How to introduce Latin direct speech

Direct speech has been marginalised by Latin philologists and linguists for a long time. In comparison to indirect or free direct speech, it may seem even banal and uninteresting. Verbal forms, pronouns, and adverbs do not change...

What to examine about direct speech, if it is so well-known?

However, the first impression is often false. Only distinguishing what is an instance of direct speech and what is not, is not such an easy task as it might seem at first sight. In addition, Latin texts did not look like the modern digital ones. When compared to the present, punctuation was used very rarely and quotation marks were systematically introduced only after the invention of book printing. Therefore, we may assume that there was a need to mark at least the beginning of direct speech by other means, for example, by using certain expressions or structures. From this, there is only a step to the examination of introducing the direct speech, i.e. of its incorporation into the text.

It is fascinating to observe how the common practice has changed over the centuries.

Whereas in Classical Latin (around the beginning of our era) one specific verb prevailed, in Late Latin (from ca. 200 to 800 CE) the range of verbs was much more varied and, under the influence of Biblical language, a new participle dicens, i.e.'saying', was spreading and appeared also in combinations such as "he/she responded saying". Does it remind you of a passage taken from the writings of Komenský (Czech author from the beginning of the 17th century) or Němcová (Czech female author from the 19th century)? It may not be a mere coincidence. It is reasonable to assume that the common Latin use also influenced the way of writing texts in the whole western European civilization, which has sprung from the Latin written culture.

It’s just a short step from introducing direct speech to exploring other functions of the verb “to say” outside of direct or indirect speech. Have you noticed that in Czech we use phrases like “so to speak,” “I’ll say,” and similar expressions to draw attention to the statement that follows? It’s exactly the same in Latin. It’s incredibly interesting to observe how often and in what situations the Latin “I say,” “so to speak,” “as they say,” and similar expressions are used.

Selected Publications

Mikulová, Jana. 2024. ¿Cómo pedir humildemente? La perífrasis dignari + infinitivo. In Pultrová, Lucie; Vaníková, Martina. Exploring Latin: Structures, Functions, Meaning: Volume I: Word. Volume II: Clause and Discourse. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2024, s. 597–613. URL
Mikulová, Jana. 2024, Límites del discurso directo en la lengua latina. Online. In Cabrillana Leal, Concepción. Recent Trends and Findings in Latin Linguistics: Volume I: Syntax, Semantics and Pragmatics. Volume II: Semantics and Lexicography. Discourse and Dialogue. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2024, s. 535–552. URL
Mikulová, Jana. 2022. The Variability of Late Latin Authors’ Means for Marking Direct Discourse. Convivium Supplementum. Exchanges and Interactions in the Arts of Medieval Europe, Byzantium, and the Mediterranean. Masarykova univerzita, 2022, 2022 (2), s. 48–59.
Mikulová, Jana. 2022. Evolution of Direct Discourse Marking from Classical to Late Latin. Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2022, 157 s. The Language of Classical Literature sv. 37. ISBN 978-90-04-52499-6. URL
Mikulová, Jana. 2021. Pragmatic uses of ‘I say’ in Latin. Journal of Historical Pragmatics. John Benjamins, 2021, 22 (1), s. 34–68. URL
Mikulová, Jana. 2020. Degrees of Redundancy in Double Introductions of Direct Speech in Gregory of Tours. Symbolae Osloenses. Taylor & Francis, 2020, 94 (1), s. 169–200. URL
Mikulová, Jana. 2020. Introducción del discurso directo en el latín tardío. Acta antiqua Academiae scientiarum Hungaricae. Magyar Tudomanyos Akademia Klasszika-Filologiai Kozlemenyei, 2020, 59 (1–4), s. 489–503. URL
Mikulová, Jana. 2017. Some remarks on dicens in Late Latin texts. Indogermanische Forschungen, 2017, 122 (1), 1–28. ISSN 0019-7262. doi:10.1515/if-2017-0001.
Mikulová, Jana. 2016. The marking the end of direct speech in Late Latin. Graeco-Latina Brunensia, 2016, 21(2), 169–182. ISSN 1803-7402. doi:10.5817/GLB2016-2-13.
Mikulová, Jana. 2015. Verbs introducing direct speech in Late Latin texts. Graeco-Latina Brunensia, 2015, 20(2), 123–143. ISSN 1803-7402.