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Abrogans - Vocabularius (Keronis) et Alia

c. 790

Held by Abbey Library of St Gall, Cod. Sang. 911read here

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Abrogans is a Latin word list with Old High German equivalents, and this manuscript, kept in the Abbey Library of St Gallen, is the oldest surviving book in the German language. The glossary fills pages 4 to 289 and was written by at least three scribes. Two pages after it are blank apart from two runic words. Next come a Latin text on church doctrine by Gennadius and, at the very end, the Lord's Prayer and a creed in Old High German.

Where it happens

  1. St Gallen, Abbey Library The manuscript has been kept here as Cod. Sang. 911.1
  2. Freising The translation was probably made here.12
  3. Paris, Bibliotheque nationale Holds the other surviving copy, lat. 7640.2

Through time

  1. 765Start of the likely window for writing the manuscript, to about 775.1
  2. 770Middle of the likely writing window, 765 to 775.1
  3. 775End of the likely window for writing the manuscript.1

Who is in it, and behind it

Arbeo of Freising bishop

Named as one possible author of the glossary.12

Kero monk

Also proposed as the author of the translation.12

Gennadius author

His text on church doctrine fills pages 292 to 319.1

What it is about

Oldest German book

The manuscript is regarded as the oldest preserved book in German.12

A word list as a dictionary

Latin entries are paired with Old High German words, about 3,670 of them.12

A short prayer at the back

The last pages hold the Lord's Prayer and a creed in Old High German.1

Pages worth stopping at

  1. Page 3Page 4, where the Latin to Old High German glossary begins.1
  2. Page 289Page 290, empty except for two runic words.1
  3. Page 290Page 291, also empty apart from the runic words.1
  4. Page 291Page 292, where Gennadius on church doctrine begins.1
  5. Page 319Page 320, with the Old High German Lord's Prayer and creed.1
  6. Page 321Page 322, the last of the pages with the vernacular prayer and creed.1

How it came to be here

The volume dates to the later eighth century, roughly 765 to 775, and has 323 pages. The glossary lists about 3,670 Old High German words, which makes it a rare window on the earliest written German. Scholars have named Bishop Arbeo of Freising and a monk called Kero as possible authors, and the translation was probably made at Freising. A second copy survives in Paris. The St Gallen manuscript is the best known and is now digitised in full.

Sources

  1. e-codices: St Gallen Cod. Sang. 911
  2. Wikipedia: Abrogans

Images: e-codices - Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland. CC BY-NC 4.0.

Holder's record · IIIF manifest

Also from Abbey Library of St Gall