Čeština v Albrantových koňských lékařstvích
The Czech Language in Albrant’s Horse Medicine

Summary/Abstract: We have several manuscripts and old prints coming down to us from the 15th–18th centuries concerned with treatment of horse ailments. The Czech editions have their origins in a German treatise on horse medicine authored by the horse dealer and equerry Albrant. As years went by, they were transformed and enlarged. This article is concerned with the Czech language in the horse medicine scripts, with a particular interest in phonology and spelling (the issue of baroque vowel quantity), and also lexis (terminology, German borrowings). The material base comprises eight Czech editions of Albrant’s medicine (the National Library of the Czech Republic XI C 2 and XVII E 42, the National Museum Library IV H 28, I H 29 and I F 10), a humanist print from 1527, and two undated baroque prints from the second half of the 18th century. Given this sample extending over such a large period of time, it is possible to track the Czech language evolution in its individual phases. We cannot assume, however, that the specific manuscripts and prints actually reflect the era in which the transcript of print originated. All texts involve contamination of different evolutionary phases of Czech and they provide differing amounts of the language as it appears in original texts, penetrated by linguistic elements typical of the time of transcription or printing. While analysing the language of individual texts, we focus especially on the phonological sphere, including a note on spelling and graphics, on lexis – which is rather specific (terminology) given the topical delimitation and also its origins based on the German archetype, and which is but sparsely found in other texts –, and on the overall style. Special attention is given to the vocalic quantity of the prints – it differs from the quantity assumed in the language of the humanist and baroque eras. We cannot, however, consider these deviations to be errors or print imperfections. On a thorough study of quantity markers in prints on horse medicine, it is apparent that the “different” quantity occurs in such word groups or forms that were defined also on the basis of research of other Early-Modern- -Period texts (e.g. instr. sg. tou masti, s soli etc.; unification of quantity in the hráchu, chléba paradigm; adjective endings dušny, psi lejno, nepranym etc.; 2nd sg. imp. znamenáj, vaříž, směžíš, máž, hás etc.; 3rd sg. pres. ind. 2nd class rozsedné, zhustné etc.). A very significant linguistic part consists of terms denoting horse ailments. They are either of domestic (ochvata, prchněly, záskoka, přístih, sadmo, šťkavka etc.), or German origin (šál, špát, halguf etc.). An intertextual research has shown that the closest relationship occurs between both baroque texts, though it is not possible to determine which of the two prints may have served as a model for the other. As for the manuscripts, we do not assume that any of them would have become an immediate template for another – though the texts certainly are built around Albrant’s core text, the rest of the manuscripts are further extended and varied by the interference of their later users.

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