Ligurian:
# Conferensa «Dall’Anonimo genovese alle prose politiche: forme ed usi del volgare genovese in epoca medievale»

A-i pròscimi 5 de novembre à 16.30 ghe saià à l’Archivio Stòrico do Commun de Zena a conferensa «Dall’Anònimo genovese alle prose politiche: forme ed usi del volgare genovese in epoca medievale» do Steva Lusito.

Con tutte e raxoin, l’Anònimo Zeneise – visciuo à cavallo tra i secoli dozze e trezze, ch’o n’à lasciou unna produçion conservâ inte doî còdixi scriti à man – o se peu consciderâ o fondatô no solo che da lettiatua, ma ascì do zeneise comme lengua scrita, deuviâ con unna seu fonçionalitæ de communicaçion e un seu spirto identitäio. Ciù into detalio, a fòrte componente «çivile» da seu produçion – ligâ à l’exaltaçion de glöie da patria, a-o reciammo de tanti aspeti da demografia e da forma da çittæ de Zena e a-a critica de lòtte drento do Commun – o rende a seu produçion un documento ben ben scignificativo pe-a comprenscion de diversci elementi che descrivan a stöia de Zena inte l’Etæ de Mezo.

À partî da-e decade dòppo l’euvia de l’Anònimo (stæta redescoverta solo che a-a meitæ de l’Euttoçento, ma conosciua con piña probabilitæ ascì inti secoli avanti) o zeneise o l’é stæto deuviou comme mezzo de trasmiscion de conoscense (mascime inte volgarizzaçioin e traduçion ben ben conosciui inte l’area latiña) e comme lengua da cançellaia – da arente a-o latin – inte di documenti d’amministraçion e politichi stæti scriti in continente e inte colonie zeneixi in gio pe-o Mediterraneo. Pe fâ un exempio, in zeneise o l’ea stæto traduto un trattato stipulou co-o Khan di Tartai, e ancon do 1473 o surtan ottoman Mouma II o l’aviæ deuviou o zeneise pe communicâ a-i zeneixi de Scio a seu vittöia in battaggia contra un rivale à cappo de unna confederaçion turcomanna.

A conferensa, partindo da-a produçion de l’Anònimo Zeneise (do quæ a produçion a l’é in espoxiçion inte l’ambito de «Ianua – Genova nel Medioevo» ), a presentià e forme e i contegnui da recuggeita de l’autô, pe mensunâ dapeu e modalitæ ch’an visto o zeneise comme lengua scrita inte l’Etæ de Mezo. Durante a presentaçion se parlià ascì de l’evoluçion interna do zeneise da-e fase ciù antighe d’attestaçion fin a-a giornâ d’ancheu.

English translation:
# “From the Genoese Anonym to Political Prose: Forms and Uses of the Genoese Vernacular in Medieval Times”

A lecture titled “From the Genoese Anonym to Political Prose: Forms and Uses of the Genoese Vernacular in Medieval Times” by Stefano Lusito will be held on November 5 at 4.30pm at the Historical Archive of the Municipality of Genoa.

For good reason, the Genoese Anonym – who lived between the 13th and 14th centuries, whose works have reached us in two different manuscript codices – can be considered the founder not only of literature but of the entire written use of Genoese as a language with its own communicative functionality and precise identity value. In particular, the strong “civic” component of his rhymes – focused on exalting patriotic glories, often specifically referencing demographic and urban aspects of the regional capital, and criticizing internal struggles within the Commune – makes his production an extremely significant document for understanding various elements that describe the history of Genoa in the medieval period.

Starting from the decades following the Anonym’s work (rediscovered only at the beginning of the 19th century, but likely known in previous centuries), Genoese saw its uses expand both as a means of transmitting knowledge and learning (especially in vernacularizations and translations of widely circulating texts in the Romance area), and as the language of the local chancellery – alongside Latin – in administrative and political documents written both on the mainland and in the commercial colonies of the Commune of Genoa scattered throughout the Mediterranean. For example, a treaty stipulated in 1380 in Crimea with the Khan of the Tartars was translated into Genoese, and even in 1473, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II used Genoese to communicate to the Genoese stationed in Chios his victory in battle against a rival leading a Turkoman confederation.

The lecture, starting from the production of the Genoese Anonym (whose two attestation codices are currently on display as part of the “Ianua – Genoa in the Middle Ages” initiatives), will present forms and contents of the author’s collection, and subsequently mention the main uses of the local idiom in medieval times. During the presentation, the internal evolution of Genoese from its earliest attested phases to the present day will also be briefly reviewed and exemplified in its general aspects.