Differentiae

Differentiae , Differentiae verborum , Differentiae collections are a medieval type of text thatcompiles, explains and compares( Latin ) wordsin alphabetical order. The words presentedwithin a differentia are related to one another according to meaning or form. Thus, cuncti and universi as Latin words for “all”belongtogether in terms of content, while the Latin word cornus withthe same name can mean both “ horn ” and “ Cornelian cherry ” and Latin cavum , concavum and cavatum are derived from a common root cavus for “cave, hollow "Hollow out".

The earliest differentiae collections date from the early Middle Ages; according to medieval tradition, they should even go back to important authors from antiquity . Isidore of Seville's collection of words from the 7th century is believed to be the oldest. A differentiae fragment of Codex No. 225 of the St. Gallen Monastery and an approximately identical fragment written in Raetian minuscule from the land register of the " Donation to Flums " ( 13th century ) date from around 800 .

literature

• Helmut Maurer (Ed.): Churrätisches and St. Gallisches Middle Ages. Festschrift for Otto P. Clavadetscher. Sigmaringen 1984, p. 15f