Salic Law - The Language Question

The Language Question

The Salic law code contains the earliest surviving attestations of Old Dutch. They consist mainly of stray words or glosses (Malbergse glossen), but include a full sentence:

Old Dutch - maltho thi - afrio lito
Dutch ik meld jou ik bevrijd (je) laat*
English I tell you I free (you) freedman
  • A laat was a form of serfdom in the feudal system. He was a half freed farmer; connected to the land of his lord he worked for, but not owned by his lord. While a "horige" was in full ownership of the lord.

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