Re: [tied] expresion

Truth to tell, the Romanians would be calling their language "limba rumâneascã" if the adjective <românã> (with an artificial /o/) had not been introduced to emphasise the etymological connection with Rome. Romanian is by no means the only Romance language with such a name. We still have the Romansch/Rumonsch (Rhaeto-Romance) dialects in Switzerland, and the Old French vernacular (Franceis) was called Romanz or Romans in the Middle Ages in opposition to (Mediaeval) Latin, hence our generalised term "Romance":

Frankyshe speche ys cald Romaunce,

So sey þis clerkes & men of Fraunce.

[ca. 1330, cited by OED]

These words derive from the adverb *ro:ma:nice: 'in the "Romanic" language'. Earlier still (from about the 7th century, I think), we find terms like "lingua romana (rustica)" with reference to vernaculars derived from the Late Latin "sermo plebeius". "Lingua romana" is what early French is called in the Strassburg Oaths (AD 842).

Piotr

----- Original Message -----
From: alexmoeller@...

To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, October 11, 2002 2:45 PM

Subject: [tied] expresion

I should like to know if someone has an information about how was called the latin language until the X century. Maybe you will smile about " how was called the latin language" but my question must be meant if there are any ancient texts which are telling us about " lingua romanorum" or there the therm "latin" is the only word regarding the latin language? I ask it because it seems a bit strange to me that from all neo latin folks just the romanians say " romanian language" which is to be meant as " roman language" so how many umanists from 15-17 century observe. So , do we know about any texts which are calling the latin language as " roman language"? or there is just "latin language"?

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