Martin of Dacia

Martin of Dacia (Martinus Dacus, Martinus de Dacia, Martin de Dacie, 1220-1304) was a Danish scholar, master of arts and theology at the University of Paris around 1250–88, and the author of Modi significandi, an influential treatise on grammar. He studied and taught arts and theology at the University until his appointment as Chancellor of King Erik VI Menved of Denmark in 1287–8. After sixteen years of service to the king, he died on August 10, 1304 at Paris (Roos 1952, pp. 47–71). Martin represents a relatively early stage in the systematization of a scientific approach to the study of grammar around the 'modes of signifying' (modi significandi) subsequently refined by Boethius of Dacia, Radulphus Brito, Siger of Courtrai, and Thomas of Erfurt.

The first step to turn grammar into a demonstrative science was to identify the object or set of objects composing its genus. Martin identifies the 'modes of signifying' of traditional grammarians as the genus of scientific grammar; and as a result, he tries to explain the rules of grammar, and to distinguish grammar from other sciences (especially from logic), in terms of modes of signifying. The definition of the modes of signifying Aristotle's correlation among things, affections of the soul, and words outlined in Peri Hermeneias (1, 16a4–8). [from Blackwell online]

Primary sources

Editions

• Ed.: Roos, H.: Martini de Dacia Opera, København 1961 [CPhDMA 2]
  • In Isagogen Porphyrii quaestiones (Quaestiones super librum Porphyrii) pp. 121-152.
  • In librum Boetii De differentiis topicis (Quaestiones super librum Topicorum Boethii) pp. 319-327.
  • In librum Perihermenias quaestiones (Quaestiones super librum Perihermenias)], pp. 235-263
  • In librum sex principiorum quaestiones (Quaestiones libri sex principiorum)], pp. 267-315.
  • Quaestiones super librum Praedicamentorum], pp. 155-231.
  • Tractatus de modis significandi, pp- 3-118.
• Roos, H.: Die "Modi significandi" des Martinus de Dacia: Forschungen zur Geschichte der Sprachlogik im Mittelalter, Münster i. W. 1952.
• Alessio, F.: "Martini de Dacia De modis significandi (Venezia Marc. ms. lat. cl. XIII n. 54)", in: Rivista critica di storia della filosofia 11 (1956), pp. 174-205, 312-339.

Notability

This philosopher has 1 pages in the Blackwell Companion. 1220 1255 1304 Denmark Paris France