About Old Russian lexicography (new information about the 17th century lexicographer David Zamaray)

The article is devoted to several dictionary monuments related to the Azbukovnik genre, which arose and developed in Old Russian lexicography in the 17th century. Several manuscripts of these monuments, judging by the handwriting, are related to the lexicographer David Zamaray who was the head of the Moscow Printing House in the early 17th century. The characteristic handwriting of David Zamaray, with which the manuscripts with his author’s notes were written, is found in the manuscripts of the National Library of Russia (RNL), Solovetskoye sobr., No. 302/322, RNB, Sophijskoe sobr., No. 1567. Also, presumably Zamaray can be attributed to the list of manuscripts of the Russian State Library (RSL), collection S.O.Dolgova, No. 45. Manuscripts of the National Library of Russia, Solovetskoye collection, No. 302/322 and RSL, collection S.O.Dolgova, No. 45 refer to the little-studied period of the formation of the Azbukovnik genre. The first manuscript, organized alphabetically and partly by thematic organization of the vocabulary material, probably served as a reference for David Zamaray in his work on other dictionaries. The second manuscript is part of the lexicographic tradition of the early alphabet books, in which manuscripts of two editions are distinguished. The RNL manuscript, Sophia collection, No. 1567 is a manuscript of a separate edition of the Sixth Azbukovnik described in the article in comparison with other lexicographic monuments.

ON THE EXISTENCE OF THE OLD RUSSIAN DOMRA

The article examines written, linguistic and pictorial sources about the Old Russian domra of the XVIth — XVIIth centuries, on the basis of which the author confirms, questions and puts forward new hypotheses about its existence, construction and performance character. A large number of sources — explanations in alphabet books, mentions in scribal books of professions, surnames and geographical names derived from domra testifies to the widespread use of domra in Russia during this period. Miniatures showing the domra in different shapes of the body, length of the neck, and number of strings are analyzed. Agreeing with the conclusion about the existence of the Old Russian domra in two main varieties, the author notes that the domra could be an independent type of lute instrument, which absorbed the features of both tanbure-like and lute-like instruments (in A. S. Famintsyn's classification). There is a new hypothesis that in Old Russian literature domras could be called "pregudnitsy" as a general name for stringed instruments, and domra players could be called "pregudniks". New data are introduced into scientific circulation: based on a document of 1719, discovered by the author, the chronological framework for the Old Russian domra is expanded to the first quarter of the XVIIIth century, and the fact of the simultaneous existence of domra and balalaika is established. Assumptions are made about the nature of playing and techniques of performing on domra. The version of the existence of the domra's tessitura varieties is questioned, due to insufficient documentary evidence. It is concluded that all the considered evidence was a sufficient ground for the reconstruction of domra in 1896.

Monuments of Old Russian Lexicography in the Manuscript of Prokhor Kolomnyatin

The article describes the monuments of Old Russian lexicography recorded in a manuscript created in 1668 by monk Prokhor Kolomnyatin, a Russian teacher and lexicographer. The dictionary “Tolkovanie o psaltyrnykh slovesekh” (‘Interpretation of the Psalms’), following a well-known tradition represented by numerous copies, could have been borrowed by the author from the Moscow edition of the Psaltyr of 1641. The dictionary “Latinskie rechi” (‘Latin Words’) is a translation of the Latin-Greek dictionary attributed to Matthew Blastares and included in his “Sintagma” (‘Syntagma’); one of the Slavic copies of this book served as a source for a Latin dictionary in the manuscript of 1668. The third text, “Perevodnye rechi s grecheskogo yazyka na slovenskii” (‘Translated Words from Greek into Slovenian’), is a Greek-Russian dictionary which is built on a thematic principle. This monument is based on the materials of the azbukovniks (‘alphabet books’), as well as the words and phrases of “Rech’ tonkosloviya grecheskogo” (‘Words of Greek Subtlety’), which were borrowed by Prokhor Kolomnyatin from “Vtoroi azbukovnik” (‘The Second Alphabet Book’). In the division of the lexical material into thematic groups, one can assume the influence of the works of Jan Amos Comenius. Although the work on compiling the Greek-Russian dictionary remained unfinished, it was the principle of its construction that served as a model for the recording of three new phrasebook dictionaries created by Prokhor Kolomnyatin.

Os livros-alfabeto e as suas potencialidades na promoção de uma competência “lecto-literária”

Integrando a categoria do livro-álbum, os livros-alfabeto ou abecedários (“alphabet books” ou “ABC books”) representam uma das categorias mais antigas de livro infantil. Apresentam as letras do alfabeto, fazendo-as corresponder a palavras e/ou imagens. Em certos casos, são compostos por letras maiúsculas e as correspondentes minúsculas, palavras-chave iniciadas com letras específicas ou ilustrações de palavras-chave. Podem, ainda, possuir frases ou parágrafos de índole literária ou serem de teor não literário. Actualmente, estes livros evidenciam uma pluralidade de forma(tos) gráficos e verbo-icónicos. Autores reconhecidos, como Munari (1907- 1998), em ABC (1960), e Sendak (1928-2012), em Alligators All Around (1962), dedicaram-se aos livros-alfabeto. Na literatura portuguesa para a infância, além de títulos assinados por nomes consagrados, como Ducla Soares (1939) ou Letria (Cascais, 1951), com ABC (1998) e Alfabeto dos Bichos (2005), respectivamente, destacam-se volumes recentes que testemunham novas fórmulas expressivas. Veja-se, a este propósito, ABZZZZ..., de Isabel Minhós Martins (texto) e Yara Kono (ilustrações) (2014), e Hoje Sinto-me..., de Madalena Moniz (2014). Pretendemos reflectir acerca das potencialidades deste livro, objecto tradicionalmente conotado com a didáctica, enquanto meio facilitador de aprendizagem das letras, mas que, presententemente, permite igualmente uma leitura que envolve outros conceitos no domínio da construção ideotemática e literária ou artística.

Interpretations and Reuse of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs in the Arabic Period (Tenth–Sixteenth Centuries ce)

This chapter presents a selection of the interpretations and reuses of Egyptian hieroglyphs and monumental inscriptions in medieval Arabic manuscripts dating from the tenth through the sixteenth centuries ce. The focus is on the genre of so-called alphabet books, which sometimes include extensive lists with hieroglyphic characters. Depending on the sources, these were interpreted either as logograms or as phonograms. A considerable amount of the earlier, mostly logographic, explanations document a still existing, more or less correctly transmitted knowledge of individual hieroglyphs and their respective functions. In contrast, the later, phonetic interpretations (notably in The Book of the Seven Climes) seemingly mark a secondary reuse of signs as elements of substitution codes without obvious links to their original functions.

Documents from the Archive of the Office of Book Printing Concerning the Educational Work of the Moscow Printery, 1615-1700

The research subject of this study is the educational work of the Moscow printery in 1615-1700, the effectiveness of which is assessed through the prism of its preparation and publication of educational books. Upon writing this article, the author applied the historical-comparative and historical-typological methods, as well as undertook a cliometric analysis of archive data. The paper presents the results of a study conducted over the course of many years and based on the material from the Office of Book Printing (Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, collection 1182) concerning textbook printing in Moscow in the 17th century, including Alphabet books, Horologions and Training Psalters. Based on the discovered documents, it was possible to compile the first, and at the moment most complete and reliable, repertoire of publications made by the Moscow printery in 1615-1700, which includes 631 titles. The author documented 60 editions of Alphabet books, 72 - Horologions and 58 - Training Psalters. Together they make up about a third of all publications by the Moscow printery in the studied period. Their total print number amounted to 640,366 copies, which were sold at affordable prices to a wide range of people. This has allowed the author to uncover the real aims and methods of Moscow book printing, which fully furbished Russian society with books for literacy and education. The article also analyzes the “Directions for the Teacher”, which is a methodological tool for teaching children the Russian language, and the Grammar Book of Meletius Smotrytsky, both published by the Moscow printery in the middle of the 17th century. These publications laid the foundation for the study and teaching of the Church Slavonic language in the indicated period of Russian history.

A, B and (not) Seeing: Animals and Other Ironies in Alphabet Books

For generations, alphabet books have been widely used by parents, librarians and teachers as early literacy tools for young children. Through images, word play and the interactions between word and image, alphabet books have the effect of introducing preliterate young children to the names, images, symbols and concepts regarding animals, what Matthew Calarco has called ‘symbolic mechanisms’ of animals—names, images, concepts, cultural associations of animals—yet they can also be deconstructive of those same mechanisms. Derrida's insights into the contradictory logic of the supplement and parergon as well as the ‘destabilising synergies of word and image’ offer deconstructive readings of alphabet books for adult and child readers. Recognising what Derrida calls the ‘childlike’ in texts such as alphabet books creates unique polymorphous spaces for the further interrogation of notions of animals.

White Print: The Dotted Word

This case describes the efforts put in and challenges faced by a young female social entrepreneur, Upasana Makati, in an attempt to make a difference in the lives of people who are visually impaired or with poor vision in India. The idea of White Print was to provide interesting reading material for the visually impaired population, including Braille Tactile alphabet books in English and Hindi. Upasana had been handling all the functions on her own with occasional help from interns which has been working out well so far. However, going ahead, the business is bound to face issues related to revenue generation, scaling up, and impact. This can be a good case to introduce the concept of Social Entrepreneurship, Dual Bottom-line, and Hybrid organizations to students.