Thomas Linacre e la sintassi rinascimentale: la creazione di chimere (meta-)linguistiche

Abstract

This paper examines Thomas Linacre’s creation of a chimerical meta- language in the context of the study of Renaissance syntax, which fuses Greek, Latin and medieval elements to adapt to new pedagogical and com- municative needs. In an era of transition between Latin and vernacular lan- guages, Linacre redefines syntax not only as a norm, but as an expression of the structure of thought. The comparison with Teodoro Gaza, Francisco Sanctius and Pierfrancesco Giambullari places him in the debate between linguistic prescription and description. His key innovation is the synthesis between classical constructs and a more fluid syntax, in which the sensus animi becomes the guiding principle of discourse, transforming grammar into a reflection of the logic of language and anticipating themes of modern linguistics.*