Annotation of the Etymologiae of Isidore of Seville in Its Early Medieval Context

This article provides an overview of the annotated pre-1200 manuscripts of the Etymologiae of Isidore of Seville and discusses the nature and character of the annotation of this work. It shows that the Etymologiae was annotated principally in the early Middle Ages. The glossing took place in three contexts: in the insular world, perhaps in the aftermath of the arrival of Isidore's encyclopaedia in Ireland; in Carolingian northern France as a result of the introduction of Etym. I (De grammatica) into schools; and by scholarly readers in pre-Carolingian, Carolingian and Ottonian northern Italy. To a lesser extent, the Etymologiae was also annotated in the German area and northern Spain. The three main strains of annotation can be discerned because of their interest in different sections of the Etymologiae and because of distinct patterns of glossing they left behind. The intermixing of the three strains was exceptionally limited. The only region where it is attested is Brittany. The differences between regions and the limited circulation of glosses beyond their region of origin suggest that there existed several distinct reception frameworks for the Etymologiae in the early Middle Ages. The article is accompanied by a list of 45 most important annotated pre-1200 manuscripts of the Etymologiae