Anneli Luhtala

Continuity and Change in Northern European Grammatical theory from the late Middle Ages to the Early Modern period

My research project concerns the development of grammatical theory in Northern Europe, focusing on the pedagogical Latin grammars and syntactical theory in particular. The transition from Scholasticism to Humanism is often presented in polemical terms, but in the field of grammar this transition involved plenty of continuity. Syntactical theory was a particular concern of Scholasticism and became part of pedagogical grammar in the Middle Ages. Our research will explore, to what extent influence from Scholasticism persisted in early modern grammar, which almost regularly contains a section on syntax. Similarly, we will be concerned to show how innovations from the theoretical level, which often drew heavily on philosophy, gradually entered into the teaching of Latin.