Martin of Dacia

Martin Dacia
Born	1220 Denmark
Died	1304 Paris, France unknown
Occupation	Philosopher
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Martin of Dacia (Martinus de Dacia, Martin de Dacie).

"Martin de Dacia (d. 1304), sometimes Martinus Dacus, was a Danish scholar, master of arts and theology at the University of Paris around 1250–88, and the author of Modi significandi, a very influential treatise on grammar. He studied and taught arts and theology at the University of Paris until his appointment as Chancellor of King Erik VI Menved of Denmark in 1287–8. After sixteen years of service to the king, he died on August 10, 1304 at Paris (Roos 1952, pp. 47–71). Martin of Dacia represents a relatively early stage in the systematization of a “scientific” approach to the study of grammar around the “modes of meaning” (modi significandi) subsequently refined in the works of boethius of dacia, radulphus brito, Siger of Courtrai, and thomas of erfurt. The first step to turn grammar into a demonstrative science was to identify the object or set of objects composing its genus. Martin of Dacia identifies the modi significandi or “modes of meaning” of traditional grammarians as the genus of scientific grammar; and as a result, he tries to explain the rules of grammar, and to distinguish grammar from other sciences (especially from logic), in terms of the modi significandi. The definition of the modus significandi follows the path established by Aristotle's correlation among things, affections of the soul, and words outlined in Peri Hermeneias (1, 16a4–8). [from Blackwell online]

Notability

This philosopher has 1 pages in the Blackwell Companion.