[1] From: Jim Marchand <marchand@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> (20)
Subject: e-text archives
Many, many years ago (ca. 1970), I received a brochure announcing "A
Computerized Linguistic Inventory of Early Italian (960-1321)" (why did they
choose that date?). The project was entitled _Spogli Elettronici
dell'Italiano delle Origini e del Duecento (SEIOD)_ and was sponsored by the
University of Utrecht. It was initiated in 1961 under the directorship of
Prof. Mario Alinei of that university. Some books came out of the project,
but it has somehow eluded my attention in recent years. It would be great to
have all of Early Italian (over six million running words) available on the
net. Does anyone have any information on what has happened to this archive?
Along the same lines: What happens to our projects when we shuffle off? I
know of several colleagues who, like me, are somewhat superannuated, but have
large repositories of texts which might benefit the scholarly world. What
happens to them? Maybe people could be encouraged to put their depots on
things like ZIP disks and leave them to posterity, as one does with files and
books on occasion. For example, I know that Brian Dutton (a splendid Old
Spanish scholar) had all of Berceo in electronic format, for he gave me a
concordance he had made. It would be great to have all of Berceo in
electronic form (Brian was generous, as I mentioned just now), and it would
redound to his greater glory. Que faire?
!
Jim Marchand.