Re: Language

[Lena A Löfström <lal@algonet.se>]

I just remembered that I for a long time held some documents that might
be of interest when talking about languages.

In Norway they have about everything in digits :-))))) so look what I
have got...

some medieval material from Diplomatarium Norvegicum that concern
Sinclair

"Diplomatarium Norvegicum is a series of text sources which give a
verbatim and linguistically faithful reading of documents older than
1570. It is now, in 1998, 150 years since the first volume was
published; the first of a total of 22 volumes which include
approximately 19000 documents. As the foremost example of Norwegian
source editions, Diplomatarium Norvegicum is the principal source for
anyone working with medieval text material. 
 You can find the digital text by searching in the database. 
Responsible for this project section: Assistant Professor Bjørn Eithun,
Old Norse Dictionary Unit (Gammalnorsk Ordboksverk), University of Oslo.
"


Nummer: 815. 
Date: 20 January 1438. 
Place: Kirkevaag. 
Text: (fra den trykte utgaven):
Til all and syndri lele folk in Cryste to quhais knawlagis 
thir present letteris sal to cum, Henry Randell, lawman of Orkney, 
Johne Haraldson, balye off Kirkwaw, and Jamis off Lask, gre-
ting in gode ay lestand. Sen medefull and meritabill thing is 
to bere witnesse to the suthfastnes, and namly in the cassis 
quahar the hyding off suthfastnes ma genner scathe, schame or 
prejudice till ane innocent man, fra theyne it is that we, the for-
said, testifeis sekyir witnessis and for the schawing of suthfastnes 
til yowr universite makis kende that we, the forsaide, bystude, 
saw and onherde and for witnessis wes tane, quhen that John 
off Erwyne and Will. Bernardson swore on the hirdman stein be-
fore owr Lorde, the erle off Orknay, and the gentiless of the 
cuntre, that thai bystude, saw and onherde and for witnessis wes 
tane, quhen that Thomas Sinclere, the soun of quhilum Dauy 
Syncler, callit in the vestre in Sant Mawnus kirk, Johne of Kirk-
nes, than lawman off Orknay, befor syndre gude men off the 
cuntre, and saide to the forsaide Johne off Kirknes, that it wes demit 
in the cuntre that he, the fornemmit Johne, saide that agayne 
his will he had selit the charteris off the xij penny lande off 
Tollop1 to the forsaide Thomas; quharfor the forsaide Tomas 
perroffrit to the said Johne his charter and the saide lande 
agayne, giff he the saide Johne walde giff til hyme, the forsaide 
Thomas, the golde that he the saide Thomas giff for the char-
teris off hyme the said Johne. And than the fornemmit Johne 
answerd and said playnly that it wes nocht agayne his will, and 
to the mare sikkirnesse off the saide lande to the saide Thomas, 
the saide Johne hanselde2 the saide Thomas off the fornemmit 
land for the forsaide golde that the fornemmyt Thomas craff, 
ande syne the saide Thomas hanselde Wat Fresell off the saide 
lande and the saide Johne confermit it thare and hanselde the 
saide Wat of the fornemmit land fra hyme the saide [Johne and 
his] ayris to the forsaide Thomas and Wat, bath as ane and ane 
as bath, and al thare ayris foreuer mare, with al fredomis and 
profytis, as the saide charter of [the saide lande beris]. And thar 
atowre the saide Johne grantit hyme fullely payt and content 
for the forsaide land be the fornemmit Thomas, the first and 
the last and al that betweyne. In witnesse of the quhilk thing,
we the forsaide has set owre sele to thir present letteris, at 
Kirkwaw the xx day of the moneth of Januar, the yere off 
owre Lorde, mcccccxxxviij yere. 
1 Stedet kaldes nu Toab (i St. Andrews parish). tilbake - 
2 = oldn. handselja 
"overdrage, tilsikre ved haandslag (handsal)". tilbake"
-------------------------

Isn't this what you would call "old" Inlish Rory? All the others where
written in Latin, date from 1379..

If anyone is interested I do have them all and I would be more than glad
to mail them to anyone interested. Just let me know.

Regards
Lena
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