This meteorological report from 1750 contains a wide range of common vocabulary used to describe the weather. The text is reproduced as it was originally written, and there are a few features to note which were used from the Middle Ages and remain evident in this mid-18th century text:
[1] the long /s/ -
ſ - that is almost indistinguishable from /f/;
it may be written with no stroke through it - ſ - or with a small horizontal line attached to the left: ſ
frigeſcit: frigescit
[2] diacritics:
these are marks placed above or below letters (sometimes beside letters) to
indicate, for example, how a letter is pronounced. If you have studied French
then you will already be familiar with ‘accents’ e.g. é, ç, or, if you know
German then you will recognise the umlaut accent ü.
Classical Latin
writing did not use diacritics. The macron e.g. ā, ē is used in textbooks and
edited literary works to mark the presence of a long vowel.
In Mediaeval and
later Latin texts, what looks like a macron (ū) or, often like a Spanish tilde
(ũ) indicates an abbreviation. In this text, it indicates a following /m/ but
it is by no means confined to that in other texts:
nubilũ =
nubilum
[3] The use of a
dot to mark abbreviations which we still do today:
impetuoſ.
ventoſ = impetuosos ventos
procelloſumq. = procellosumque
[4] MAJUS =
MAIUS
Classical Latin
did not have the letter /j/; that letter was introduced into Latin texts to
represent the equivalent of English /y/ + a vowel e.g Julius instead of Iulius.
Most texts nowadays use /i/ in all positions.
[5] ampersand:
the term for the abbreviation & [ = and] which is still in common use
The study of early
calligraphy is an extensive topic. There are several posts that discuss many of
the main features:
https://adckl.blogspot.com/search/label/Mediaeval%3A%20reading%20manuscripts
Begin by reading the manuscript as a way of reviewing basic
vocabulary. New vocabulary is listed at the end of the text.
A1750 MAJUS habet Dies XXXI.
1 nocte frigeſcit, & ventoſ
2 minatur tempeſtatem
3 frigida nox, deinde nubilũ
4 fulgura, ac temperata ſerenitas
5 ventoſum, cum ſerenitate
6 dorat
7 nox frigida, de die caleſcit
8 ſerenitas
9 Colliguntur nubeſ pro pluvia
10 Serenat, ſubſequa nocte frigeſcit
11 Pruinoſum, de die caleſcit
12 Aliquantum nubilum
13 Calida ſerenitas
14 Minatur impetuoſ. ventoſ & imbreſ
15 Serenat & caleſcit
16 Nox frigidula, pluviſum
17 Aura turbida
18 Ventoſum, dies caleſcit
19 Inamoena aura & frigida
20 Continuat
21 Aura frigidior, & pluvioſa
22 Aliquantum obnubilat
23 Aura tepeſcit
24 Dies obſcura et pluvioſa
25 Copioſa pluvia
26 Frigidula nox cum vento moderato.
27 imbreſ, procelloſumq. ventũ minantur
28 Ventoſum, & minantur tonitrua
29 Frigida nox, periculum grandiniſ
30 Vult etiam tonare
31 Serenat, ſimul aeſtuat
____________________
aliquantum: somewhat; slightly
aura, -ae 1/f: air or breeze depending on context; synonyms
for aura:
- āēr, āeris [3 m/f]: air
- spīritus, -ūs [4/m]: air; light breeze
- ventus, -ī [2/m]: wind
diēs can occur as both a masculine and
feminine noun, hence diēs obscura et pluviosa
dorat = dūrat from dūrō, dūrāre [1]: last; continue
impetuōsus, -a, -um: violent
inamoenus, -a, -um: disagreeable
minātur: (it’s) threatening i.e. there is a threat of …
minantur: (they) are threatening i.e. there are threats of …
subsequus, -a, -um (Late Latin): following
subsequā nocte: on the following night
temperātus, -a, -um: moderate
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