Dear Tom
The practise of indicating the Latin incipit before the translation is late
medieval. It started the moment the texts were translated into vulgar
language. It is so common in Psalters and Books of Hours in the
Netherlands, that it almost can be considered a standard procedure. The
first printed books continued this tradition.
Dutch translations became widespread from c.1400 (the translation of the
Hours by Gert Grote in the late 14th Century is the most famous). From the
beginning was it simply necessary to give the incipit in Latin, because
people otherwise would be unable to recognize the text (in Dutch). I guess
the same has been the case in England (sorry - I do not study English
Psalters!). You will then probably find, that the practice of typesetting
the opening Latin words began with the very first (liturgical) book printed
in English!
But why it continued for generations, long after the Dutch text had become
the most familiar, is a good question. My own guess is that lay people
brought their devotional books to the church, where some of the texts still
were read in Latin, and thus enabled them to follow the ceremony with their
own translation.
If this tradition is found in a "recent" Book of Common Prayer, is it a
wonderful expression of English conservatism. Reprint follows reprint!
Hope this helps
Erik Drigsdahl
At 16:03 -0400 23/04/00, Tom Izbicki wrote:
>Would anyone know when the practice of typesetting the opening Latin words
>of a Psalm above the English translation began. I see it in the recent
>edition of the Book of Common Prayer.
PS: A note to the De profundis discussion: The psalm De profundis was to
the best of my knowledge a very esstential part of *any* catholic office of
the dead in Western Europe in all dioceses. It is therefore not necessary
to point out any particular location were it was used, as long as we are
speaking of the Roman-Catholic rite.
_____________________________________________________________________
Mag.art. Erik Drigsdahl CHD Center for Haandskriftstudier i Danmark
Kapelvej 25B 3.tv Phone: +45 +35 37 20 47
DK-2200 Copenhagen N Email: <[log in to unmask]>
DENMARK http://www.mobilixnet.dk/~mob75182/
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