Nomina generis dubii in Prisciano: questioni ecdotiche e linguistiche

Book 5 of Priscian’s Ars grammatica (6th c. CE) contains a section about the nouns with doubtful, i. e. uncertain, gender. The grammarian takes here into account the linguistic uses of the vetustissimi, namely the authors of Republican and early Imperial Age. Priscian, who declares to draw on the surveys of previous grammarians, namely Pliny the Elder and Probus, states the grammatical gender(s) of approximately 50 nouns. His witness is particularly valuable and at the same time problematic since Priscian’s indications about many entries lack a parallel in the sur- viving literary and documentary texts. Basing on the new complete collation of the 9th-10th-century manuscripts of book 5 of the Ars grammatica, the article analyses some passages of the section on nomina generis dubii for which the choices of the critical editor have also an impact on the history of Latin language and linguistics.