Maxime Paratte
In our article, we propose a philological and linguistic analysis of the relationship between the Codi, a legal compilation in Old Occitan, and its main Latin source, the Summa Trecensis (ST). While the influence of the ST on the Codi is recognized, particularly in the historiography of law, an in-depth textual and linguistic comparison has yet to be carried out. The study is based on the known manuscripts of the ST as well as on a little-studied source, the Bamberg can. 17 manuscript, which allows for a better understanding of the primitive state of the text. Through the analysis of selected passages, we highlight both the textual fidelity of the Codi and its processes of vernacular reformulation. The study reveals an active adaptation of Roman law in terms of syntax and lexicon and a discursive strategy aimed at greater accessibility. The Codi therefore does not appear to be a simple translation, but an essential milestone in the development of a Romance legal language. These preliminary results pave the way for a broader study on the textual genesis of the Codi and its contribution to the emergence of Occitan scripturality.