Gen. ~ Dat. 4% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
2%
= 6%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 2% (+ -AS
pro -ae 1% = 3%)
Introduction to the problem of African Latin
Béla Adamik (University ELTE Budapest, Hungary)
LLDB = Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age
(http://lldb.elte.hu/)
7
Table 4.2: Comparison of the LATER regions
Chart 4b
Acc. ~ Abl. 43% +
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
11% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 9%
= 63%
Gen. ~ Dat. 2% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
1%
= 3%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 0% (+ -AS
pro -ae 1% = 1%)
Chart 5b
Acc. ~ Abl. 19% +
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
2% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 7%
= 28%
Gen. ~ Dat. 17% +
Dat.-Abl. ~ Gen.
18%
= 35%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 3% (+ -AS
pro -ae 2% = 5%)
Chart 6b
Nom.-Acc. ~ Abl.
38% + Acc. ~ Abl.
13% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Acc. 5%
= 56%
Gen. ~ Dat.
4% + Dat.-Abl. ~
Gen. 1%
= 5%
Nom. ~ Acc.
= 4% (+ -AS pro ae
2% = 6%)
Table 4.3 c. 4-7 Hispania Gallia & Germania Italia Roma Illyricum Africa
Proportion of
Acc.~Abl. and
Gen.~Dat.
55% / 7% =
8
59% / 13% =
4,5
42% / 6% =
7
63% / 3% =
21
(28% / 35% =
0,8)
56% / 5% =
11
Rate of Nom.~Acc. 4% 0% 2% 0% 3% 4%
de + abl. pro gen.
& ad + acc pro dat.
16 & 4 1 & 1 5 & 0 0 & 0 1 & 0 0 & 0
Introduction to the problem of African Latin
Béla Adamik (University ELTE Budapest, Hungary)
LLDB = Computerized Historical Linguistic Database of the Latin Inscriptions of the Imperial Age
(http://lldb.elte.hu/)
8
Note to Table 4.3:
LLDB-47046: de + abl. pro gen., VINDO PORTIONE| DE TERRA = vendo portionem terrae
LLDB-60035: ad + acc. pro dat., AD EVM DICENS = ei dicens
Table 5a (= Table 1 in Adamik 2014: 658, based on Herman 2000: 58-59)
Vulgar Latin Case-system nominative accusative-ablative dative-genitive
1. Gaul
(Old French, Old Occitan)
2. Balkans
(Rumanian)
3. Africa (Hispania, Italia),
modern Romance
Table 1: Different regions of the Vulgar Latin declension system
Table 5b
Vulgar Latin Case-system nominative accusative-ablative dative-genitive
1. Gaul
(Old French, Old Occitan)
2. Balkans
(Rumanian)
3. Hispania, Italia
(modern Romance)
4. Africa
(no Romance)
Table 5: Different regions of the Vulgar Latin declension system
Present paper intends to explore the process of the transformation of the case system as evidenced in the
inscriptions of the Roman provinces Africa Proconsularis and Numidia. First the peculiarities of the
transformation of the case system in African Latin in the pre-Christian and Christian periods will be analysed.
Then the African distributional patterns of case system changes will be compared to those of other regions of the
Empire selected for the survey including Spain, Gaul (including Germany), Italy, Illyricum, and the city of Rome.
Finally, the results of the present analysis, especially those regarding the dialectological positioning of Roman
Africa, will be compared with the results of the investigation of Gaeng 1992 regarding the later, Christian period.