The interpretation of the Niya Prakrit grapheme is an unsolved problem of the Kharoṣṭhī script. This article will argue that, at least in most cases, it represents Bactrian /šk/. After a brief note... Show moreThe interpretation of the Niya Prakrit grapheme is an unsolved problem of the Kharoṣṭhī script. This article will argue that, at least in most cases, it represents Bactrian /šk/. After a brief note on the palaeography of the akṣara and its attestations in other forms of Gāndhārī, Bactrian etymologies will be proposed for some Niya Prakrit words containing this grapheme. As some of these words have been considered before key witnesses to the Tocharian C hypothesis (Burrow 1935b; 1937: vii-ix), this renewed understanding of has broader consequences for the issue of the linguistic substrate in Niya Prakrit. Show less
Written Culture at Ten Duinen: Cistercian Monks and Their Books, c. 1125-c. 1250 uses both traditional and new methodologies to examine the extant twelfth- and early thirteenth-century manuscripts... Show moreWritten Culture at Ten Duinen: Cistercian Monks and Their Books, c. 1125-c. 1250 uses both traditional and new methodologies to examine the extant twelfth- and early thirteenth-century manuscripts from the Flemish abbey of Ten Duinen, once situated in the dunes near present-day Koksijde. Patterns in the production and use of books are identified within the abbey's extant manuscripts and defined by analyzing substantial data, gathered within a customized database, for each manuscript unit (i.e., both homogenous manuscripts and non-homogenous manuscripts wherein parts can be differentiated by production period or technique). Scriptorium, library, and reading practices are then situated within the context of the Long Twelfth Century (c.1075–c.1225) and the abbey’s Cistercian network to discuss how the monks of Ten Duinen organized, accessed, interpreted, and transmitted knowledge in the manuscripts they made and used. Show less
The present article re-edits three early Islamic inscriptions that exhibit an orthographic feature believed to represent the glottal stop (hamz). Overall, this orthographic device (referred to as ... Show moreThe present article re-edits three early Islamic inscriptions that exhibit an orthographic feature believed to represent the glottal stop (hamz). Overall, this orthographic device (referred to as ‘proto-hamza’) is employed four times in the three inscriptions, bringing the number of its known attestations to a grand total of nine. The article concludes by making some broad observations on the multifarious nature of the early Arabic writing tradition(s). Show less
This volume explores the production and use of medieval manuscripts that contain classical Latin texts. Six experts in the field address a range of topics related to these manuscripts, including... Show moreThis volume explores the production and use of medieval manuscripts that contain classical Latin texts. Six experts in the field address a range of topics related to these manuscripts, including how classical texts were disseminated throughout medieval society, how readers used and interacted with specific texts, and what these books look like from a material standpoint. This collection of essays also considers the value of studying classical manuscripts as a distinct group, and demonstrates how such a collective approach can add to our understanding of how classical works functioned in medieval society. Focusing on the period 800-1200, when classical works played a crucial role in the teaching of grammar, rhetoric, and dialectics, this volume investigates how classical Latin texts were copied, used, and circulated in both discrete and shared contexts. Contributions by Robert Gary Babcock, David T. Gura, Erik Kwakkel, Irene O’Daly, Mariken Teeuwen and Rodney Thomson. Show less
Literacy was widespread in large areas of ancient Arabia, as shown by the huge numbers of graffiti by both settled people and nomads. But, it is still extremely difficult to establish a reliable... Show moreLiteracy was widespread in large areas of ancient Arabia, as shown by the huge numbers of graffiti by both settled people and nomads. But, it is still extremely difficult to establish a reliable chronology for the literate periods of pre-Islamic Arabian history. This has led to a misuse of palaeography in an attempt to create chronological sequences based on letter forms from undated inscriptions and documents, on widely different kinds of surface, with different purposes, and often separated by large distances. This practice is not confined to Arabian inscriptions but is widespread in Semitic epigraphy. This article offers a new taxonomy for inscriptions and graffiti, examines the misuse of palaeography in Semitic epigraphy and suggests some more useful ways in which palaeography could be used in this field. Show less
