Oral Traces in Runic Epigraphy

Evidence from Older and Younger Inscriptions

Bibliographic Data

ID22993975
AuthorsMichael Schulte (0000-0003-3478-7385, Agder Research, corresponding author)
Year2006
Volume18
Issue02
Publication date2006-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Germanic Linguistics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1470-5427 • E-ISSN: 1475-3014
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1470542706000055
OpenAlexW1979744710
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited9

The present paper addresses the issue of spoken features in older and younger runic inscriptions, particularly in the Blekinge group of the seventh century. Despite the general expectation of “high” style, it is argued that runic inscriptions represent a continuum of different styles and registers. The present analysis corroborates the claim that runic writing receives no special status among alphabetic writing systems, and that runic texts constitute no exception to the general rule of textual variation. A strong case is provided by the Bekinge curse formula of Stentoften and Björketorp, whose affinity with oral speech is signalled by a series of stylistic and linguistic features.A related lecture entitled “Der Problemkreis der Übergangsinschriften im Lichte neuerer Forschungsbeiträge” was held at the Academy of Science in Oslo on September 4, 2004. In addition to the audience at this presentation and two anonymous JGL reviewers, I owe thanks to Heinrich Beck, Klaus Düwel, Henrik Williams, James E. Knirk, Jan Terje Faarlund, Wolfgang Dressler, and Paul Kerswill for valuable input. The usual disclaimers apply.

Art · Curse · Epigraphy · Linguistics · Literature · Presentation (obstetrics) · Style (visual arts) · Theology · Classics · History · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Linguistics and language evolution · Medicine · Medieval Literature and History · Philosophy

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