Studia Celtica Fennica / New considerations on the Old Breton glosses in BN1616

This article examines glosses in the late ninth- or early tenth-century manuscript Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Nouv. acq. Lat. 1616 (= BN1616), which were previously analysed as Old Breton. By approaching them from different angles, we reassess and challenge some of these long-standing interpretations. Through detailed philological, palaeographical, and linguistic analysis, we address the complexity introduced by scribal errors, orthographic variants, and gloss segmentation, emphasising the critical role of comparative studies. Furthermore, connections between BN1616 and related manuscripts, such as Angers 476 and 477, provide a valuable insight into glossing traditions and their transmission. This study underscores the significance of comprehensive manuscript analysis in uncovering insights into early medieval intellectual and linguistic exchanges.