Terence and the Verb 'To Be' in Latin is the first in-depth study of the verb 'to be' in Latin (esse) and some of its hidden properties. Like the English 'be' (e.g. it's), the Latin forms of esse could undergo phonetic reduction or contraction. This phenomenon is largely unknown since classical texts have undergone a long process of transmission over the centuries, which has altered or deleted its traces. Although they are often neglected by scholars and puzzling to students, the use of contracted forms is shown to be widespread and significant. These forms expose the clitic nature of esse, which also explains other properties of the verb, including its participation in a prosodic simplification with a host ending in -s (sigmatic ecthlipsis), a phenomenon which is also discussed in the volume. After an introduction on methodology, the volume discusses the linguistic significance of such phenomena, focusing in particular on analysis of their behaviour in the plays of the ancient Roman playwright, Terence. Combining traditional scholarship with the use of digital resources, the volume explores the orthographic, phonological, semantic, and syntactic aspects of the verb esse, revealing that cliticization is a key feature of the verb 'to be' in Latin, and that contractions deserve a place within its paradigm.

This is the most detailed and comprehensive study to date of early Latin language, literary and non-literary, featuring twenty-nine chapters by an international team of scholars. 'Early Latin' is interpreted liberally as extending from the period of early inscriptions through to the first quarter of the first century BC. Classical Latin features significantly in the volume, although in a restricted sense. In the classical period there were writers who imitated the Latin of an earlier age, and there were also interpreters of early Latin. Later authors and views on early Latin language are also examined as some of these are relevant to the establishment of the text of earlier writers. A major aim of the book is to define linguistic features of different literary genres, and to address problems such as the limits of periodisation and the definition of the very concept of 'early Latin'.

Latin Linguistics is intended as an overview of the main areas of linguistics geared specifically to the scholar of Latin. The book consists of eight chapters: an introduction followed by discussions of phonology, morphology, syntax, variation linguistics, pragmatics, and sociolinguistics, with a final chapter discussing texts from three different periods to demonstrate how linguistic analysis can deepen our understanding of Latin. Most introductions to phonology cover a range of theories, such as Autosegmental Phonology or Optimality Theory; these contribute relatively little to our understanding of Latin as such. On the other hand, a Latinist needs to know how we can reconstruct pronunciation, what the limits of reconstruction are, and how closely orthography mirrors pronunciation. My chapter on phonology deals with these aspects. The same can be said, mutatis mutandis, for the other chapters. What makes this book unique, then, is the fact that it covers a wide range of topics in a deliberately selective way, tailored to the needs of Latinists.

This book addresses the question of whether there are continuities in Latin spanning the period from the early Republic through to the Romance languages. It is often maintained that various usages admitted by early comedy were rejected later by the literary language but continued in speech, to resurface centuries later in the written record (and in Romance). Are certain similarities between early and late Latin all that they seem, or might they be superficial, reflecting different phenomena at different periods? Most of the chapters, on numerous syntactic and other topics and using different methodologies, have a long chronological range. All attempt to identify patterns of change that might undermine any theory of submerged continuity. The patterns found are summarised in a concluding chapter. The volume addresses classicists with an interest in any of the different periods of Latin, and Romance linguists.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1881.

This excellent study traces the relation of Latin to other Indo-European languages and guides the reader lucidly through Latin phonology, morphology, and syntax. It should prove fascinating not only to Latinists but also to linguists generally and, expecially, to students of Romance languages. Over the years, readers have found that Palmer’s treatment of this so-called dead language reveals Latin’s continuing vitality and "soul."