Æfter/ra in the Lindisfarne Gospels: On the Plethora of Its Meanings and Uses in the English Gloss

Abstract

The present study aims at discussing the use of the Old English ÆFTER in the glosses to the Lindisfarne Gospels, in order to establish patterns of equivalence between the OE gloss and an array of Latin source terms it renders. We are particularly interested in examining the consistency of such glossing, which would allow us to demonstrate the basic and peripheral senses of ÆFTER as well as its synonyms used in the collection. In an attempt to provide ground for a wider discussion of possible patterns in Old English gloss translation, the study compares the Aldredian employment of æfter and its forms with their use in the Rushworth Gospels, reportedly based on the Lindisfarne collection. The data for the present study come from the Dictionary of Old English Corpus (henceforth DOEC), analyzed with AntConc, a corpus analysis toolkit developed by Laurence Anthony. The findings are further supplemented with a close analysis of the editions by Skeat (1970), as well as the digitalized manuscript of the Lindisfarne Gospels available at Turning The Pages™, British Library.