Joanne Stolk | Universiteit Leiden (original) (raw)
Books by Joanne Stolk
Some people love their friends even when they are far away: Festschrift in Honour of Francisca A.... more Some people love their friends even when they are far away: Festschrift in Honour of Francisca A.J. Hoogendijk
Introductory chapter to article-based doctoral dissertation, University of Oslo
Articles by Joanne Stolk
![Research paper thumbnail of A Coptic letter to Dioscorus of Aphrodite from the collection of the Ghent University Library [preview]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/79632709/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Chronique d'Égypte, 2021
Edition of P.Ghent inv. 47, a Coptic letter addressed to Dioscorus of Aphrodite.
The Greek documentary papyri (300 BCE-700 CE) provide an interesting corpus for linguistic study ... more The Greek documentary papyri (300 BCE-700 CE) provide an interesting corpus for linguistic study due to the large amount of linguistic variation. Variation in spelling is traditionally used as evidence for phonological changes in the post-Classical Greek language. The interchange of graphemes, however, does not only depend on the pronunciation of the corresponding phoneme. In this paper I examine the cognitive processes behind the production of non-standard Greek orthography in more detail by applying an interactive dual-route model for spelling. If two graphemes are pronounced identically in the spoken language, the final choice between one grapheme or the other is likely to be based on cognitive and social aspects, such as the general frequency and probability of spelling patterns in the language, previous exposure of the writer to other lexemes and morphemes in the language and local scribal conventions, to name just a few factors. On the basis of examples of the frequent interchanges of <e, ai> and <o, ō>, I show how these other factors can contribute to a better interpretation of spelling production in documentary papyri.
Spelling deviations are often considered to be the result of random variation or plain mistakes b... more Spelling deviations are often considered to be the result of random variation or plain mistakes by the scribes. Based on the examples in this paper, I argue that some of the apparent deviations may actually be in accordance with contemporary norms. Close study of the spelling of five lexemes in the corpus of documentary papyri shows that the orthographic conventions at the time may have been different than suggested by contemporary grammarians and modern editors. Keywords post-classical Greekorthographydocumentary papyrivariation and changescribesgrammarians Greek progressively failed to reflect a radically changing pronunciation, so that by 1 See e.g. Horrocks 2010, 88-188. 2 See Horrocks 2010, 82. following four criteria for determining the correct spelling, originally used for textual criticism: analogy (ἀναλογία), namely the formulation of general propositions based on comparison of words, dialect (διάλεκτος) by comparison of special forms in different language varieties, etymology (ἐτυμολογία) based on the origin of words and history (ἱστορίαπαράδοσις), which informs us about how the word is used in the literary textual tradition. 6 3
The prepositions eis, prós and epí alternate with the plain dative case to express an animate goa... more The prepositions eis, prós and epí alternate with the plain dative case to express an animate goal of motion and transfer verbs in Greek. The preposition eis 'to' is commonly used for inanimate goals and to express 'on account of what/whom' a payment is made, prós 'to' is used for the transfer of an animate object to an animate goal and epí 'for' to express a special purpose of sending for someone. Exceptions to these general tendencies merit closer examination of the paleographical and linguistic context. In this paper, I provide several new interpretations, translations and readings of exceptional usages of these prepositions in Greek documentary papyri from Egypt.
i n P r o c e e d i n g s o f t h e 2 8 t h C o n g r e s s o f P a p y r o l o g y B a r c e l o... more i n P r o c e e d i n g s o f t h e 2 8 t h C o n g r e s s o f P a p y r o l o g y B a r c e l o n a 1 -6 A u g u s t 2 0 1 6 E d i t e d b y A l b e r t o N o d a r & S o f í a T o r a l l a s T o v a r C o e d i t e d b y Ma r í a J e s ú s A l b a r r á n Ma r t í n e z , R a q u e l Ma r t í n H e r n á n d e z , I r e n e P a j ó n L e y r a , J o s é -D o mi n g o R o d r í g u e z Ma r t í n & Ma r c o A n t o n i o S a n t a ma r í a S c r i p t a Or i e n t a l i a 3 B a r c e l o n a , 2 0 1 9
In this article we suggest a new interpretation of the private letter first published as P.Yale 1... more In this article we suggest a new interpretation of the private letter first published as P.Yale 1.78. Improved readings of ll. 1-2 and 6-9 and the address on the verso provide a more coherent grammatical structure and allow a better understanding of the events described in this letter.
Review of Nicola Reggiani, Digital Papyrology I: Methods, Tools and Trends. Berlin - Boston. De G... more Review of Nicola Reggiani, Digital Papyrology I: Methods, Tools and Trends. Berlin - Boston. De Gruyter 2017.
To appear in: Trevor Evans and Genevieve Young (eds.), Koine Greek and the Evidence of Documentar... more To appear in: Trevor Evans and Genevieve Young (eds.), Koine Greek and the Evidence of Documentary Sources
This paper explores the evidence for dative case syncretism with personal pronouns in post-Classi... more This paper explores the evidence for dative case syncretism with personal pronouns in post-Classical Greek based on documentary papyri (300BCE–800CE). Three alternative encodings are examined for the animate goal of transfer verbs: the prepositions pr os and eis (with accusative) and the bare accusative case. It is shown that the dative case and the preposition pr os are in complementary distribution dependent on the animacy of the object and the conceptualization of the event. The preposition eis is only used for animate goals in the specialized meaning 'on account of'. The bare accusative case is occasionally found as a replacement for the dative case, but not in the same constructions as those in which the prepositions are attested. Therefore, based on the encoding of the animate goal in Greek papyrus letters, there is no reason to assume that a change in the use of these prepositions led to the merger of dative and accusative cases.
http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/xcUgDNJpYIMBpbPkse7T/full
Semantic analysis of the prenominal first person singular genitive pronoun (μου) in the Greek of ... more Semantic analysis of the prenominal first person singular genitive pronoun (μου) in the Greek of the documentary papyri shows that the pronoun is typically found in the position between a verbal form and an alienable possessum which functions as the patient of the predicate. When the event expressed by the predicate is patient-affecting, the possessor is indirectly also affected. Hence the semantic role of this affected alienable possessor might be interpreted as a benefactive or malefactive in genitive possession constructions. By semantic extension the meaning of the genitive case in this position is extended into goal-oriented roles, such as addressee and recipient, which are commonly denoted by the dative case in Ancient Greek.The semantic similarity of the genitive and dative cases in these constructions might have provided the basis for the merger of the cases in the Greek language.
Examples of case interchange in Greek papyri are often used to illustrate the start of dative cas... more Examples of case interchange in Greek papyri are often used to illustrate the start of dative case syncretism in Greek (Humbert 1930; Browning 1983; Horrocks 2010). On the other hand, case interchange can be caused by Egyptian scribes having difficulties with the Greek case system (Clarysse 1993; Vierros 2012). In this article, I combine quantitative analysis of the dative and genitive case interchanges in Greek documentary papyri with a qualitative examination of the social and linguistic contexts of the interchanges. This shows that whereas the usage of the dative instead of the genitive pronoun as adnominal possessor may be explained by indirect bilingual interference and scribal confusion, the replacement of the dative by the genitive as a third argument of a verb may have been caused by interference from the Greek spoken language in the writing of less educated scribes.
Some people love their friends even when they are far away: Festschrift in Honour of Francisca A.... more Some people love their friends even when they are far away: Festschrift in Honour of Francisca A.J. Hoogendijk
Introductory chapter to article-based doctoral dissertation, University of Oslo
Chronique d'Égypte, 2021
Edition of P.Ghent inv. 47, a Coptic letter addressed to Dioscorus of Aphrodite.
The Greek documentary papyri (300 BCE-700 CE) provide an interesting corpus for linguistic study ... more The Greek documentary papyri (300 BCE-700 CE) provide an interesting corpus for linguistic study due to the large amount of linguistic variation. Variation in spelling is traditionally used as evidence for phonological changes in the post-Classical Greek language. The interchange of graphemes, however, does not only depend on the pronunciation of the corresponding phoneme. In this paper I examine the cognitive processes behind the production of non-standard Greek orthography in more detail by applying an interactive dual-route model for spelling. If two graphemes are pronounced identically in the spoken language, the final choice between one grapheme or the other is likely to be based on cognitive and social aspects, such as the general frequency and probability of spelling patterns in the language, previous exposure of the writer to other lexemes and morphemes in the language and local scribal conventions, to name just a few factors. On the basis of examples of the frequent interchanges of <e, ai> and <o, ō>, I show how these other factors can contribute to a better interpretation of spelling production in documentary papyri.
Spelling deviations are often considered to be the result of random variation or plain mistakes b... more Spelling deviations are often considered to be the result of random variation or plain mistakes by the scribes. Based on the examples in this paper, I argue that some of the apparent deviations may actually be in accordance with contemporary norms. Close study of the spelling of five lexemes in the corpus of documentary papyri shows that the orthographic conventions at the time may have been different than suggested by contemporary grammarians and modern editors. Keywords post-classical Greekorthographydocumentary papyrivariation and changescribesgrammarians Greek progressively failed to reflect a radically changing pronunciation, so that by 1 See e.g. Horrocks 2010, 88-188. 2 See Horrocks 2010, 82. following four criteria for determining the correct spelling, originally used for textual criticism: analogy (ἀναλογία), namely the formulation of general propositions based on comparison of words, dialect (διάλεκτος) by comparison of special forms in different language varieties, etymology (ἐτυμολογία) based on the origin of words and history (ἱστορίαπαράδοσις), which informs us about how the word is used in the literary textual tradition. 6 3
The prepositions eis, prós and epí alternate with the plain dative case to express an animate goa... more The prepositions eis, prós and epí alternate with the plain dative case to express an animate goal of motion and transfer verbs in Greek. The preposition eis 'to' is commonly used for inanimate goals and to express 'on account of what/whom' a payment is made, prós 'to' is used for the transfer of an animate object to an animate goal and epí 'for' to express a special purpose of sending for someone. Exceptions to these general tendencies merit closer examination of the paleographical and linguistic context. In this paper, I provide several new interpretations, translations and readings of exceptional usages of these prepositions in Greek documentary papyri from Egypt.
i n P r o c e e d i n g s o f t h e 2 8 t h C o n g r e s s o f P a p y r o l o g y B a r c e l o... more i n P r o c e e d i n g s o f t h e 2 8 t h C o n g r e s s o f P a p y r o l o g y B a r c e l o n a 1 -6 A u g u s t 2 0 1 6 E d i t e d b y A l b e r t o N o d a r & S o f í a T o r a l l a s T o v a r C o e d i t e d b y Ma r í a J e s ú s A l b a r r á n Ma r t í n e z , R a q u e l Ma r t í n H e r n á n d e z , I r e n e P a j ó n L e y r a , J o s é -D o mi n g o R o d r í g u e z Ma r t í n & Ma r c o A n t o n i o S a n t a ma r í a S c r i p t a Or i e n t a l i a 3 B a r c e l o n a , 2 0 1 9
In this article we suggest a new interpretation of the private letter first published as P.Yale 1... more In this article we suggest a new interpretation of the private letter first published as P.Yale 1.78. Improved readings of ll. 1-2 and 6-9 and the address on the verso provide a more coherent grammatical structure and allow a better understanding of the events described in this letter.
Review of Nicola Reggiani, Digital Papyrology I: Methods, Tools and Trends. Berlin - Boston. De G... more Review of Nicola Reggiani, Digital Papyrology I: Methods, Tools and Trends. Berlin - Boston. De Gruyter 2017.
To appear in: Trevor Evans and Genevieve Young (eds.), Koine Greek and the Evidence of Documentar... more To appear in: Trevor Evans and Genevieve Young (eds.), Koine Greek and the Evidence of Documentary Sources
This paper explores the evidence for dative case syncretism with personal pronouns in post-Classi... more This paper explores the evidence for dative case syncretism with personal pronouns in post-Classical Greek based on documentary papyri (300BCE–800CE). Three alternative encodings are examined for the animate goal of transfer verbs: the prepositions pr os and eis (with accusative) and the bare accusative case. It is shown that the dative case and the preposition pr os are in complementary distribution dependent on the animacy of the object and the conceptualization of the event. The preposition eis is only used for animate goals in the specialized meaning 'on account of'. The bare accusative case is occasionally found as a replacement for the dative case, but not in the same constructions as those in which the prepositions are attested. Therefore, based on the encoding of the animate goal in Greek papyrus letters, there is no reason to assume that a change in the use of these prepositions led to the merger of dative and accusative cases.
http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/xcUgDNJpYIMBpbPkse7T/full
Semantic analysis of the prenominal first person singular genitive pronoun (μου) in the Greek of ... more Semantic analysis of the prenominal first person singular genitive pronoun (μου) in the Greek of the documentary papyri shows that the pronoun is typically found in the position between a verbal form and an alienable possessum which functions as the patient of the predicate. When the event expressed by the predicate is patient-affecting, the possessor is indirectly also affected. Hence the semantic role of this affected alienable possessor might be interpreted as a benefactive or malefactive in genitive possession constructions. By semantic extension the meaning of the genitive case in this position is extended into goal-oriented roles, such as addressee and recipient, which are commonly denoted by the dative case in Ancient Greek.The semantic similarity of the genitive and dative cases in these constructions might have provided the basis for the merger of the cases in the Greek language.
Examples of case interchange in Greek papyri are often used to illustrate the start of dative cas... more Examples of case interchange in Greek papyri are often used to illustrate the start of dative case syncretism in Greek (Humbert 1930; Browning 1983; Horrocks 2010). On the other hand, case interchange can be caused by Egyptian scribes having difficulties with the Greek case system (Clarysse 1993; Vierros 2012). In this article, I combine quantitative analysis of the dative and genitive case interchanges in Greek documentary papyri with a qualitative examination of the social and linguistic contexts of the interchanges. This shows that whereas the usage of the dative instead of the genitive pronoun as adnominal possessor may be explained by indirect bilingual interference and scribal confusion, the replacement of the dative by the genitive as a third argument of a verb may have been caused by interference from the Greek spoken language in the writing of less educated scribes.
Digital Classics Seminar, Universiteit Leiden
Conference Language Contact: The State of the Art, August 28-30, 2014, University of Helsinki
21st International Conference on Historical Linguistics, 5-9 August 2013, University of Oslo