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 who flourished around 1250–88. He was the author of The Modes of Signifying (Modi significandi), an influential treatise on grammar. He studied and taught arts and theology at the University until he was appointed as the Chancellor of King Erik VI Menved of Denmark in 1287–8. After sixteen years in the service of the king, he died on August 10, 1304 at Paris. Martin's work represents an early stage in the development of a scientific approach to the study of grammar, subsequently developed by Boethius of Dacia, Radulphus Brito, Siger of Courtrai, Thomas of Erfurt, now known as the modistae or 'modists'.

The first step was to identify the object or set of objects composing the genus of grammar.

Martin identifies the 'modes of signifying' of traditional grammarians as the genus of scientific grammar, and distinguishes grammar from other sciences in terms of these modes of signifying.

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.

Notes

1 1220 1255 1304 Denmark Paris France