Spoken language in medieval legal charters? Revisiting some 8th century notitiae

This study explores the interplay between formulaic language, direct speech, and scribes’ linguistic competence in medieval legal charters, particularly notitiae. This documentary genre, which records various stages of legal proceedings, includes testimonies rendered in direct speech. Linguistic analysis, including comparisons with the chartulae written by the same scribe, reveals how scribes, acting as agents in the passage from orality to writing, played an active role in shaping direct speech. Their linguistic skills are reflected in complex ways. While direct speech might be expected to mirror spoken language, the presence of formulaic and stereotyped constructions suggests a more nuanced reality. This may stem not only from the orality-to-writing process but also from a certain ritualism embedded in some medieval legal practices, as suggested by the linguistic analysis of the documentation.