Lex Eisenhardt wrote: >Dear Monica >How do we know about the guitar in re-entrant tuning in 16th c. Spain? >There is this one reference in Mudarra: '...a de tener bordon en la quarta'. >It may be the only information we have. That's a reason to be cautious with >interpretations. > >You suggest that the word 'bordon' can not be used in any other way than >'string which sounds an octave below' here. About the alternative >explanation of the terminology 'bordon' you say that 'the Spanish just >doesn't mean that'. Maybe Spanish speaking list members would like toRe: >vihuelina, >comment? >
I bought yesterday the Covarrubias spanish dictionary (1611), an absolutely marvelous lecture, incredibly entertaining. The word "bord�n" has two entries: BORD�N. El b�culo en que se sustenta el que camina a pie y le sirve de cavallo, aunque bastardo; y por esso se llam� bord�n, a burdo, como se dixo muleta de mula. Y porque los religiosos de la orden de San Francisco caminan de ordinario a pie con alguna cayada o b�culo, le llamaron el cavallo de San Francisco. Antiguamente dixeron mulos marianos unos palos en que los pobres suelen llevar sus hatillos carg�ndolos sobre el hombro, y llam�ronse assi por aver sido invenci�n de Caio Mario, capit�n romano, dando orden como sus soldados aligerassen su carga y la llevassen a cuestas, que por esto dizen algunos aver llamado a los mesmos soldados mulos, porque como tales los llevava cargados. Vide Frontinum, lib. 4, Stratagematum. BORD�N. En el instrumento m�sico de cuerdas es la que suena octava abaxo y algunas que est�n fuera de las que se huellan en el cuello del instrumento, que se tocan tan solamente en vac�o para dar las octavas. Bordoncillo, el versecico quebrado o presa que se repite en la poes�a, que a ciertas medidas se acude a �l, como para descansar de la corriente que llevan las rimas. Y lo mesmo se dir� del bord�n de los instrumentos, porque se descansa en �l con la consonancia y con el final. Estos versos se llaman intercalares. Quando alguno tiene por costumbre, yendo hablando, entremeter alguna palabra que la repite muchas vezes y sin necessidad, dezimos que es aquel su bordonzillo, porque entretanto descansa en �l y piensa lo que ha de dezir, como: Bien me entiende V. M.: Sepa V. M.; Ya digo; Por manera se�or, y otras palabras semejantes a �stas. The first one explains "bord�n" as a "walking stick". I include it without translation for the Spanish speaking list members. It has to do with the second one, which I will try to translate the best as I can: "In the music string instrument it is (the string) that sounds (an) octave down, and also some (of the strings) that are appart from the ones that are stepped on the instrument's neck, and (therefore) are played unstepped for giving the octaves. "Bordoncillo" (-cillo, diminuitive suffix), the small verse repeated in poetry (...), the sense of it being a rest in the middle of the rime's fluency. And the same will be said from the instrument's bord�n, because on it happens the resting with the consonancy and the end. These verses are called "intercalares". When someone usually puts, when speaking, a word, often repeated and without necessity, we say that it is his "bordoncillo", because he rests on it and thinks on what to say, as for example in: You understand me well, Sir, etc..." Physically (first meaning), musically (second meaning), poetically (third meaning) and "verbally" (fourth meaning), "bord�n" is in the spanish language from the beginnings of the XVII century always a rest, something which is on the ground, down. The beauty of Covarrubias' writing is, by the way, amazing... Saludos from Barcelona, Manolo Laguillo -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
