É. Apor (ed.): Codex Cumanicus. Ed. by Géza Kuun with a Prolegomena to the Codex Cumanicus by Lajos Ligeti. (Budapest Oriental Reprints, Ser. B 1.)
L. Ligeti: Prolegomena to the Codex Cumanicus
42 L. I-IGETI glosses gradually disappear, giving way to the Coman counterparts as explanations; Persian seems to have been totally alien to the monks. A correct interpretation of the orthographic, phonemic and lexical characteristics of this Italo-Latin language would certainly help us to determine the place of origin of the Codex, and the nationality of its author. Can Kuun's suggestions about Genoan features be proved ? 5 9 Be that as it may, caution is needed, since we have to reckon with a certain Italian koine, not to speak of the fact that the copier could not escape putting the characteristics of his own dialect into the text. The mounting questions can only be answered by an Italo-Latinist familiar with the 13th- 14th century linguistic records. The Italo-Latin language of the Codex contains several words of Oriental, primarily Arabic and Persian origin. Without aiming at completeness, let us mention some of these here. 6 0 For easier orientation, the Persian and Coman words are spelled as they appear in the Codex. On the other side of the colon, the presently accepted transcribed form is given, along with my interpretation 6 3 To confirm his assertion, G. Kuun (pp. CXXI —CXXII) quoted orthographical, pronunciational and lexical differences detectable in the Genoan and Venetian dialects. In light of the transcription of the Persian and Coman words, his orthographical explanations are hardly warranted. He considered the words gragnora «pea», sivoro «to whistle», carubius (Du Cange: carubeus, carubium) «street, lane», turcheysa (recte turchese) «tong» clearly Genoan. Kuun (p. CXXII) also pointed out some phonetic and lexical features which he regarded as characteristic of the Venetian dialect. Such are: endego (in place of indigo), tenagis «a farrier's forceps»; chibebe «cubeb, Piper cubab»; latonum «copper»; merzarius «grocer», caramella «reedpipe»; turta «cake». G. Kuun did not attach great importance to this, however, since these words, in these forms, can be found in other North Italian dialects as well. On the other hand, Prof. A. Csillaghy, whom I asked on the subject, thinks that the Latin words in question display a great many Venetian, or more precisely, Veneto, and not Genoan, characteristics. He includes here: scarpinu' «short socks» (p. 102); specie (for spezie) «apice» (without P and C equivalents), sal «salt» (without P and C equivalents), calderon' «cauldron», cazia «spoon», pignola «kettle» (p. 104); scutella «piate», flama «flame» (reduction of geminata), ranpin' «hook», rama arb «branch» (p. 104); cocomarú «cucumber», papauarú «poppy» (without P and C equivalents) (p. 106); gala «cat», gatus «tomcat» (p. 108); falchon «falcon», galina «hen», galus «cock», paon «peafowl», faxan «pheasant», cardarina «goldfish», paser «sparrow» (p. 109); etc. Only a detailed monograph will give us the definitive word in this matter. 6 0 I used the following abbreviations in the above list: P: Persian; C: Coman. Heyd, Histoire du commerce du Levant. Peg.: Pegolotti, Yule (Cathay and the Way Thither III) and in the edition by A. Evans, referring to Dr. Driill's compendium. Lauf. : B. Laufer, Sino-Iranica, Chicago 1919. Pelg.: Pellegrini, Gli arabismi nelle lingue neolatine con speciale riguardo all'Italia, I — II, Brescia 1972. Schaf.: Edward H. Schafer, The Golden Peaches of Samarkand, A Study of T'ang Exotica, Berkeley and Los Angeles 1963. Polo: P. Pelliot, Notes on Marco Polo I —III, 1959 —1975. Stg.: Steingass, Persian—English Dictionary. BK: Biberstain Kazimirski, Dictionnaire arabe —frangais I —II, Paris 1960. Vull.: I. A. Vullers, Lexicon Persico -Latinum I —II, Graz 1962. Desm.: J. J. P. Desmaisons, Dictionnaire persa 11 — franga is I —IV, Rome 1908 — 1914.
