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Historiographia Linguistica
Vol. 6:2 (1979) ► pp.159–180

Modus Significandi

An Interdisciplinary Concept

| University of Ottawa

During the Middle Ages, the various sciences shared both basic concepts and terminology without losing their autonomy. Between 1260 and 1330 grammatica speculativa, which had evolved under the influence of dialectic, asserted its independence while keeping the terminology common to philosophy and theology. This mixed autonomy and interdependence is demonstrated by the evolution and use of the term, modus significandi. The term was not proper to grammar: it is found in discussions of the sign in theology and philosophy. In these discussions, the philosopher or theologian in question often rested his case on grammatical considerations. At the beginning of our period, modus significandi is opposed in grammar to significatum, while, after 1280 or thereabouts, the significatum is termed modus significandi passivus and the modus significandi becomes modus significandi activus. It would seem that this change is due to certain implications in the way in which the Latin gerund was employed by scholastic theologians. In any case, the term, modus significandi, undergoes a parallel development in grammar, theology and philosophy; and, at the same time, is studied under different aspects according to the discipline in question. In grammar at the beginning of our period, in appearance modus significandi is a morphological concept, while, in the work of Gerson (1426), it is certainly of syntactic relevance.

Published online: 1 January 1979
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https://doi.org/10.1075/hl.6.2.03kel
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Cited by 4 other publications

Bursill-Hall, Geoffrey L.
1995. Linguistics in the Later Middle Ages. In Concise History of the Language Sciences, ► pp. 130 ff. DOI logo
Bursill-Hall, Geoffrey L.
1998. Michaelis de Marbasio Summa de Modis Significandi. Critical edition with an Introduction by L. G. Kelly. Historiographia Linguistica 25:3 ► pp. 407 ff. DOI logo
Rodríguez, Estrella Pérez
2002. Speculations about thePotestas Litterarumin medieval grammar (11th through 13th centuries). Historiographia Linguistica 29:3 ► pp. 293 ff. DOI logo
Subbiondo, Joseph L.
1981. Thomas stackhouse’s theory of linguistic rhetoric. Historiographia Linguistica 8:1 ► pp. 47 ff. DOI logo

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