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Apr. 11th, 2006 09:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ricardienneOne of the best "etymologies" I have come across yet:
...because ita, which means oui in French, is the strongest affirmation in Latin, they were not satisfied in calling this countriy the 'Latin Land,' but rather they wished that all the country beyond the mountains, which is quite large and contains many diverse countries and dominions, be called Italy.
(Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies, I.33)
I do wish that the notes in my book were better, and actually gave sources regularly, because I want to know how much of this Christine compiled from other people and how much (if any) she just made up for the purposes of her book. That is, how much of what she relates about women throughout history would have been easily recognized by her contemporaries? Maybe I should actually read the introduction.
...because ita, which means oui in French, is the strongest affirmation in Latin, they were not satisfied in calling this countriy the 'Latin Land,' but rather they wished that all the country beyond the mountains, which is quite large and contains many diverse countries and dominions, be called Italy.
(Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies, I.33)
I do wish that the notes in my book were better, and actually gave sources regularly, because I want to know how much of this Christine compiled from other people and how much (if any) she just made up for the purposes of her book. That is, how much of what she relates about women throughout history would have been easily recognized by her contemporaries? Maybe I should actually read the introduction.
